PROJECTS: BICYCLE EMPOWERMENT CENTRESThrough a partnership with a Canadian organisation, Bicycles for Humanity, BEN Namibia developed a new bicycle distribution model, the Bicycle Empowerment Centre (BEC). A BEC is a shipping container loaded with around 300 bicycles, spare parts and tools. BECs are delivered to the community based organisations that BEN Namibia works with and run as bicycle workshops.
Bicycles for Humanity helps its chapters in developed countries to organise bicycle collections and to raise money for the shipping. Each chapter is connected to a particular project, so that they know exactly where their container and bicycles will end up, and BEN Namibia provides feedback and reports on each project.
BEN Namibia delivered the first BEC in December 2006 in the village of
OkathituIn 2007, BECs were delivered to the following communities:
Katutura (FHS)
Oshakati (DEEP)
Oshakati (TKMOAMS)
Tsumeb (TOV)And in 2008, BECs were opened in:
Okalongo (Catholic AIDS Action)
Ondangwa (Childline/Lifeline)
Nkurenkuru
Rundu (House of Love)In the upcoming months, additional BECs are expected to open in:
Katutura (King's Daughters)
Walvis Bay (Multi-Purpose Centre)Background
BEN Namibia began its bicycle distribution programme by importing second hand, donated bicycles from overseas partners, refurbishing them in our Windhoek warehouse and distributing them to our partners throughout Namibia. The non-profit organisation soon realised, however, that our partners needed better access to tools, spare parts and the skills to keep their bicycles maintained. Distributing small quantities of bicycles in a vast country like Namibia is also expensive and time-consuming.