A bicycle…

…for some it is good exercise,

…for others it’s a hobby,

…or nice memories from childhood.

…for some it is a means of transportation,

…a great tool to care for their families and others.

…could be one gift you can afford,

…or it can be a luxury for people like those living in Zambia.

…can get rusty staying in your garage,

…or it can help families in Zambia get easier access to healthcare, education and jobs.

Riding a bicycle allows people to travel faster in less time, and increases their capacity to carry by five times. The average walking speed is 2.5 miles per hour, while the average speed when riding a bicycle is 10 miles per hour. Besides saving time, riding a bicycle also requires less effort. All these make it a great tool for people who badly need a means of transportation to have access to healthcare and education.

Zambia is a very poor country, with very low life expectancy –less than 40 years, primarily due to HIV/AIDS epidemic. More than half the population is less than 16 years old, and one in five children have lost one or both parents. More than 1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. Poverty is directly related to HIV/AIDS in Zambia. This epidemic is treatable and preventable. So, healthcare and education can greatly improve the life conditions of people living in Zambia.

In this context, a bicycle can bring great help to families living in remote villages, by providing access to healthcare and education, as well as helping them towards economic development. Bicycles enable workers to get to jobs, to bring goods and services to markets or even to run a business.

Project Zambia, led by World Bicycle Relief partnered with a USAID-funded, World Vision-led coalition of relief organizations addresses the HIV/AIDS crisis in Zambia by providing 23,000 bicycles to community home-based care volunteers, disease prevention educators and vulnerable households. This $2.9 million program will reach more than 500,000 adults, orphans and vulnerable children.

Each bicycle will help up to 20 people and it costs just $134. If you want to learn more about this great program and make a donation you can go to: http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/