Learn Work Develop: New Project in Rwanda

Bikes for the World has added a new partner! Learn Work Develop is an NGO in Rwanda and our second supported project in this country. But Learn Work Develop itself is not NEW, even the bike project has been around for a few years. But after a pandemic sized year of delays, we are now donating bikes to this life changing organization. In fact our first container of bikes should be arriving any day! 

Learn Work Develop was established in 2013 to help educate and support youth in the community. They offer educational and vocational training programs to help prepare and connect young people to career opportunities. They also work closely with young girls and women to ensure they have the resources to either stay in school, or reenroll if they were forced to drop out early. Without education, many young girls lose hope for their futures. Learn Work Develop works with these young women to offer a path back to success, opening doors that once closed on their dreams for a better tomorrow. 

The bike project offers vocational training in terms of mechanical skills and business administration. The bikes themselves provide reliable, affordable transportation for education, or personal errands. More importantly the revenue from bike sales helps Lean Work Develop carry out their mission of improving lives. Some of the services offered through the program include life skills development, job creation, advocacy in human and civil rights, and support for women's issues. 

The challenges over the past year have increased the need for organizations like Learn Work Develop. And like the rest of the world, they have had to pivot and refocus their efforts based on the needs of the community. Programs like their Masenge Mba Hafi Project were established to address issues facing young women which intensified during the pandemic. As more young girls dropped out of school entirely, offering support and guidance to them and their families became paramount. Partnering with groups like AHF Rwanda, they also worked to distribute necessities, like food and bedding to young single unemployed mothers. 

Bikes for the World entered negotiations with Learn Work Develop several years ago to establish a partnership to provide bikes to support these efforts. After hashing out the details we were slated to send our first container to them last year, until COVID-19 upended our plans, their ports, and the supply of bikes to meet our goals. Despite a decrease in bike donations, we were still able to honor our promise of bikes by sending our first container earlier this year. Our bikes should arrive in Rwanda next week, bringing additional resources to help support Learn Work Develop and their beneficiaries.

Bikes for the World has now donated 164,017 bikes to 83 projects in 29 countries.