New Give Go campaign will enable thousands in rural Africa to go
farther, faster, safer and stronger through life-changing bicycles
The World Bicycle Relief (WBR) recently announced the start of its year-end campaign for donations, an annual appeal that will provide life-changing bicycles to tens of thousands in rural Africa whose primary mode of transportation is walking.
For every $147 raised, a sturdy Buffalo Bicycle specially engineered for African terrain, will be donated to a student, healthcare worker or entrepreneur who spends hours at a time on foot just to get to school, visit patients or go to work.
Donations received now through November 10 will be matched dollar-for-dollar to help mobilize thousands more people through the Power of Bicycles.
This year’s campaign, called Give Go, highlights the basic concept of “go” and what it means for millions in a world where distance is a barrier to education, healthcare and economic opportunities. It will feature the powerful stories of everyday people like dairy farmer Alinesi Nepilaya, who are able to go farther, faster, safer and stronger because of their two wheels.
Alinesi, a 36-year old mother of five used to carry milk on her head and walk more than an hour at least twice per day to bring it to market. By the time she arrived, she was tired and sore. Today, she uses a bicycle and gets more milk to market in half the time. She earns more income, is able to better provide for her family and has time to focus on growing her business. She is also inspiring other women to start their own.
“I’m able to focus on other business activities and go sell products at the market between milkings,” she says. “With the money from dairy farming, I’ve been able to put my son through school. I also can take my children to the clinic when they are sick.” With the increase in profits, she is also able to purchase goods for her household and fertilizer for her farm. “Some women think they cannot be dairy farmers. I have encouraged them to do the job and others have also started now.”
“These stories demonstrate the profound impact of bicycles on individuals, families and entire communities,” said WBR CEO Dave Neiswander. “They prove bikes can be a critical development tool and the need for more is immense. In rural sub-Saharan Africa, more than half a billion people still have no reliable form of go other than their own two feet.”
The Give Go campaign runs through December 31, 2018 and will include numerous activations and content features on the WBR website. It will also be integrated across social media channels via the #GIVEGO hashtag.
For more information and link to donate, please visit: https://worldbicyclerelief.org/GiveGO
