Cargo Racks Add Utility to VBP Bikes

Last summer VBP initiated a pilot program to mass-produce cargo racks
in Ghana, (such as the one pictured) at a price affordable in the local
neighborhoods.

Liz Bageant, our Ghana Programs Coordinator wanted 200 carriers for a large program for women in the villages outside of Wa in the Upper West Region.  “I kept hearing from women how important it was to be able to carry a load, and I knew the only way to get carriers was to have them made here
locally,” she said.

She found a welder in Wa, who was able to mass produce 200 carriers quickly
and affordably.  The racks were offered for 5 cedis ($3.125) to the women at
our August 2011 programs, and all were purchased.  This shows us how
important cargo capability is to bicycles in northern Ghana.

We would like to offer racks for all the bicycles in all our programs, but
they would have to be made locally.  Because of their bulkiness,
transporting  200 or so from one end of the country to another is
impractical.  So we  still need some way of transporting the skill to all the major
towns.

VBP would be delighted to connect skilled workers to a demand for a locally
made product.  We hope to be able to train metal workers throughout Ghana
and Sierra Leone to build carriers.  To that end, we are looking for a
volunteer.  Please contact us!