Bicycles for Humanity
Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) is a grass-roots initiative that empowers disadvantaged communities in Africa through the provision of sustainable transportation. We send gently used bikes to help improve access to healthcare, education, food, water, employment and social opportunities.
Bicycles for Humanity is completely volunteer run - that means that 100% of all donations go straight into B4H projects! There is no administration or overhead costs, giving your donated dollars unmatched leverage in making a difference.
A bicycle, one of the simplest transport technologies, is affordable and can be maintained anywhere in the world with minimal tools and spare parts. Yet for the world's poorest people, living on $1 per day, even bicycles are beyond their reach. Meanwhile, in the western world we discard thousands of bicycles each year. Simply put – unused bicycles in garages or basements can make an incredible difference to those in need of transportation to receive or provide healthcare, to get to work, or to attend school. Such bicycles represent a terrific opportunity to change the lives of those less fortunate.
Bicycles for Humanity - a Global Movement
Just seven years later, there are many chapters around the world, all autonomous yet networked within the B4H movement. Because of the effort of these self-started groups and their communities of supporters, there are dozens of Bicycle Empowerment Centres (BECs) in Africa all serving to improve thousands of people’s lives.
B4H has no staff, no budget, has never spent a cent of donated funds on overhead of any type and it never will. It continues to grow globally and many individuals, organizations, corporations and groups collecting bikes continue to join the Bicycles for Humanity movement. Bicycles for Humanity has a number of goals:
- To help poor, women, children, and HIV positive.
- To empower people in disadvantaged countries and communities
- To give people hope, a chance and self dignity.
- To improve access to health care, educational and social services.
- To develop micro-enterprises and employment opportunities.
- To empower women by increasing their mobility.
- To help women to achieve their potential in their communities.
- To strengthen families and communities by reducing travel time.
- To improve the delivery of services by teachers, health care workers, and other extension workers.
- To improve economic productivity by improving transportation
- To create sustainable communities
Many thanks to B4H Ottawa for providing photos.
