Project Rwanda

Rwanda is a tiny African country surrounded by volcanoes, gorilla habitats and hills. The bicycle, an important economic tool in Rwanda, remains out of reach for most Rwandans as only 1 out of 40 can afford one. This has led to incredible ingenuity; walk along any Rwandan road and you will find bikes created out of wood. These wooden bikes are used to move all types of heavy loads like potatoes, beans, lumber and coffee cherries. Imagine what it takes to push a 50 pound wooden bike with a load of 300 pounds of coffee cherries 5 to 10 kilometers to the washing station. It takes a determination born out of suffering.

The Coffee Bike

Creating a bicycle solution to this problem has been one focus of Project Rwanda that Equal World Coffee is especially excited about. It is an effort we want to help support and promote. The “Coffee Bike” was designed and engineered specifically for transporting heavy loads of coffee. The bicycle is the perfect tool for this transport because of its lower maintenance technology and it allows growers to manage their own transport infrastructure without overly large investments. The expense to own, maintain and fuel a truck is not an economically viable option. Besides breaking down often, trucks have difficulty dealing with the dirt roads, especially when muddy. Because the quality of the crop is directly related to the time it takes to transport the cherry to the mill, it is a great advantage for the farmers to own their own transportation. It is also an eco-friendly solution that keeps the "Land of 1000 Hills" lush and green.

Project Rwanda:  www.projectrwanda.org

You will  help support Rwandan cooperative farmers by purchasing Wooden Bike Coffee from Equal World Coffee. As Equal World Coffee provides market support for Rwandan coffees, you will help reconstruct a country through strengthening economic stability and success. This will serve as a model with the potential to impact coffee farmers worldwide.

Purpose/Vision

Project Rwanda was founded by Tom Ritchey after he visited Rwanda in 2005. After making this life changing journey, he realized he could share his passion for cycling, Rwanda's natural beauty and the inspiring stories of hope from the Rwandan people. Tom's trip resulted in a realization that the bicycle can be an important tool in rebuilding a country and building national pride as they address local economic issues facing Rwanda and other African nations.

Project Rwanda Mission Statement

Project Rwanda is committed to furthering the economic development of Rwanda through initiatives based on the bicycle as a tool and symbol of hope. Our goal is use the bike to help boost the Rwandan economy as well as re-brand Rwanda as a beautiful and safe place to do business and visit freely.