Donate your BIKE, SAVE THE WORLD?

A volunteer caregiver shows off his customization of his World Bicycle Relief bicycle, including rear-view mirrors. Personalization of bicycles is common throughout Zambia, as owners take pride in their machines.

(Leah Missbach Day)

In the new eco-conscious urban world, cycling to work is a growing trend. Cities are promoting this form of healthy commute by painting bike lanes across towns, and Paris has become the latest city to stock streets with free "public" bicycles for commuters to pick up and drop off at will.
But in Africa, biking is not just an alternative mode of transportation, an ethical fad or even a hobby. On a continent where a car often costs over 10 times the average annual income, in rural areas owning a bicycle can make the difference between earning a living or not, getting an education or not, and receiving medical care or dying.
A few independent charities, based in the United States, Canada, England and even as far as Australia, are responding to that vital need by providing bikes to some of the poorest people of the world.