Village Bicycle Project The Village Bicycle Project was founded in 1999 and has worked since then to provide families in rural parts of Africa with affordable and sustainable transportation. One of their projects is called Learn-to-Ride, which started in Lunsar, Sierra Leone in 2009.This project aims to empower communities by strengthening the cycling culture.The project is dependent on donations, bicycle collection, volunteers and collaboration with bicycle advocacy organizations worldwide. The program is similar to a bike-buddy program, where trained and experienced cyclists are paired with those less experienced. The program also includes maintenance training, bike tools, and spare parts so that the bikes can be kept running. Women, who are frequently marginalized, are specifically targeted as an important group in the project. The goals are to make cycling an attractive choice for entire communities and to address gender inequalities and women’s limited access to bicycles. Since public transport in rural communities can be expensive and walking is the main transportation mode, learning to ride a bike can be a ticket to independence and success for women in rural communities. To be able to ride a bike means that people can go further, faster, and for free, and increases access to jobs, schools, and healthcare.
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