Thanks to our dedicated supporters, World Bicycle Relief successfully launched in Colombia earlier this year – our 22nd program country!
Because of you, students like Mariangel can pursue their dreams and our assemblers can continue to build sustainable infrastructure in the communities where we work.
To celebrate, we partnered with the Fundacion Lienzo Urbano Artists Collective to create a mural in our Barranquilla assembly facility that inspires our assemblers and reflects the diverse culture, colors and wildlife in our program regions of Colombia – and that commemorates the part you played in getting us here.
The project pays tribute to our donors and draws on the local passion for vibrant street and community art that is core to the Barranquilla culture. Roberto Barraza and Nicolas Ayala designed the mural over several weeks in partnership with our local team.
The foliage included reflects the cane sugar plantations and banana plants that are common in many areas where our program recipients live and work. The butterflies represent you and the 600 other donors who stepped up for the people of Colombia. Each donor’s name will also be added to mark your generosity.
The artists say the design of the mural serves as a symbol of the inspiring relationship between nature and bicycles, which allow us to travel long distances in an “ecological and uncontaminated way.” The butterflies are also a nod to Gabriel García Márquez, a Colombian Nobel Prize winning writer, and his yellow butterflies.
“We are so grateful for the support of everyone who has made the magical realism of this mural a reality, especially to the Lienzo Urbano team,” says Andrew Wright, Colombia Country Director for World Bicycle Relief. “The vivid colors have brought an energy and vibrancy to our assembly plant after what has been a difficult year for so many people, and the mural is a timely reminder to us every day that we are bringing the dreams of so many of our donors and end-users to life in the communities that we serve, through the power of our Buffalo Bicycles.”
Because of you, we can continue to expand programming in Colombia and mobilize those who need it most. Thank you!
