10 Women in rural Ghana Trained and Ready to Bike!

Thank you for your support of the VBP bicycle repair workshop in Tuggo, Ghana! Tuggo (too-go) is a remote village located about 10 miles southeast of Jirapa town in the furthest NW corner of Ghana where no English is spoken, miles from a main road. We had 19  female participants who were admitted to our workshop after about a year on a waiting list. In the workshop, the women learned to change a flat tire, oil the chain, make minor adjustments, and to keep their bikes in working order.  Each woman left the workshop with a bike, which will make a big difference in their lives.

Most people in Africa walk everywhere they go, as very few people own cars. Most of the women in the workshop are farmers or they brew “pito,” which is a mildly alcoholic traditional beverage made from millet or guinea corn.  The women will use their bicycles to travel back and forth from neighboring markets at Babile (2 miles away) and Jirapa.  There is no reliable public transportation from Tuggo to Jirapa or neighboring towns.  Without a bicycle, people living in Tuggo have to wait by the side of the road and flag down a passing car if they want to go to Jirapa or they will walk.

Owning a bike allows them to get to their farm and town more quickly. Now they have more time to care for their families, do their school work, and enable their families to become more successful.

These bikes change the lives of their owners, and make life better for everyone else in the village.

William, thank you so much for your generous donation, and your support of Village Bicycle Project!