This page is updated from time to time with the questions most popular among our loyal supporters.
Don’t see your question below? Contact us: info@worldbike.org

Do you work with second-hand bikes?
Can I donate mine?
I'd like to volunteer for Worldbike in Africa. Is that possible?
When I sponsor an item for someone in Africa, do they get it?
If the bikes and other items are being sold, why do they need to be sponsored?
How can someone living in poverty afford a bike?
Why not give it away?

Do you work with second-hand bikes? Can I donate mine?

Getting a second-hand bike to Africa can be more costly than a new bike in the long run. Most second-hand bikes break down quickly under the harsh conditions in rural Africa and replacement parts are rare and expensive. Because of the high cost of importing any kind of bikes to Africa, we believe that a new, low-cost, durable bike specifically designed for cargo transport in the developing world is the best solution. New bikes also honor the integrity of the riders, creating pride in ownership that promotes long-term care and maintenance. This can be less common with second-hand bikes.

I'd like to volunteer for Worldbike in Africa. Is that possible?

An important focus of our work in developing regions is creating local jobs and building the capacity of local communities to fill them. We do our best to avoid bringing volunteers from outside the country to do work that could be performed by a local partner with the right training and support. Most Worldbike volunteer opportunities can be performed in your very own back yard, organizing local events and working with local bike stores and cycling groups to support our mission. Interested in volunteering in your community? Apply here.

When I sponsor an item for someone in Africa, do they get it?

Yes, but not directly. Monetary gifts that sponsor specific items are used to fund our work to improve bike resources in rural parts of the developing world. Through this work, Worldbike provides access to bike tools, safety equipment, classes for women who don't know how to ride bikes and, of course, bicycles to people who desperately need them. Meeting the needs of these communities come first, which means we sometimes transfer money from one program to another in order to best serve the populations whose lives we seek to improve. But we do the best to accommodate your wishes, too. Every gift to Worldbike represents a gift to our total mission of improving livelihoods of the rural poor with bicycles.

If the bikes and other items are being sold, why do they need to be sponsored?

Getting bikes and other bike products to the developing world is costly in time, resources and money, particularly the up-front start up costs of creating jobs and sustainable businesses. If all of these costs were passed along to the end consumer in the final price of the product, the bikes would be out of the reach of most of the people we are trying to help. We rely on the support of private companies, partners and people like you to offset these costs to ensure bikes are offered at a price that's within reach to people living in rural poverty.

How can someone living in poverty afford a bike? Why not give it away?

We work closely with local partners and micro-credit organizations to ensure that anyone who demonstrates a clear need for a bike and shows they plan to use it to improve their life receives one at a price they can afford and pay back over time. Charging a 'fair' price for bicycles and other resources is an important part of the development puzzle. Giving bicycles away for free by definition undervalues the bicycle, reducing the chance that it will be properly used and maintained. It also fosters a dependency on charity that is unsustainable.