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Micro-Enterprise Project:
The AAMCT
Bicycle-Tricycle Conversion Project
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The
Asante Akim North District measures approximately 100,000 square
kilometers. There are 56 towns and villages in the district. Current
population estimate is about 175,000, with a population growth rate
of 3.2 percent. The district has an agrarian economy with 79% of the
population working in the agricultural sector, as peasant farmers.
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Transportation is one of the major challenges confronting the
district. Public transportation is limited, and few people can
afford a car. Besides, the cost of commuting from one place to
another is very high. Rural transportation for farmers is
almost nonexistent. All farmers walk long distances to their farms
(an average of 4-6 miles) and carry their load on their head.
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The Asante Akim Multipurpose Community
Telecentre seeks to improve rural transportation by providing bicycles to
farmers on a need-to-use basis. Also, it has initiated a bicycle-tricycle
conversion program (BTCP) to help address the transportation needs of
rural farmers. The program solicits bicycles, spare parts and
accessories from the developed world, ship them in containers
to Patriensa, the location of the AAMCT, and implements a bicycle
training, conversion, and service program.
As part of the AAMCT’s micro-enterprise development project, the
bicycle-tricycle conversion problem will create employment and
improve access to work, markets, promote
sustainable development, protect the environment, and provide courier services
in the Asante Akim district.
Among others, the tricycles would be used as a "truck" for
hauling agricultural goods by farmers (like plantains, cassava, oranges,
etc.). Unlike bicycles, most old people can learn how to operate it.
People in the district will be trained to maintain and repair the bikes.
Some will be sold with the community for an
amount most people can afford, helping to foster a local economy.
Some of the bikes will be used by AAMCT medical
personnel to commute between the Center and surrounding villages. This is
a partnership venture between the AAMCT and a number of overseas
organizations. Among them are Working
Bikes, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, USA; Pedals
for Progress, a New Jersey based bicycle organization, and Xaccess.
For additional information about this project,
write to odarkwa@yahoo.com.
Our address is AAMCT, Box 502, Konongo, Asante Akim, Ghana.
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Folks
working on bikes (Patriensa, Ghana 2002):
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Folks
loading a container of bikes to Ghana (Chicago, 2003):
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Folks in Ghana 2003, Patriensa
Bicycle Project
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