Bicycle Project
One of the best gifts that you can give to a family in Africa is a – BICYCLE.
Focus on Africa’s Society theme for this year is to donate 1,000 used bicycles to the people of Ghana. All bicycle gifts will be tax receipted at a fair marketprice. Individuals who can afford it can also make a minimum donation of $20 per bike to defray the huge shipping cost.
In Ghana, as in much of the developing world, a bicycle is much in demand and is used for transportation of goods and people over short distances. A bicycle can also provide an income, as it can take a worker to a place of work which might otherwise be too far away, or it can be used to offer transport services. Another important role of a bicycle is that it helps farmers bring their produce to the market place. A bicycle allows them to carry their groceries much faster and cheaper than by any other means. A bicycle can significantly improve the economic viability of small farms, because the farmer will spend less time away from his farm, and his goods arrive fresher at the market.
Women, in particular, benefit from the use of a bicycle, because they normally carry the groceries that are harvested in their farms to the markets daily. They also have the role of fetching drinking water for the entire family. The loads, which they carry and balance on their heads, are often very heavy. Carrying such loads from an early age, often for several hours each day, frequently results in serious spinal injuries. Yet these items can be safely and easily carried strapped to the rear rack of a bicycle. The bicycle is a powerful means of transportation for every family. But there remains one problem. Many Ghanaians' families, and especially women, simply cannot afford to purchase a bicycle.
