Bikes to Rwanda was a non-profit international aid relief organization established in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 2006 by Stumptown Coffee Roasters founder and CEO Duane Sorenson following a business trip to visit coffee growers' cooperatives in Rwanda.[1][2]

The organization's mission was "to provide cargo bicycles to co-operative coffee farmers in Rwanda. The goal was to improve quality of life in these communities through a bike workshop and maintenance program to provide transportation resources for basic needs and enhance production of quality coffee."[3][4]

The bicycles were built specifically for heavy cargo, and were designed and developed by Project Rwanda with master bicycle builder Tom Ritchey.[1] The organization also established bike shops in Rwanda for maintenance and repair.[1][5]

The aim of Project Rwanda was to develop racing cyclists and also import low-cost cargo bicycles to Rwanda. [6]

In April 2007, 400 bikes that were designed to carry heavy loads of coffee over difficult Rwandan terrain were provided ahead of the harvest.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Tim Lewis (December 23, 2013). "Book Excerpt: Tom Ritchey, The dot connector". VeloNews. Retrieved 2015-03-29. Sorenson, after discussions with farmers, also decided that bicycles were the missing link and set up a charity called Bikes to Rwanda.
  2. ^ "Hot Java, for a Cool $40 (or Less) a Half-Pound". The New York Times. September 12, 2007. Retrieved 2015-03-29. inspired Stumptown's owner, Duane Sorenson, to start the Bikes to Rwanda program
  3. ^ Jennifer Wang (June 21, 2011). "Stumptown's Duane Sorenson, the Coffee Connoisseur". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2015-03-29. Bikes to Rwanda, a nonprofit that sends cargo bikes to coffee farmers.
  4. ^ Lisa Acho Remorenko (October 17, 2008). "Reduce Your Pet's Carbon Footprint". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2015-03-29. proceeds goes to the organization Bikes to Rwanda, which is a nonprofit company whose mission is to provide cargo bicycles to cooperative coffee farmers in Rwanda.
  5. ^ Jim Witkin (December 4, 2008). "Bikes to Rwanda: Building Communities and a Better Cup of Coffee". TriplePundit. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2015-03-29.
  6. ^ "Team Rwanda matures in Central Africa's top cycling team". Velo News. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  7. ^ "To Burundi and Beyond for Coffee's Holy Grail". New York Times. 12 September 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2019.


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