BBC Radio 4 programme on bikes in Africa showcases BEN project in Namibia and Re-cycle's 'fantastic bikes'
In
July 2006, BBC Radio 4's 'Science at 9' slot featured a new short series
called 'The fall and rise of the bicycle'. In the first programme on 17
July, Mark Stephen traveled to Namibia in Africa to interview people from
the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) project.
BEN works with partners in the UK (including Re-Cycle), Europe, USA and Canada, which export secondhand bicycles to the project.
In Namibia, BEN completely refurbishes the bikes in their warehouse, providing training for unemployed people. It sells some bikes to pay for import and running costs and the rest are supplied to home-based HIV/AIDs carers and to other useful rural projects. The bikes are used for transport for the carers who otherwise walk very large distances delivering medicines, supplies and generally aim to breakdown stigma of the disease.
Mark Stephens was impressed with the BEN workshop "with a 10 foot high pile of bikes", and was very excited to recognise the red Pashley Royal Mail bikes that Re-Cycle had provided, which were described by BEN as 'fantastic bikes'.
Recently, BEN had provided 20 bikes to a rural orphanage support group 700 km away. Within 24 hours, they were bring used to collect water and also to take a child with malaria to a clinic, which would have been a 40-minute walk. Collecting water is usually a woman's role and carrying 25-litre drums on their heads can cause long-term neck pain, spinal compression and chest problems.
When asked about spares, Stephens was told that Re-Cycle "send us a lot of spares stripped from old bikes" and that it was quite a challenge to match up parts for the spectrum of available bikes.
While the programme remains on the BBC website, it is well worth listening again; it is very interesting and a good way to find out about how Re-Cycle's donations are used and enjoyed.