Design Bicycles for Africa

Cycling out of Poverty launched a African Bicycle Design Contest to design bicycles to be used and produced in Africa. Check out how to join:

CooP Bike

Cycling out of Poverty and Victoria Boda Boda Sacco are working on making bicycle accessable to those who cannot afford to pay a bicycle at once, but who have a vision on how to use this bicycle to improve his or her livelihood. On the other hand we are stimulating entrepreneurship resulting in the Cycling Blue Workshop and a special designed bicycle for small entrepreneurs: the CooP bike. 

In 2009 students from the Technical University of Delft, the Netherlands, designed the CooP bike and made prototypes in Kisumu. Now the first 8 CooP bikes have been taken into production in the Cycling Blue Workshop in Kisumu, Kenya.

The CooP bikes are the best choice for street vendors and other small entrepreneurs. The CooP bike is also an excellent choice for private companies and NGOs because it is a multipurpose bike and in the same time a great eye catcher. The CooP bikes can be ordered from the Cycling Blue workshop or via cyclingblue@gmail.com.

Opening of Ahero sub-branch

Victoria Boda Boda Co-operative Society in Ahero

Victoria Boda Boda Co-operative Saving & Credit Society is opening a branch office in Ahero.

 The aim of Victoria Boda Boda Sacco (VBBS) is to improve the lives of struggling families by offering saving opportunities and access to loans. All activities of the Cycling Blue Programme are executed by VBBS. On 14^th of May VBBS is opening a branch office in Ahero to reach out to those in and around Ahero. We will offer saving and credit facilities and will give out bicycles on credit. In the future we will undertake more and more activities which will benefit Ahero and its citizens by creating opportunities to come out of poverty. You are welcome in our office in Ahero (or in Kisumu at Corner Mbaya, Manyatta).

Experiences Cycling to school

A Cycling to School project started in this Cycling Blue Programme in October 2009. In this project bicycles are given out on credit to families with school going children. The rational is that many students in Africa have to walk long distances avery day to get to school. After a walk of more than 10 km children are exhausted in class which influences their performance. Furthermore, expecially girls are dropping out because due to the time consuming walk to school, they don’t have enough time to take care of the domestic chores. The students say they now reach school quicker and less exhausted. Even though they have fallen down some times, they are happy with the bicycle. The students were very open in sharing the benefits and challenges of the bicycle in this project. Please have a look at the video in which the first group of students in this programme tell about their experiences with the bicycle.

Cycling in Kisumu

(by Ben Obera)

Arguably the largest employer in the city, the Kisumu Central boda boda Association estimates its membership at slightly over 16,000, operating in five zones of the city. “Boda boda” accounts for over 30% of the modes of transport in the city. According to a survey done on the boda boda and the Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM) project in 2005, a majority of the operators (85%) live in low-income residential areas; are aged between 18 – 30 years, and attained only primary education (78%), and were initially unemployed or casual labourers. A majority (82%) owned only one bicycle, and they work long hours from before 7 am to about 7 pm, making 12 trips for ksh 200 per day on good days. The internal wrangles have bedevilled the organization making them not be able to progress. However, the Victoria Boda Boda SACCO, has managed to bring several members to save together so as to enjoy economies of scale. This has been successful so far.

Cycling Blue Workshop opened

On Saturday 13th of February the bicycle workshop in Kisumu Kenya was officially opened. The boda boda bicycle taxi community put in a lot of work for 2 weeks in renovating the place, just in time for the pre-launch. The same day global cyclist and ambassador of Cycling out of Poverty Frank van Rijn arrived at the site. A group of 100 boda boda bicycle taxi’s, representatives of KLM and Cycling out of Poverty, Hon. Shakeer Shabir (MP of Kisumu Town East), and a marching band joined Frank in his ride to the workshop. Hon. Shakeer Shabir, Karen Blanken of KLM and Frank van Rijn unvieled the banner with the name of the workshop. The workshop is planned to be fully operational on the 1st of April.

First Cycling Blue Caravan

(by Victoria Boda Boda Sacco)

 The Cycling Blue programme is launched on the 13^th of February with a Cycling Blue Caravan in Kisumu Town

The Victoria Boda Boda Sacco is the initiator and executive body of all Cycling Blue projects which are aimed at improving the lives of struggling families in Kisumu and Manyatta in special. Their main focus is on boda boda riders and their families. By offering saving opportunities and access to loans only they have helped so many people so far. In future they will undertake more and more activities which will benefit Kisumu and its citizens by promoting a livable city surrounding and creating opportunities to come out of poverty.

On the 13^th of February they are organizing the first Cycling Blue Caravan in Kisumu. A Dutch global cyclist cycled all the way from Cairo, Egypt, to Kisumu to see all the projects which have taken of in the Cycling Blue program. From Awasi he will be accompanied to the office of Victoria Boda Boda Sacco (Corner Mbaya, Manyatta, Kisumu) by a group of cyclists. From here a larger group of cyclist with many VIPs will tour on their bikes to town and back to the new Cycling Blue Workshop on Nairobi by-pass. This is no race, but just a means to be seen as cyclists and to be taken serious. We, cyclists in Kisumu, are a large number and should be taken serious. By showing the importance of non-motorised transport we can start making a difference in this town and Kenya in general.

If you like cycling and also want to promote cycling for a healthier way of living and environment: “Let yourself been seen and heard and join this Cycling Blue Caravan”. Assembling is on 13^th of February at 09:30u at the Victoria Boda Boda Sacco office (Corner Mbaya, Manyatta, Kisumu). More information please contact Nelson Odire: 0723381738

Cycling Blue Programme

In partnership with Cordaid Urban Matters, Cycling out of Poverty and Victoria Boda Boda Sacco, Uvumbuzi Cycling in Kenya is setting up the Cycling Blue Programme. We consider non-motorised transport to be the ideal means of mobility, for its economical impact, its health benefits and contributions to a sustainable environment, sovereignty and alternative energy, social equality, gender and intergenerational equality, recreation and sports. In 2009 this Cycling Blue Programme already launched a Cycle to School programme, whereby students can easily get a bike on a loan to improve their school performances. In 2010 we will set up a Cycling Blue Workshop for bicycle design and modification, a Cycling Blue Training Centre for training youth in bicycle mechanics, entrepreneurial skills and road safety and a Cycling Blue Society for everyone who believes in the power and fun of cycling. This society will organise forums, cycling tours, races for the sake of promoting cycling as the way forward. Join the Cycling Blue Programme and register for a regular update by email by sending an email to cyclingblue@gmail.com