---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 17:09:08 -0700 From: David Mozer <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: [log in to unmask] To: an WASAN <[log in to unmask]> Subject: [WASAN] News from Africa News from ITDP's Sustainable Transport E-Update No. 2 Bikes Empower Girls and Fight AIDS in West Africa A New Social Marketing Tool is Born Bicycle tours are an excellent and intimate way for the intrepid traveler to truly discover a nation and its people: freed from the physical and cultural constraints of motorized transport, one is able to experience the reality of a place. US Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Ghana and Senegal recently applied the bicycle tour to the pressing causes of AIDS and girls' education. Ranging from 4 days to three-week long tours, each ride reached thousands of people across each region and by all accounts was wildly successful in meeting its social marketing goals. The Senegal ride, billed the "Tour des Femmes" sought to promote education and empowerment for girls, changing attitudes that preclude girls' access to the same educational resources as boys. The spectacle of women and girls riding in the tour caused many spectators to "shake their heads in disbelief", as women and girls rarely ride bicycles in Senegal. Stephanie Altman, one of the Tour organizers, described the powerful demonstrative effect of what she described as a 'moving billboard': While the ride's goal was to encourage girls to go to school, it also allowed village girls to see their capabilities that might have been unknown to them. Very often it is only the men who learn to ride bikes, and in turn are able to leave the village. When village populations found out it was only women riding the 240 kilometers, they were not only surprised, but in disbelief. In order for these young populations to know their capabilities, they must be exposed to their peer groups. Therefore, the girls who rode in the tour, not only verbally spread their message, but visibly inspired village girls to go to school and learn how to ride a bike. The Ghana tour, billed as the HIV/AIDS Education Bike Ride. The weeklong event succeeded in directly reaching over 3200 Ghanaians. 42 Peace Corps Volunteers, 6 non Peace Corps volunteers, and 15 Host Country Nationals, all of whom gave talks in the towns and villages who participated in the event, led the presentations. Groups of adults and children participated through interactive activities that addressed the differences between HIV and AIDS, having compassion for those who are infected with HIV, how easily an epidemic can spread, male and female condom demonstrations, and how to make life choices that will empower one to reach their goals healthy. All information was translated into local language. One of the organizers of the Ghana tour, Praya Baruch, captured the usefulness of bicycles in achieving effective outreach as she recounted a memorable moment that led to the growth of the tour: When they rode into the town, wearing their "Stop AIDS Love Life" shirts, sweaty and pink faced, the villagers started cheering them on and following them to the site that they were going to give their talk. Because of that, the audience they were able to reach was much larger. They then decided to do a bike ride that would involve more volunteers and towns. Seeing a large group of people riding into the town would rally the people to listen to the talks and spark their interest in the event. [The Ride] motivates the volunteers and counterparts to go back to their own communities to start projects of their own Basic Mobility Now Costs Less Kenya and Tanzania Reduce Bike Tariffs On June 13th, 2002, the Kenyan government announced the elimination of bicycle import duties. The decision comes on the heels of a rise in petrol prices, and should give a significant boost to bike sales and use. The International Technology Development Group (ITDG) in Kenya was a key force behind the decision. The lower bike prices will enable more widespread bike ownership among commuters and bike taxi operators, many of whom are currently renting bicycles. Some existing bike taxi operators complain that the low price of bikes will lead to an influx of taxi operators, creating too much competition to maintain previous incomes. Others say that this fear unfounded, due to the rising petrol prices that will create more demand for bike taxis. By contrast, the Tanzanian government has yet to remove bicycle import duties, although they have recently reduced the duty on bicycle tires by 10%. While tires comprise only 1/6 of the price of a new bike, tires are the most expensive part that needs routine replacement, so it will be more affordable for people to keep their bikes on the road. In a country where the average price of a bike is Tanzania Shillings 60,000 and the per capita income is Tanzania Shillings 270,000 per annum (22% of your annual income for a bicycle!), this is an important first step but does not go far enough. The Association for the Advancement of Low-Cost Mobility, (AALOCOM), the organization that lobbied for the reduction, is taking their campaign farther, hoping to convince the government to follow Kenya's lead and reduce the duty on the entire bike. Leon Mlambo of AALOCOM said, "...for AALOCOM it was an important first step in its campaign to make Low Cost Mobility more affordable." The benefits reducing or eliminating the tax are numerous. With access to this low-cost transportation, villagers can take grain to the market in larger quantity and more quickly; children in rural areas can reduce their travel time to school by hours; traditionally disadvantaged groups, such as women, can increase their access to self-employment opportunities. In short, the benefits of the reduction or elimination of the import duty are significant. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/Ey.GAA/DKgolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, August 28, 2002. Location: Safeco Jackson Street Center, E Main between 23 & 24, Suite 200, Seattle 7:00 pm Business meeting (everyone is welcome) 7:30 PM "Africa 101: The Diversity and Complexity of Africa." Everyone is welcome. We usually meet the fourth Wednesday of the month. For a calendar of local Africa events see http://www.ibike.org/africamatters/calendar.htm . To post a message: [log in to unmask] To subscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] . All past postings are archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wa-afr-network Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~