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This Sunday, 3 June 2018, is World Bicycle Day – a day to promote bicycle use around the world. It’s also a day to celebrate and support the work of World Bicycle Relief Australia, who provide people in developing countries with purpose built bicycles so they can access education, health care and other essential services.
World Bicycle Day was formally adopted by the United Nations earlier this year and the resolution will be recognised with a special event at the UN General Assembly in New York City, including comments from World Bicycle Relief’s CEO Dave Neiswander, alongside several UN leaders and diplomats, cycling community advocates, athletes, and cycling officials.
World Bicycle Relief Australia is part of the global not-for-profit organisation that mobilises people in developing countries through the Power of Bicycles®. World Bicycle Relief (WBR) provides its recipients Buffalo Bicycles, which are purpose built for the rural terrain, sturdy, and easy to maintain. The representative cost of a Buffalo Bicycle is $AU195. A donation, in any amount, contributes to providing more bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs. WBR also trains field mechanics and employs local bike assemblers, to ensure the program receives ongoing support once bikes are donated.
Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by distributing specially designed, high-quality bicycles through philanthropic and social enterprise programs. These purpose-designed bicycles are built to withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas.
Entrepreneurs use the bicycles to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and their academic performances improve. Healthcare workers visit more patients in less time, providing better and more consistent care.
World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training field mechanics to service the bicycles. To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 400,000 bicycles and trained over 1,900 field mechanics in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. World Bicycle Relief is a registered nonprofit in USA, Canada, U.K., Germany and Australia, and has assembly facilities in Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
In 2017, World Bicycle Relief distributed over 54,000 new Buffalo Bicycles. Ahead of World Bicycle Day and the end of financial year in Australia, World Bicycle Relief is putting the call out to all Australians to consider the basic transportation needs of communities of sub-Saharan Africa and make a donation to change lives.