Velafrica has recently started working with a new partner in Africa. The organization is called Green Economies Made Simple (GEMS), is headquartered in Blantyre in southern Malawi, and specializes in recycling waste and other raw materials. GEMS now acquires several thousand bicycles from Velafrica each year as part of a circular economy, where resources are reused rather than discarded.
In this interview, Christopher Klein, project manager at Velafrica, explains how this partnership came about and what a difference bicycles can make in Malawi.
Why does Velafrica have a new partner?
We were put in touch with GEMS through a foundation in Germany that supports us financially. The foundation connected us because Velafrica and GEMS work on the same issues: reusing resources—in this case, bicycles—instead of discarding them. GEMS was very interested in sourcing recycled bicycles from Velafrica to promote sustainable mobility in Malawi. And we were interested in finding new partners for our branch in Germany, where Velafrica started collecting bicycles in 2023.
How does GEMS differ from Velafrica’s other eight partners?
Velafrica helped establish most of its other partners. This was the case, for example, with ABC and VBC in Tanzania, as well as with Faso Velo in Burkina Faso. The new partner, GEMS, on the other hand, has long existed as an independent NGO. It subsequently launched a bicycle program called “Green Wheels” in a short period of time. It encompasses the storage, marketing, and repair of Velafrica bicycles, as well as the provision of bicycles at a reduced rate to dairy farmers, waste collectors, and, in the future, schoolchildren. By integrating into existing structures, the new program thus builds on local expertise and could be implemented more quickly and easily than building a new bicycle hub from scratch.
What difference can bicycles make in Malawi?
In Malawi, the situation is similar to other African countries where Velafrica exports bicycles: there are hardly any bicycles available locally, or only low-quality ones from India and China. There is also a shortage of spare parts and knowledge regarding repairs and maintenance. At the same time, the poverty rate is very high, and many people cannot afford transportation by motorbike taxi or car, not least because of the sharp rise in gasoline prices. Consequently, there is significant potential for quality bicycles from Switzerland and Germany: they enable affordable, sustainable mobility and thus access to education, school, and so on. Additionally, income and educational opportunities are created within the bicycle sector.
What’s planned for this year, what’s next?
To date, GEMS has received around 2,500 bicycles from Velafrica, and the number is expected to increase significantly in the future. To boost demand, GEMS is raising public awareness and highlighting the financial, health, and environmental benefits of cycling and cycling sports. Together, we are also working to expand our «Bikepreneur» vocational training program to Malawi. It is a ten-month training program in bicycle mechanics and entrepreneurship and will further strengthen the local bicycle sector.
Learn more about our new partner Green Economies Made Simple (GEMS): https://www.wasteadvisersmw.org/gems-innovation-hub
Interview by Bettina Wyler (Velafrica)
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