Africycle’s vision is to help break the cycle of poverty by providing Malawians access to high quality and affordable bicycles. By offering a bicycle with superior mechanical quality, Malawians are able to improve the standard of living for both family and community. Through the establishment of a bike shop in Malawi; Africycle offers this affordable form of transportation, while also generating funds to sustain itself and contribute to local community development initiatives. Two of these initiatives include a Clean Water project and Grace School, a school for orphaned and disabled children.

Africycle advocates and provides bicycles for Community-Based Health Care (CBHC) programs. CBHC is a program that involves community members trained as health care workers to distribute health services at a community level. CBHC drastically improves medical treatment, monitoring medical and socioeconomic needs, empowering patients and reducing the strain on an already overwhelmed health care system.

Health care workers facilitate a model of comprehensive, community-based health care that is the highest standard of care available, especially for patients suffering from chronic disease. With your support, Africycle is able to continue empowering Malawians to break the cycle of poverty and support those working in the battle against Malawi’s national AIDS crisis.

On July 3rd of this year, a group of bicycle riders will depart from Peterborough, Ontario and will travel over 1000km’s around the Great Lake Ontario, arriving back in Peterborough 10 days later. We will be cycling counter-clockwise around the lake, the opposite direction of last year’s trip. We hope to be riding alongside various Rotary clubs who are joining us for a day at a time. The Rotary contribution to our ride is substantial and we continually hold them in high regard for their partnership with us.

This is the third consecutive year for Ride for Africycle and this year’s ride is shaping up to be a great event. Last year a total of $12,600 was raised. The fundraising goal for 2009 has been set at $30,000. Will you partner with us as we pedal towards hope?

You can support Africycle by graciously sponsoring a rider or the ride in general by assigning Ride for Africycle 3.0 from the Fund/Designation. All money raised in Ride for Africycle goes to Africycle and Africyle projects. We support ourselves during the ride, paying our own way for food and campsites. This is done so that we can give as much as possible to Africycle and their efforts. Please follow the Donate tab on this site.

To learn more about Africycle, click here.