Bikes for the World (BfW) is a sponsored project of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (tax ID #237305477) whose mission is to collect valuable but unwanted bicycles and related material--parts, tools, and accessories--in the United States and deliver it at low cost to community development programs assisting the poor in developing countries.   The bikes donated to our partner organizations provide much-needed and affordable transportation to laborers, micro businesspeople, farmers, health workers, and students.  Recipients benefit in proportion to THEIR efforts.  Our non-profit partner organizations sell bikes at a below-market price or distribute them to targeted beneficiaries in exchange for volunteer services (e.g., health workers in Namibia) or as award (e.g., for scholarship students living miles away from school, as in the Gambia or Senegal).  

As much as possible, Bikes for the World uses the donated bicycles to help set-up self-sustaining bicycle repair operations which can make enough money to pay the direct costs for subsequent container shipments of donated bicycles.

Bikes for the World also operates the Rockville Youth Bicycle Project in suburban Maryland, offering local youth opportunities to learn about bicycles, fulfill high school community service requirements, earn a reconditioned bicycle, and bike safely and enjoyably.

(Above Right: Picture from Nyariga, Ghana showing a recipient of a Bikes for the World bicycle. Courtesy of the Shape Lives Foundation)

Also see this YouTube video by America.gov describing the mission of Bikes for the World:

And see the MSNBC video about how Bikes for the World contributes bikes supporting sustainable development for a small community near Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bikes for the World Loads Container for Panama, Ships 40,000th Bike!!

We did it, and mostly in a driving snow no less! With the help of Montgomery County middle and high school students, guided by Bikes for the World volunteers Craig Annear, Rich Robinson, Fred Schuyler, and Jeff Davis, and supported by Rockville Youth Project director Mike McMillion and BfW director Keith Oberg, we placed more than 310 bicycles, along with 62 wheelchairs (with 28 footrests), 79 walkers, 50 canes, and 167 crutches, for shipment to Goodwill Panama. The wheelchairs and other items were generously donated and delivered by Goodwill of Central and Eastern Virginia, for assistance to individuals with physical disabilities in Panama.

The shipment, and a subsequent one bound for Uganda's Women Prisoners Support Organisation, puts Bikes for the World over 8,950 bikes donated and shipped in 2009, and over 40,000 donated and shipped since our beginnings in January 2005.  Although our 2009 shipments are down 10% from 2008's record production of 10,301 bicycles donated, (1) during 2009 we placed approximately 1,500 bikes overseas from other U.S. sources, more than making up the "shortfall", and with bikes leftover from 2009 anticipate making a fast start in 2010, with a January load bound for Ghana's Village Bicycle Project and a March load bound for Costa Rica.  For info on these four partners, visit www.goodwillpanama.org, www.wpsouganda.org, www.fic.or.cr and www.villagebicycleproject.org.