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Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 17:09:08 -0700
From: David Mozer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: an WASAN <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [WASAN] News from Africa
News from ITDP's Sustainable Transport E-Update No. 2
Bikes Empower Girls and Fight AIDS in West Africa
A New Social Marketing Tool is Born
Bicycle tours are an excellent and intimate way for the intrepid traveler
to truly discover a nation and its people: freed from the physical and
cultural constraints of motorized transport, one is able to experience the
reality of a place.
US Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Ghana and Senegal recently applied the
bicycle tour to the pressing causes of AIDS and girls' education. Ranging
from 4 days to three-week long tours, each ride reached thousands of people
across each region and by all accounts was wildly successful in meeting its
social marketing goals.
The Senegal ride, billed the "Tour des Femmes" sought to promote education
and empowerment for girls, changing attitudes that preclude girls' access to
the same educational resources as boys. The spectacle of women and girls
riding in the tour caused many spectators to "shake their heads in
disbelief", as women and girls rarely ride bicycles in Senegal. Stephanie
Altman, one of the Tour organizers, described the powerful demonstrative
effect of what she described as a 'moving billboard':
While the ride's goal was to encourage girls to go to school, it also
allowed village girls to see their capabilities that might have been unknown
to them. Very often it is only the men who learn to ride bikes, and in turn
are able to leave the village. When village populations found out it was
only women riding the 240 kilometers, they were not only surprised, but in
disbelief. In order for these young populations to know their capabilities,
they must be exposed to their peer groups. Therefore, the girls who rode in
the tour, not only verbally spread their message, but visibly inspired
village girls to go to school and learn how to ride a bike.
The Ghana tour, billed as the HIV/AIDS Education Bike Ride. The weeklong
event succeeded in directly reaching over 3200 Ghanaians. 42 Peace Corps
Volunteers, 6 non Peace Corps volunteers, and 15 Host Country Nationals, all
of whom gave talks in the towns and villages who participated in the event,
led the presentations. Groups of adults and children participated through
interactive activities that addressed the differences between HIV and AIDS,
having compassion for those who are infected with HIV, how easily an
epidemic can spread, male and female condom demonstrations, and how to make
life choices that will empower one to reach their goals healthy. All
information was translated into local language.
One of the organizers of the Ghana tour, Praya Baruch, captured the
usefulness of bicycles in achieving effective outreach as she recounted a
memorable moment that led to the growth of the tour:
When they rode into the town, wearing their "Stop AIDS Love Life" shirts,
sweaty and pink faced, the villagers started cheering them on and following
them to the site that they were going to give their talk. Because of that,
the audience they were able to reach was much larger. They then decided to
do a bike ride that would involve more volunteers and towns. Seeing a large
group of people riding into the town would rally the people to listen to the
talks and spark their interest in the event. [The Ride] motivates the
volunteers and counterparts to go back to their own communities to start
projects of their own
Basic Mobility Now Costs Less
Kenya and Tanzania Reduce Bike Tariffs
On June 13th, 2002, the Kenyan government announced the elimination of
bicycle import duties. The decision comes on the heels of a rise in petrol
prices, and should give a significant boost to bike sales and use. The
International Technology Development Group (ITDG) in Kenya was a key force
behind the decision.
The lower bike prices will enable more widespread bike ownership among
commuters and bike taxi operators, many of whom are currently renting
bicycles. Some existing bike taxi operators complain that the low price of
bikes will lead to an influx of taxi operators, creating too much
competition to maintain previous incomes. Others say that this fear
unfounded, due to the rising petrol prices that will create more demand for
bike taxis.
By contrast, the Tanzanian government has yet to remove bicycle import
duties, although they have recently reduced the duty on bicycle tires by
10%. While tires comprise only 1/6 of the price of a new bike, tires are the
most expensive part that needs routine replacement, so it will be more
affordable for people to keep their bikes on the road. In a country where
the average price of a bike is Tanzania Shillings 60,000 and the per capita
income is Tanzania Shillings 270,000 per annum (22% of your annual income
for a bicycle!), this is an important first step but does not go far enough.
The Association for the Advancement of Low-Cost Mobility, (AALOCOM), the
organization that lobbied for the reduction, is taking their campaign
farther, hoping to convince the government to follow Kenya's lead and reduce
the duty on the entire bike. Leon Mlambo of AALOCOM said, "...for AALOCOM it
was an important first step in its campaign to make Low Cost Mobility more
affordable."
The benefits reducing or eliminating the tax are numerous. With access to
this low-cost transportation, villagers can take grain to the market in
larger quantity and more quickly; children in rural areas can reduce their
travel time to school by hours; traditionally disadvantaged groups, such as
women, can increase their access to self-employment opportunities. In short,
the benefits of the reduction or elimination of the import duty are
significant.
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