COVID-19 Town Hall with World Bicycle Relief

by World Bicycle Relief
April 21, 2020
World Bicycle Relief Co-Founder F.K. Day and CEO Dave Neiswander discuss how our global teams are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and how bicycles are helping program partners prevent, respond and rebound from this crisis.

World Bicycle Relief has a 15-year history providing bicycles for health programming. Today, we’re quickly working with partners to mobilize frontline health workers with bicycles in the face of this global crisis.

  • Africa is in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A lack of capacity, resources, doctors and ventilators, along with the continent’s large population means the direst situation likely is still to come. Bicycles will play a major part in health workers’ efforts to keep their communities safe, informed and healthy.
  • We will help program partners prepare, respond and recover, ensuring communities can manage the impact of all phases of this crisis.
  • How partners utilize Buffalo Bicycles – bike ambulances, food and medicine delivery, preventative care, etc – will vary by region and even community.

 

Your Questions Answered

We are grateful for your support and for the important questions you asked during the Town Hall. Here’s a list of answers to questions we weren’t able to cover during the broadcast.

How is the communication about COVID-19 getting out to the villages? 

Containment and spread-prevention are particularly critical in regions with overburdened health systems, scarce access to water and poor sanitation. People living in rural areas and those displaced in refugee camps have limited access to accurate and trustworthy information about COVID-19. Bicycles will be critical for frontline health workers to reach these communities with education on proper hygiene and how to care for those who contract the virus.  

Are you increasing your partners in Africa? Will World Bicycle Relief expand geographically to meet the needs of additional communities facing the COVID-19 outbreak? Do you have ways to create fast, effective relationships with other African nations?

Health has always been a core part of World Bicycle Relief’s programming, and we’ll continue to work with local partners and governments on last-mile health solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our expertise has always been in mobilizing frontline health workers with a durable and reliable bicycle to serve families in need. We work with local ministries of health as well as other nonprofits and humanitarian organizations, such as mothers2mothers, PATH, CARE and World Vision. In response to the rapidly evolving conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ll continue to work with existing and new partners with a need to mobilize frontline health workers. For the moment, we are focused on our core program countries

How do you measure impact? Does COVID-19 change the way you measure?

We believe that all answers are found in the field. Our commitment to measuring our impact remains during the COVID-19 pandemic, although our methods may shift due to social distancing guidelines. Through the use of participatory methods with our partners, we capture data and analyze the results not only to demonstrate where your donation goes but also to help us continuously improve our programs. Increased mobility can have far-reaching effects on individuals and communities, but there are a few specific outcomes that drive our health program, including increased delivery of medicines and care. 

How is COVID-19 affecting your revenue and donations? How will company sponsorships and donations change because of the pandemic?

Around the world, all eyes are on the spread of the pandemic. No one is immune: families, communities, healthcare systems, economies. We recognize and understand the economic uncertainty facing the individuals and organizations in our community. As a nonprofit organization, World Bicycle Relief relies on donations to help us change lives through the power of bicycles. 

Your support is needed now more than ever. If you’re able please give what you can.

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