MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS
Lean, synergistic, strong: The magic behind the World Bicycle Relief model is our partnerships with leaders in the field of development and disaster and poverty relief. We help deliver the tool of mobility into their programs, smoothly, and efficiently. By using the expertise of each organization, this type of partnership results in higher-quality, lower-cost solutions that minimize disruption to the people we serve.

We are able to minimize our costs by utilizing our partners' infrastructure, thus leveraging each dollar contributed to our programs. This allows us to focus our expertise on improving bicycle design, better managing the supply chain, quality control, assembly, maintenance training, and finally the coordinated delivery of bikes into the field.

A great example of this is our partners for Project Zambia, the RAPIDS program. (This photo shows Abson and Dave at RAPIDS headquarters.) RAPIDS is a consortium of six leading NGOs in Zambia: World Vision, Africare, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, The Salvation Army and Expanded Church Response. Together, this consortium provides the scale required to cover all nine provinces of Zambia with 15,000-plus caregivers serving over 500,000 chronically ill patients and orphans and vulnerable children.

It is estimated that these volunteer caregivers provide over 360,000 volunteer days per year to care for the needy in Zambia. Into this existing program, World Bicycle Relief partners with RAPIDS to provide the tool of mobility to these caregivers -- 23,000 bicycles.  The operational and financial leverage that comes from having an established partner to coordinate logistics and operations enables us to add value to the program and utilize existing systems so that we do not have to "recreate the wheel."  This translates into the maximum amount of dollar impact directly into the field. - F.K.


FROM THE FIELD  by Kelly Knorr, Intern
MICRO LENDING PILOT BEGINS: BICYCLES TO
ENHANCE LIVELIHOOD ACTIVITIES
On a sunny Tuesday morning in January, World Bicycle Relief launched an independently funded 1,000-bike micro-lending pilot program with a one hundred bicycle delivery in Chongwe, a small city 50 km outside Lusaka. Working with HARMOS, an established micro finance bank with over 4,500 small loan clients, dozens of locals gathered in the center of the city to receive their new bicycles. One by one, bicycles were assigned to proud new owners who pedaled off to their villages eager to enhance their businesses and livelihoods with increased mobility, speed and carry-capacity.

Zambians like Lawrence Mapulanga have borrowed money through HARMOS to buy a bike in the hopes of expanding their businesses. Lawrence and his brother, Maxwell, buy chickens from local farmers and resell them in Chongwe. They estimate that with their new bicycles, they will each be able to carry up to eighteen chickens at a time. Others, like Zuze Tembo, a father of seven, will use their bikes to take their children to and from schools that are not within walking distance. To pay off the bike, Zuze Tembo will also use his bike to buy and sell secondhand clothes throughout the area.

The excitement of the morning culminated with vegetable salesman "Envoy" Joe Mundaindwa's exchange of his rundown children's bike for a shiny new World Bicycle Relief bike. "Before, I had nothing in my village. But with HARMOS and my new bike, I will sell many more vegetables. This bike is good and sturdy; after paying off my bike, I would like to buy one for my wife."


JAZZ CONCERT, TRIKE RACES HIGHLIGHT MISSIONS CONFERENCE IN GLEN ELLYN
It was an interesting mix that led to incredible results: who would have thought a jazz concert and tricycle races could combine to raise awareness and contributions to help combat the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa?

That's exactly the combination that Glen Ellyn Covenant Church in Illinois put together for their Missions Conference in early March. And between the two events, many people were touched by the magnitude of the pandemic, and helped make a practical difference by raising contributions for two organizations.

World Bicycle Relief was one of the recipients, and the church raised enough money to contribute 60 bicycles to Project Zambia. In addition, they raised more than $6,000 for a program that helps restrict the passage of HIV/AIDS from mother to baby in the Congo.

The festivities began on Saturday evening, March 1, with "HIV/AIDS and the Heart of God," a Sacred Jazz Concert and reception. The event featured soprano Dawn Holt Lauber and World Vision speaker Bwalya Melu. On hand was a World Bicycle Relief bicycle that helped demonstrate the program for attendees.

Children from the congregation also rose to the Mission challenge, taking part in Sunday's tricycle races. But they weren't the only ones on three wheels -- several adults took part as well! It was a fun and exciting way to bring together the entire community, and a unique way to benefit people half a world away.


DEVELOPMENT UPDATE  by Jill Reid, VP of Development
WEAR A HAT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Kindergarten, First and Second graders from Consolidated School in New Fairfield, Connecticut, paid for the privilege of wearing their hats all day to raise $300 for World Bicycle Relief.  This is part of a monthly effort that the students participate in to support people and organizations based on local needs, child-related charities or just something that the students should be aware of. On behalf of the people we help in Zambia, thank you!

INCREASE THE POWER OF YOUR DONATION!
Many of our donors have taken advantage of their employer's matching gift policies. Some companies will match the donations of their employees by up to three times the amount of a charitable gift. For example, if you donate one bicycle at $109, your company might match that $109, doubling the power of your gift to $218. To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, contact your HR department, or search for your company name.  

TECH NOTES  by Craig DeAmbrose, Product Manager
THE HEART OF THE DRIVETRAIN 
The Velosteel single-speed coaster brake hub lies at the heart of the World Bicycle Relief bicycle's drivetrain. For the uninitiated, the hub is located at the center of a wheel and is attached by spokes to the rim. The coaster hub is the center of the rear wheel, and includes the gear sprocket that helps drive the bike forward.

Many people's first experience with a bicycle probably involved a coaster hub, as they are found on a majority of childrens' bikes. The reasons they are used on so many children's bikes are the same reason we chose them: they are robust, simple to operate, and extremely reliable. All it takes is to pedal forward to move, and pedal backward to stop: What could be simpler?  There are no pads to replace, no wheel release mechanisms to worry about, and no brake adjustments to make.

Our supplier, Velosteel, is a company that has been based in the Czech Republic for the past 50 years. As an example of how reliable this hub design is, the internal mechanism they employ is based on an old Fitchel & Sachs design first patented in 1904. That the hub is still being produced, essentially unchanged, more than 100 years later is a testament to the strength and robustness of the original design.

What distinguishes this particular design from other coaster brake hubs is the use of a roller clutch to drive the hub (and thus the wheel) forward. A typical coaster hub uses a cone-type clutch that has a tendency to cause drag while coasting and can wear out faster. This design overcomes that limitation with the roller.

Another somewhat unique aspect of the hub is that it allows for the use of 40 spokes in the wheel. Hubs with 40 spoke holes are typically reserved for tandem bicycles or bicycles that carry heavy loads (like ours). There are a number of ways to make a wheel stronger, and increasing the number of spokes is one of the more simple approaches.

April 17-20: Sea Otter Festival, Monterey, Calif.

April 19: SoCal Charity Folding Bike Ride, Los Angeles

May 3-4: Fat and Skinny Tire Fest, Warsaw, Ind.

May 3-4: Midwest Mountain Bike Festival, East Peoria, Ill.

May 12-21: Northwestern University
2 Wheel Exhibit (Presentation May 19),
Evanston, Ill.

May 15: Seasons Boston-area premier, Arlington Center, Mass.

May 16-18: Bike Lexington festival, Lexington, Ky.

May 25: Bike the Drive, Chicago

May 29: 24 Solo benefit movie screening, Asheville, N.C.

May 31: Andy Heinrich Summit Challenge begins, Colo.

Hosting a World Bicycle Relief event? Please let us know! 

Jagwire, a leading supplier of high-performance control systems, is a strong supporter of World Bicycle Relief. They created signage for their Taiwan headquarters and included a bike in their booth at the bicycle industry trade show in Taipei. 

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Meanwhile, the month of March is the traditional opening of the racing season. As this season began, racers around the U.S. found creative ways to support World Bicycle Relief!

The Blue Ridge School Outdoors Program continued its support with the 2nd Annual Ride the Ridge mountain bike race in beautiful Virginia.

The network of student-built trails included miles of perfect singletrack. More than $1,040 was raised by the race!

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The start of the mountain bike season saw the professional Trek/VW team fielding a split squad: part in the U.S. at the start of the National Mountain Bike Series events, and part in South Africa racing the Absa Cape Epic!


Signage at home let other racers know how they could help, with more than $730 raised in two weekends!

In South Africa, Sue Haywood and Jennifer Smith finished 2nd in the women's race, with Jeremiah Bishop and Chris Eatough coming in 11th.

Closer to home, Burnham Racing hosted the World Bicycle Relief Team Challenge at their Spring Super Criterium, awarding top honors in the points competition to Chicago's own XXX Racing-AthletiCo.