Our Project

BEN Namibia is a non profit organisation based in the capital, Windhoek. Our main work is bicycle distribution. We import donated new and secondhand bikes, parts and accessories from overseas partner organisations and refurbish them by employing and training local people in bike mechanics. We distribute bicycles to community-based organisations (CBOs) whose volunteers and staff use them to greatly improve the efficiency of their work.

We began operations in May 2005, and as of March 2007, we have arranged the distribution of around 3,000 bicycles to disadvantaged Namibians. We have partnered with 24 CBOs, mainly focused on home-based care services for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans and vulnerable children. We also provide bicycles to children living long distances from school to improve their access to education.

Home-based carers get mobile with bikes

Why bikes?

Several studies on the relation between transport and development have demonstrated that bicycles are often the most appropriate technology for short distances, with the lowest operating costs in sub-Saharan Africa. They can be used on both paved roads and low-quality paths by broad segments of the population. A bicycle carries up to four times the weight, goes twice as far and travels twice as fast as a person walking.

As part of an organised system that provides access to ongoing spare parts and maintenance, the bicycle can be an important development tool. In a poor community, access to a bicycle means greater independence and increased social, economic and educational opportunities.

Through our work in remote rural Namibia we have recognised an enormous need for people living with HIV/AIDS, and community members in general, to have better access to healthcare. At a practical level, we have responded by developing a bicycle-pulled ambulance, which transports clients in villages to the nearest healthcare centre or transportation hub. At a policy level, we aim to conduct research on access to healthcare that will help Namibian policy-makers develop appropriate transport-related policies, and provide greater incentive for supporters to help us expand our projects.