World Bicycle Relief is partnering with our longtime friends at CAMFED to open new economic opportunities for women in Malawi by training former female mentors to become bicycle mechanics.
CAMFED’s Learn Guides program invites young women who have completed their education to guide and encourage younger girls to stay in school. Building on their leadership experience, 50 of these mentors recently joined us for a five-day intensive mechanic training at our facilities—led by two of our skilled female bicycle assemblers.
Over the training session, they learned the ins and outs of the Buffalo Bicycle, from basic repair to fine-tuning brakes and gears. The goal: equip these women to break into a traditionally male-dominated field while helping to keep more people moving in their communities.
Cecilia, one of the World Bicycle Relief assemblers who led the training, said the women shared that they felt as if they had been empowered. With their newfound skills, they could create a source income as well as a way to lend their services to their communities.
As for Cecilia, who has worked as an assembler since 2019, she said she enjoyed using her skills to empower other women and was proud to be a source of motivation.
Following the training, 30 of these newly trained students began a year-long paid internship at Buffalo Bicycle shops across Malawi, gaining real-world experience in repairs, shop sales, and spare parts. At the end of the internship, World Bicycle Relief will work to support them as they launch careers serving their communities and keeping bikes on the road.
These young women are the future of mobility in Malawi—and your support is what powers their journey. By creating opportunities like this, we’re not only equipping women with valuable technical and business skills, but also building a ripple effect of empowerment that will be felt for years to come.
