Project Rwanda's coffee bikes help change lives
TRABUCO CANYON – The story of the bike begins in Rwanda.
For centuries, farmers walked their goods and produce through Rwanda, known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills." The more fortunate ones had a primitive bike – a wooden chassis, wooden wheels, poor steering, no brakes, no seat, and no gears.
Project Rwanda takes the dream of a farmer owning a bike with an extended strong metal chassis, brakes, a seat, gears, and modern wheels and makes that dream a reality. The bike is ordered from a company in South Africa and shipped to Rwanda. In Rwanda, the bike is assembled and tested for quality. The farmer arrives to pick up the bike and a loan officer arranges a micro-loan with the farmer. A mechanic instructs the farmer how to properly care for the bike. The farmer enjoys the reality of having a vehicle to transport products, goods and people. And the world of that farmer and his family is transformed. When the micro-loan is paid off, there is money to buy a new bike and another dream becomes reality for a new farmer.
There are 450,000 coffee bean farmers in Rwanda. Today, 2000 Project Rwanda coffee bikes are in use in Rwanda, to test and prove the concept. These bikes are helping coffee farmers and their families to be more productive, and to rise above poverty for the first time in their generation. Project Rwanda has singled out the coffee grower as an initial target, but other farmers and service providers, such as couriers, taxis, police, healthcare workers and teachers all can benefit from owning a cargo bike.
