For most children in rural Ghana, Africa, a bicycle received through the The Cadbury Bicycle Factory is something to be treasured, and in most cases, the chance to own one is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is why it is so important that they learn how to maintain and care for the bicycle—to make it sustainable. This is where the Village Bicycle Project team comes in.

Village Bicycle Project was founded in 1999 by its director David Peckham. In 2009, Village Bicycle Project partnered with The Cadbury Bicycle Factory when they realized they had a mutual interest in helping the people of rural Ghana through the distribution of bicycles. This partnership allowed Peckham and his team to come up with a program to help deliver the bicycles and train the recipients in sustainability, bike repair, and maintenance. The sustainability program is of great importance to The Cadbury Bicycle Factory’s success because it helps to make sure the bikes last a long time and don’t unnecessarily end up damaged, beyond repair, and discarded.

For the past five years, through The Cadbury Bicycle Factory, more than 18,000 bicycles have been delivered to cocoa-growing communities in Ghana. Before a recipient can take ownership of their new bike, Peckham and his team ensure they attend a mandatory training session to learn as much as they can about caring for their new bike.

“Our aim is to be able to teach the users how to identify a small problem before it turns into a big problem,” says Peckham. “Rider education is key to sustainability.”

The free bike repair and maintenance classes are kept small to make certain everyone has the chance to ask questions and get hands on training so each student can walk away with a full understanding about how to recognize when there is a problem and how/where to get the help they need. The teachers’ are fully trained in all areas before taking on classes and the training curriculum is always evolving so all bases are covered.  

“Our teachers are very well-trained and skilled when it comes to educating about bike repair,” says Peckham.

To round out the program, Peckham’s team also works with local Ghanaian bike mechanics to ensure they have easy access to obtain bike parts when needed and are able to get into contact with the correct bike part suppliers. In case a bike recipient encounters an issue with his/her bike, the plan is to make it easy for them to get their bicycle taken care of in a timely fashion.

What I find so admirable about Peckham and his team is the great sincerity and determination to help the people of rural Ghana. Village Bicycle Project was started with just a mere $5,000 and a dream—and it has paid off. On average, one bicycle will provides 25 extra school days and for young women in particular, education means empowerment which, in turn, leads to healthier, richer lives for both them and their children.

The Cadbury Bicycle Factory put together this video with Peckham speaking about the sustainability side of The Cadbury Bicycle Factory program. My favourite quote?

"We don’t want to do mediocre work in a lot of places; we would rather do excellent work in a few places. That’s very important to us.” —David Peckham, founder of Village Bicycle Project

For more info, visit The Cadbury Bicycle Factory Facebook Page.