On 25-11-17 16:10, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-11-25 06:57, wrote:



https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...trys-arrogance



It's sad. They should have at least had the wisdom to donate those
discarded bicycles to an underdeveloped country where even one lone
bicycle in the family can make the difference between being able to earn
a couple of bucks a day or not, and feeding the family. There are still
people in this world who have to schlepp their produce to market on
foot, over lots of miles.


There is a very good program in Switzerland for recycling bicycles. You
can donate your no-longer-needed bike at any of ca. 500 collection
points in Switzerland. Then the organization Velafrica checks them out.
Those that are still usable, or can be brought into usable condition,
are partly disassembled and loaded into shipping containers. See
http://http://velafrica.ch/en/What-we-do/Export for an example of how
such a container looks when it's loaded.

The program doesn't end when bikes are delivered. To quote the website:
"Recycled bicycles from Switzerland are highly popular in Africa. They
are sturdier than the bicycles from China which are available on the
local market and, frequently, also cheaper. Each and every bicycle
however needs to be repaired and maintained. That's why Velafrica also
trains bicycle mechanics, establishes workshops and ensures that spare
parts and tools are replenished. Jobs, training and income opportunities
in the region are created. The population gets access to affordable and
robust bicycles. These wheels from Switzerland create opportunities."

For an example of how valuable a bike can be, see
http://velafrica.ch/en/What-we-do/Mobilise



Ned