Publication in the Bucknell SouthPaw Paper

One of the students traveling to Uganda this summer wrote an article about Bicycles Against Poverty in the newly introduced Bucknell liberal student paper. I thought it would be cool to share it with you, so here it is.

Bicycles have traditionally been used primarily as a means of transportation only, and this outlook has often ignored some of the other benefits that this seemingly simple vehicle can provide, especially in economically backward regions, where automobiles and other more modern forms of transportation are not easily accessible, primarily due to lower incomes and lack of infrastructure development. Expanding the roles of bicycles in these communities is the primary intention of Bicycles Against Poverty (BAP).

Conceived of by Muyambi Muyambi, a class of 2011 Civil Engineering and Economics double major from Uganda, BAP explores a comprehensive development strategy in a northern part of Uganda called Gulu using bicycles. This will employ the means of microfinance to promote sustainable economic and community development by allowing sharing of bicycles in Gulu. Funding for the project has been obtained thus far by a variety of sources including the Walmart Foundation via the Clinton Global Initiative, 100 Projects for Peace (The Davis Foundation), as well through a variety of donors through campus wide fundraising efforts.

For Muyambi, the need for this project came about when he visited the Gulu region, which has been ravaged by Civil Wars over the years. Additionally, members from the largely rural community have to travel several miles a day to transport water from the source to their own homes. Basic infrastructure continues to be lacking in these communities and with the research in sustainable technologies around the world, especially in the United States, these technologies can be applied to such development initiatives. Examples of these technologies include leveraging the energy from the bicycles to power mobile phone chargers and employ in water filtration systems. These could also be used to power low intensity light bulbs, which can be used in homes where there are no electricity lines from the grid. The sharing aspect of the bicycles intends to improve trust within the community, which has diminished since the days of the war.

Development in several parts of Africa is being extended through such grassroots initiatives, and will provide an excellent platform for the Bucknell community to get involved. To implement the final stages of the project, along with selecting applicants and distributing bicycles, approximately twelve members representing Bucknell will be visiting Uganda for two weeks towards the end of the summer in July 2009. While in Uganda, the group will also be involved in organizing training workshops for the recipients of the program in maintenance and repair of bicycles, as well as how to make most effective use of the bicycle program that they will participate in. This is an integral part of the sustainability goal of BAP, as prior initiatives from other organizations have simple distributed bicycles and subsequently distanced themselves away from the project, leaving the recipients in an unfavorable situation.

Several partnerships with local organizations in Uganda have been established already, which will serve as liaisons between BAP and the community. With governments often ineffective in promoting inclusive development in several regions of Africa, projects such as BAP give invaluable experience to students and faculty members interested in issues of sustainable development outside of the classroom.

Abhay Agarwal ’09