About Cycling out of Poverty

African women and children cover long distances on foot every day, carrying many kilos water and firewood on their head. This is a time and energy consuming job. A bicycle can break the vicious circle of poverty and offer women the chance to climb out of poverty. With a bicycle, they can transport more products to the market, go to the market more often and work more time on their fields, which makes it possible to generate more income. It is amazing that a bicycle, an item which is so common in the Netherlands, can make a world of difference in Africa…

What is Cycling out of poverty

Cycling out or poverty is a Dutch foundation engaging in fundraising for bicycle micro credit projects in Africa. Many poor Africans lack money to buy a bicycle but do have a view on how a bicycle could be used to earn a livelihood. These people can turn to one of our African partner organisations and apply for a Cycling out or poverty-subsidised bicycle which they can pay off in monthly instalments. The beneficiaries receive the bicycle at the first down payment so they can use the bicycle to earn some extra money with which to pay off the bicycle and cycle their way out of poverty.

We work with African partner organisations

Cycling out of poverty selects and helps the African partner organisations. The African partner organisations cater for the bicycles (they buy them on the local market), the selecting and training of the beneficiaries (the women get a day of training in which they make a plan on how they will use the bicycle to earn money, and in which they learn the basics of credits and savings, and some basic knowledge of bicycle maintenance and -repair), the give away of the bicycles to the beneficiaries and the collecting of the instalments.

Current projects

At this moment, Cycling out of poverty is running 3 projects: in Uganda (in a former wars territory) and in Burkina Faso and Ghana (in rural communities). Our aim is that these projects will keep running for a long time with the starting capital Cycling out or poverty provides to the African partner organisation. After all, the money with which the beneficiaries pay off the bicycles comes back to the local organisation and with this revolving funds new bicycles will be bought.

How can you help?

If you want to support Cycling out of poverty financially, donations are very welcome on SNS bank 90.61.46.356 Cycling out of Poverty the Netherlands. If you want to contribute in a fund raising activity or help in another way, please contact us on info@cyclingoutofpoverty.com.

Interested in running a biycle micro credit program?

If you are an African organisation planning to run a bicycle micro credit program and interested in getting funding from Cycling out of poverty please email us on info@cyclingoutofpoverty.com.