Children benefit tremendously by having their parents around more. Time that was previously spent gathering necessities can now be spent at home.

Walking to work can take 3 hours or more. By bicycle it’s only a 40 minute trip. This means more time spent with one’s family and money saved on transportation.

A nurse who has a bike can treat 10 patients in one day, while on foot she can see only 3. Her time is spent focused on patients, not the clock.

a.ker.fa News Press Releases

Oct 18, 2010

Not Just a Bike – It’s About Hope for the Future and Changed Lives

Providing more than transportation and mobility, ACIRFA (a.ker.fa) and its affiliates are changing livesone bike at a time.

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Up until last year, Jailos Sakala worked as the caretaker and farmer for a piece ofproperty outside of Lusaka, Zambia. But when the rains stopped in March, it became more difficult forhim to provide for his family, especially with another child on the way. He was quick to say that "youcan't pay for everything with maize."

However, when Jailos was hired by Zambikes, the first start‐up bike company of ACIRFA (a.ker.fa), hequickly realized that life would never be the same again. Jailos was trained in bicycle mechanics andhow to properly sand the Zambulance trailers that were being distributed to local clinics throughout Zambia.

Jailos and many others like him now have job skills that will provide a sustainable income for theirfamilies for the rest of their lives. They will be able to send their children to school and they will nothave to worry about whether they will have a roof over their heads next month. ACIRFA (a.ker.fa) andthe Zambikes team have given them the greatest gift…hope.

ACIRFA (a.ker.fa) is overcoming a mindset of poverty with their program designed to provide accessto transportation and mobility by establishing sustainable bicycle businesses throughout southernAfrica. By offering a hand up instead of a handout, ACIRFA provides the opportunity to overcome amindset of poverty that is often intensified by the lack of reliable transportation and limited access tojob opportunity.

The first bicycle social enterprise, called Zambikes, has distributed more than 2,500 bicycles and 650bicycle ambulance trailers since 2007. Even more, they have created jobs and saved hundreds of livesin the local communities and villages in Zambia.

To find out more information or to see how you can get involved, go to www.abikes.org or email them at info@abikes.org.

Contact:
Jessica Congelliere
Director of Development and Marketing
a.ker.fa – www.akerfa.org
Phone: 949.370.6395
Jessica@abikes.org

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