Bicycles for Africa – Changing Lives in Africa, Two Wheels at a Time: Nominee for the Change-Maker Award for a Not-For-Profit or Charity Organisation, 2025 Africa Award

About the Nominee & their Nomination

• Bicycles for Humanity WA (B4H WA) is a volunteer-run, grassroots organisation dedicated to empowering communities in developing countries through affordable, sustainable transport. Part of a global network of 15 independent chapters, B4H WA collects and refurbishes pre-loved bicycles from across Western Australia, shipping them—along with tools and spare parts—to African communities. Many shipments are transformed into Bicycle Empowerment Centres (BECs), which provide local jobs, mechanical and business training, and long-term access to affordable transport.

• B4H WA’s mission is grounded in the belief that poor access to transport hinders education, employment, healthcare, and community participation. A single bicycle can double travel distance, halve travel time, and quadruple carrying capacity—bringing life-changing benefits not only to individuals but also to their families and communities. Since its first shipment in 2011, B4H WA has sent over 10,000 bicycles in 27 containers to Africa, establishing 13 new BECs and resupplying many others, positively impacting tens of thousands of lives while promoting environmentally friendly, pollution-free transport.

• Partnerships with mining, energy, and related service companies have been central to B4H WA’s success. These partners have provided financial support, project sponsorship, logistics assistance, marketing, and volunteer help. Notable collaborations include the Prieska Project with Orion Minerals, which delivered 420 refurbished bikes to South Africa, and the long running “Mr Elephant’s Bike Garage” in Namibia. With the capacity to ship 2–3 containers annually, B4H WA is well-positioned to continue transforming lives “two wheels at a time” for many years to come.

Workshop Dec 2024

Prieska Bikes

Trainee operators – Oshakati