Mobilising people through the power of bicycles

Next week, World Bicycle Relief (WBR) will be in Jersey to tell a compelling story of the enabling power of a bicycle overcoming the barrier of distance in Africa.

WBRfounder, F.K. Day, is delighted to have the opportunity to share with a local audience the story of WBR and how it is mobilising people through the Power of Bicycles.  

Having started a company 30 years ago in the US to design and manufacture components for high-performance bicycles, most of the products F.K.created were for racers and for fitness and sport. At that time, he thought he knew a lot about the power of bicycles and all that they could deliver. It turns out, he had overlooked a very important part; the basic concept of transportation.

Walking is the primary mode of transportation for many people in the developing world. Everyday tasks can quickly become a struggle against time and fatigue. Going to school, visiting the health clinic, and delivering goods to market are more challenging because of the barrier of distance.

With F.K. Dayat the helm, WBRbuilds and distributes specially-designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles to rural Africa. With the experience and expertise gained over the last 10 years designing and delivering more than 420,000 Buffalo Bicycles, WBRhas developed an efficient, innovative and scalable model to successfully address the great need for reliable, affordable transportation in rural areas of developing countries.

WBRenvisions a world where distance is no longer a barrier to education, healthcare and economic opportunity and in realising that vision,F.K.Dayconcluded: 

“I’ve spent most of my life designing and manufacturing high-performance bicycle components, but I think the most powerful bicycle I’ve ever seen is one in the hands of a woman building her business and fighting to gain new markets, or one in the hands of a schoolgirl fighting for her education.”