Bikes in Uganda

Looking back at how we got to where we are today. When you visit our website you are greeted with a graphic that states 114 Supported Projects in 32 Countries. This data stretches over 21 years. Not every project got a resupply of bikes from us; it may have been special one time event or a time specific occurrence, like response to a natural disaster (Haiti or Sri Lanka). They may have gotten one container or a dozen bikes. Over the years we've supported about 30 partner projects on a regular basis but even those have change. 

So far this year we have donated containers of bikes to eight core partners. We typically have ten partners that we work with on a fairly regular basis. Some projects like BEN Namibia are still in operation but getting their bikes from another organization. Some projects have folded, like the bike component in Goodwill Panama. This was in large part because the main force behind the effort was one man and when he passed away the program ceased. 

We are excited to share with you Cycles for Farmers in Uganda. Based in Uganda, Cycles For Farmers (CFF) is a non profit social enterprise that seeks bicycle mobility solutions among smallholder farmers and young people (youth) that are particularly involved in farming, trade, education and community activities, in doing so, we offer transport solutions and improve livelihoods. They started up in 2020 but had a bit of a snag receiving bikes due to shipping irregularities during the pandemic. Our sister organization in Chicago sent them their first container in 2022 and has been resupplying them since. 

Bikes for the World shipped nearly 10,000 bikes to Uganda through an organization known as Women's Prisoner Support Organization. We took them on as a partner in 2007 and over the next six years delivered 20 containers of bikes. WPSO was also an early recipient organization of our donated sewing machines. WPSO worked directly with ex-offenders who faced an uphill challenge once released from prison, sometimes serving time for offenses that should not have been considered crimes. 

Several years ago the government stepped in and assumed control over all prison related activities shifting away from NGO involvement. WPSO paused.Then the same force behind WPSO combined again to form Cycles For Farmers in 2020. So essentially this is the same BfW partner from nearly 20 years ago, just with a new name and more impassioned focus. 

The cornerstone of their project is the Bicycle Micro-Loan Program. This model allows rural farmers to obtain a bicycle on credit. Working with CFF they are enrolled in a generous repayment plan which allows them to purchase the bike over a period of several months, when money is coming in from their crops. The revenue CFF receives through bike sales keeps the project sustainable, provides income to mechanics, allows for the purchase of spare parts, and makes expansion possible. 

It is our goal to bring CFF back into the fold as a reinvented BfW beneficiary.