Who we are:

Africycle is a charity that believes access to a high-quality and affordable bicycle can empower Malawians to break the cycle of poverty and provide opportunities of economic and community development.

Where we work:

Malawi is a small, independent republic with a democratic government. It lies south of Tanzania and to the west of Mozambique. Currently, Malawi faces many challenges including rapid population growth, a high HIV/AIDS infection rate (about 14.9 percent), limited natural resources, and environmental degradation. A continuing food crisis in Malawi afflicts more than 4 million people—and more than a million of them are children under age five or pregnant women. Food insecurity is not only a major cause of malnutrition, but has also worsened the risk for diseases such as cholera and AIDS. Nearly half of Malawi’s population struggles to live on less than $2 a day. 

For Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, HIV/AIDS is a national emergency that is overwhelming the health of the population and the social and economic structures that are needed to respond to the pandemic. Malawi has a population of 13 million, but only 94 qualified doctors (i.e., one doctor per 136,000 people), 1/3 of the required number of nurses, and an annual social services budget of $15 per capita (including foreign aid). Approximately 940,000 Malawians are HIV+, including 91,000 children and 500,000 women.

So many Malawians have died of AIDS that now 10% of all families are headed by a child, and half of all families are headed by a person over 65 - and most often by a grandmother. It is estimated that there are over 1 million orphans in Malawi.

What we do:

Africycle believes that by providing access to affordable bicycles, many impoverished Malawians will gain the opportuntity to break the cycle of poverty. The bicycle can be a catalyst for sustainable and effective development in Malawian communities. Africycle provides the necessary framework, resources and infrastructure required to establish an effective network of Malawian operated bicycle repair and sales facilities. Africycle is creating jobs, providing greater access to transportation and supporting impoverished communities throughout Malawi.

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