International
Pedaling for Peace and Development
Bikes Not Bombs has sent over 33,000 bikes to Central America, the Caribbean and Africa (and New Orleans) in the last 24 years. We do more than just speak about the social and environmental costs of increasing global motorization - we provide technical and material resources for transportation alternatives.
International Involvement
BNB shipments to African communities: 10,664 bicycles sent.
Ghana
BNB has shipped 8,762 bicycles and tons of parts to Ghana since 2002.
• The Village Bicycle Project, (VBP) a non-profit based in the USA, is the largest receiver and distributor of BNB bikes. VBP is working with two Ghanaian businesses to bring the bikes though customs and to distribute them. The Ghanaian companies provide workshops, 85 workshops are predicted for 2008, wherein 20 participants at a time take a day-long training on bike maintenance and are then eligible to purchase a bicycle for half the market rate for used bikes. The two Ghanaian companies also sell a portion of each shipment to local small bicycle micro-enterprises. In essence VBP and their Ghanaian counterparts have established a wholesale distributor network for used bikes and parts, a critical link in the transportation nexus for Ghana’s growing number of working poor cyclists. VBP also ships low cost specialty bicycle tools to support the growing structure of small bike businesses and do-it-your-selfers. BNB trained bike technician, Emily Lin, has worked with the VBP to establish three Earn-a-Bike programs in 3 Ghanaian communities. Visit VBP’s web site, www.VillageBicycleProject.org for more info.
• BNB, working with Emmanuel’s Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged (EEFSA) will establish a bicycle workshop for “disabled” people in the city of Koforidua. We have sent our first container of aid on 4/26/08 with the tools, parts and bikes necessary for the establishment of the workshop. BNB bike technician, David Branigan will conduct training and help set-up the workshop during the first 8 months. (See his blog at http://bikesnotbombs-eefsa.blogspot.com/) Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah visited BNB on May 7, 2008 to speak to BNB volunteers. Emmanuel has established international celebritystatus as the main character of “Emmanuel’s Gift” a recent movie narrated by Oprah Winfrey and has used this notoriety and award funds to establish the EEFSA foundation.
Photo: BNB Volunteers rejoice at the end of a long day as the final two workbenches are loaded during 4/26/08 shipment to Koforidua for Ghanaian partner, Emmanuel's Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged. Photo by BNB volunteer Kit Transue.
Tanzania
BNB provided one free container shipment of 441 bikes on April 14, 2008 to the Global Alliance for Africa’s Vijana Center, which is located in Arusha, Tanzania. The Vijana Center is a vocational training project that serves up to 200 students at a time. Language courses in English, French and Spanish are offered, as well as computer skills, secretarial skills, welding and bike mechanics. 90 % of the center’s budget is derived from the sale of used bikes assembled at the Center.
South Africa
• BNB has sent 1,461 bikes, as well as parts, tools, a 40’ container and two technicians to the Diepsloot Youth Cycles Project (DYCP) in South Africa. Diepsloot, a South African settlement city, has the first Earn-a-Bike program in South Africa and a bicycle micro-enterprise as well. The project was founded with the supervision of Global Communities Initiatives, BNB and DYCP. BNB provided 2 trainers, Alex Twombly and Omar Bhimji to establish the project in 2005.
Central America
BNB has sent bicycles and technical assistance to Maya Pedal, an indigenous organization in Guatemala. Maya Pedal (MP) manufactures and distributes pedal-powered machines that shell and grind grain, power rope-pumps for well water extraction, depulp coffee and spin fruit blenders.
MP also now runs a bicycle shop to help support its work in building pedal-powered technologies. BNB will send another container of bikes and parts to Maya Pedal in 2004. BNB has sent over 17,000 bicycles to other projects in Central America, supporting programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Nevis
We loaded up a shipment of donated bikes on the weekend of January 13, 2007 and are flew BNB staff member Matt Soycher to start youth Earn-A-Bike programs on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.
Matt's Nevis Blog
Matt Soycher brings his 2 years of experience at BNB, and spent 2.5 months training local teachers to run this program on the model of BNB's youth Earn-A-Bike program. He left on January 20th, 2007 and returned on April 3rd. Local graduates of youth programs will be connecting with Nevis youth through pen pal relationships, a blog, and even an evening webcast!
BNB shipments to African communities: 10,664 bicycles sent.
Ghana
BNB has shipped 8,762 bicycles and tons of parts to Ghana since 2002.
• The Village Bicycle Project, (VBP) a non-profit based in the USA, is the largest receiver and distributor of BNB bikes. VBP is working with two Ghanaian businesses to bring the bikes though customs and to distribute them. The Ghanaian companies provide workshops, 85 workshops are predicted for 2008, wherein 20 participants at a time take a day-long training on bike maintenance and are then eligible to purchase a bicycle for half the market rate for used bikes. The two Ghanaian companies also sell a portion of each shipment to local small bicycle micro-enterprises. In essence VBP and their Ghanaian counterparts have established a wholesale distributor network for used bikes and parts, a critical link in the transportation nexus for Ghana’s growing number of working poor cyclists. VBP also ships low cost specialty bicycle tools to support the growing structure of small bike businesses and do-it-your-selfers. BNB trained bike technician, Emily Lin, has worked with the VBP to establish three Earn-a-Bike programs in 3 Ghanaian communities. Visit VBP’s web site, www.VillageBicycleProject.org for more info.
• BNB, working with Emmanuel’s Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged (EEFSA) will establish a bicycle workshop for “disabled” people in the city of Koforidua. We have sent our first container of aid on 4/26/08 with the tools, parts and bikes necessary for the establishment of the workshop. BNB bike technician, David Branigan will conduct training and help set-up the workshop during the first 8 months. (See his blog at http://bikesnotbombs-eefsa.blogspot.com/) Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah visited BNB on May 7, 2008 to speak to BNB volunteers. Emmanuel has established international celebritystatus as the main character of “Emmanuel’s Gift” a recent movie narrated by Oprah Winfrey and has used this notoriety and award funds to establish the EEFSA foundation.
Photo: BNB Volunteers rejoice at the end of a long day as the final two workbenches are loaded during 4/26/08 shipment to Koforidua for Ghanaian partner, Emmanuel's Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged. Photo by BNB volunteer Kit Transue.
Tanzania
BNB provided one free container shipment of 441 bikes on April 14, 2008 to the Global Alliance for Africa’s Vijana Center, which is located in Arusha, Tanzania. The Vijana Center is a vocational training project that serves up to 200 students at a time. Language courses in English, French and Spanish are offered, as well as computer skills, secretarial skills, welding and bike mechanics. 90 % of the center’s budget is derived from the sale of used bikes assembled at the Center.
South Africa
• BNB has sent 1,461 bikes, as well as parts, tools, a 40’ container and two technicians to the Diepsloot Youth Cycles Project (DYCP) in South Africa. Diepsloot, a South African settlement city, has the first Earn-a-Bike program in South Africa and a bicycle micro-enterprise as well. The project was founded with the supervision of Global Communities Initiatives, BNB and DYCP. BNB provided 2 trainers, Alex Twombly and Omar Bhimji to establish the project in 2005.
Central America
BNB has sent bicycles and technical assistance to Maya Pedal, an indigenous organization in Guatemala. Maya Pedal (MP) manufactures and distributes pedal-powered machines that shell and grind grain, power rope-pumps for well water extraction, depulp coffee and spin fruit blenders.
MP also now runs a bicycle shop to help support its work in building pedal-powered technologies. BNB will send another container of bikes and parts to Maya Pedal in 2004. BNB has sent over 17,000 bicycles to other projects in Central America, supporting programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Nevis
We loaded up a shipment of donated bikes on the weekend of January 13, 2007 and are flew BNB staff member Matt Soycher to start youth Earn-A-Bike programs on the island of Nevis in the Caribbean.
Matt's Nevis Blog
Matt Soycher brings his 2 years of experience at BNB, and spent 2.5 months training local teachers to run this program on the model of BNB's youth Earn-A-Bike program. He left on January 20th, 2007 and returned on April 3rd. Local graduates of youth programs will be connecting with Nevis youth through pen pal relationships, a blog, and even an evening webcast!
Guatemalan & Tanzanian Engineers Visit BNB
Jul 30 2008 - 7:00pm
We invite you to Bikes Not Bombs at 7pm on Wednesday July 30th to meet some of our international partners who will be giving presentations on their projects in Guatemala and Tanzania. Carlos Marroquin is the lead designer and engineer at the Maya Pedal organization in Guatemala, which uses donated bicycle materials from BNB to build pedal-powered machines for agricultural uses: corn shellers, grain grinders, peanut shellers, well water pumps, etc. Bernard Kiwia is an engineer in Tanzania, and works with the Vijana Vocational Training Center in Arusha, where BNB's donated bikes support a bike mechanics program. Their sales of these bikes are also the primary funding source to support the job training in other fields that the Vijana Center provides to people who have lost their families to the AIDS epidemic.
Both Carlos and Bernard are in Boston for the International Development Design Summit (IDDS) at MIT, which is bringing together 60 engineers from 20 developing countries around the world, to share techniques and take on design challenges to come up with new designs to address problems in
South Africa Bike Shipment Sent
On Sunday, June 15th Bikes Not Bombs volunteers loaded a 40' shipping container with 464 donated and many buckets and bundles of spare parts, now on its way to the Diepsloot, South Africa "Youth Cycles Project."
HELP SEND BIKES TO GHANA
Jul 12 2008 - 10:30am
On Saturday, July 12th Bikes Not Bombs volunteers will load a 40' shipping container full of bicycle aid for the Village Bicycle Project in Ghana.
HELP SEND BIKES TO GHANA
Jul 12 2008 - 10:30am
On Saturday, July 12th Bikes Not Bombs volunteers will load a 40' shipping container full of bicycle aid for the Village Bicycle Project in Ghana.
HELP SEND BIKES TO SOUTH AFRICA
Jun 15 2008 - 10:30am