Since 2005, World Bicycle Relief has distributed over 780,000 bicycles to help people realize their potential – and our momentum has only grown.
In 2024, we embark on a strengthened strategic direction. As we continue to mobilize individuals and communities – particularly women and girls, youth, and marginalized communities – we will deepen our focus on growth, partnerships, and influence to scale our impact.
Accessing distant healthcare facilities is a challenge in rural regions. Community health workers, often volunteers, act as the lifeblood of communities, taking pressure off facilities and saving lives by conducting house visits within vast catchment areas. These health workers provide primary health services along with education, medications, and monitoring, and they make referrals when necessary. Ensuring access to essential medication through last-mile medicine delivery is particularly challenging for health workers on foot. This affects treatment for conditions like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). With bicycles, they increase their reach by 88%, and carry essential medications and vaccines with ease.
In March 2023, we officially launched operations in Uganda, a country with a vibrant cycling culture and need. Through our newly established team, we’ve built valuable partnerships with the government, NGOs, and community organizations in the country, and will continue to grow our presence in 2024.
The donors, volunteers, partners, supporters, and fundraisers that make up the World Bicycle Relief community are always surprising us with the new ways in which they help deliver the Power of Bicycles to those who need it most. We’re grateful for your continued support and look forward to achieving even more together in the years to come.
In contrast to the typical lightweight recreational bike, the Buffalo Bicycle is built to carry 100kg (220lb) cargo loads over rugged terrain. Designed to be stronger, simpler, and easier to maintain than other bikes, every aspect of the Buffalo has been considered to ensure reliable performance on some of the world’s harshest roads. Over the past 17 years, the product development team has used rider feedback, supply-chain innovations, and industry knowledge to constantly evaluate and improve the Buffalo – from bike frame geometry to saddle design.
LAUNCHING IN 2024
World Bicycle Relief is proud to introduce a revolutionary new component that provides Buffalo Bicycle riders a boost. Our product development team’s pioneering innovation, the two-speed freewheel with back pedal shifting, marks the milestone of our first patented product. The drivetrain offers a simple and intuitive choice between gears: high for speed and low for climbing. These gears allow riders to cover more distance in less time and with less effort and better navigate undulating terrain.
Our team has a tagline: 'More distance in less time, more load with less effort.'
The assemblers we employ in each of our program countries become true experts in every aspect of our bicycles. In their hands, each bicycle is assembled with care. Our assembly facilities are key to building sustainable bicycle ecosystems, serving as hubs for distributions and sources of local economic opportunity, while ensuring our bicycles and programs create a lasting impact for the people we serve.
A reliable bicycle saves time and creates access to essential goods and services, education, new markets, and new possibilities – and a way out of the cycle of poverty. For Buffalo Bicycle riders, the value of the bicycle is ultimately measured in the time and effort it saves. Our bicycles dramatically increase efficiency, giving people more time, money, and energy to focus on what matters most. For so many, this is not a bike. It’s a life-changer!
You can make a lasting impact in 2024 and beyond. Join The Hub, and your monthly contributions will build a thriving, sustainable ecosystem of support, ensuring that life-changing Buffalo Bicycles empower people in need for generations to come.
