Spectrum: On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the aid organization World Bicycle Relief, tire manufacturer Schwalbe donated 15.000 euros. With the donation, the Reichshof-Wehnrath-based brand aims to mobilize people who have no access to transport and have to walk long distances in everyday life.
Schwalbe has been involved in World Bicycle Relief since 2014. The aid organization was launched by FK Day (SRAM) in 2005 after the tsunami. Since it was founded, almost 540.000 bicycles have been delivered to a total of 15 countries. The provision of the bicycles is intended to help children, 70 percent of whom are girls, to be able to track their way to graduation. It is a fact that the cycle of poverty can only be broken in the long term by completing school. According to studies by the WBR, school performance increases by almost 60 percent with a bicycle, nurses visit around 90 percent more patients and farmers can halve the time they spend going to the market. The Buffalo bikes are assembled in on-site assembly factories, thus creating permanent jobs.
In addition, the aid organization trains mechanics who can set up their own shop. The program can only function in the long term if know-how and spare parts are also available in remote regions. With the Schwalbe donation of 15.000 euros alone, 112 Buffalo bikes can be delivered. A very important contribution, especially in the difficult pandemic period. Lena Kleine-Kalmer from the WBR: “Especially during the pandemic, we want to deliver the bikes to where they are needed most. We want to get kids back to school when they reopen and support healthcare systems by allowing nurses to use bikes to reach and care for more people. In addition, our bikes help keep supply chains running to and from markets, and for many people, the bike is the only safe mode of transport to get a job.”