Some people we have helped so far:
About Re-Cycle East
Print version of our latest newsletter - January 2007 (will open in a new window)
Our mission
The Re-Cycle mission is to collect unwanted bicycles in the UK and ship them to Africa, with the aim of providing affordable bikes to local people in order to improve access to employment, education, healthcare and social opportunities in rural communities.
Our history
Re-Cycle was registered as charity number 1063570 in 1997 with the first shipment of bikes going to Haiti. Since then we have focused on sending bikes to Africa.
Why Africa?
In Africa, many people walk several miles everyday just to carry out routine jobs like fetching water, going to work, taking goods to market or going to school.
How do the bikes get to Africa?
Re-Cycle ships bikes in 40ft containers, each holding approximately 400 bikes, spare parts and tools.
What happens to the bikes in Africa?
When the bikes arrive at their destination in Africa, they are refurbished. This is usually at a village bike shop. They can then be sold locally at affordable prices to village people, sometimes with the help of micro-credit.
Who benefits from the use of the bikes?
Healthcare: Some bikes are donated to local health clinics or HIV/Aids carers. With the help of a bike, a nurse can carry more equipment, cover a much bigger area and treat more patients.
Education: Bikes are also donated to colleges as a bike library for the students. Young undernourished children are often so tired when they reach school they fall asleep and then they have to face a long walk home again. They sometimes resort to thumbing lifts to school.
Employment: Owning a bicycle helps people to a better life with the chance of gaining employment, setting up a small business or receiving education.
Owning a bicycle helps people to help themselves - we can help them...
Last updated: 20 June 2007