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A Swiss nonprofit is turning old bikes into new jobs for people in sub-Saharan Africa.
Gump- & Drahtesel, or Velafrica, has been collecting used bicycles in Switzerland and sending them to partners in countries such as Ghana, Eritrea, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Madagascar.
With more than 200,000 bicycles shipped to Ghana, Eritrea, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Madagascar, Velafrica has a "remarkable track-record and, with 24,000 bicycles shipped per year, one of the leading agencies for recycled bicycles worldwide," according to its website.
"In developing regions in Africa, however, cheap forms of transport are scarce," the site says.
"The recycled and sturdy bicycles are an affordable alternative."
In South Africa, for instance, the organization says the bicycles help create jobs for youth in the bicycle industry and improve access to education and healthcare.
"The bicycles themselves impact livelihoods," the site says.
"They improve local access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities."
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