Ghana Bamboo Bikes win German government award

Cargo Bamboo Bike

The Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative has been selected as a winner of the 2011 Impact Business Award, in recognition of the innovativeness of its business model and environmental responsiveness.

The Award initiated by the German Government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) rewards enterprises that apply innovative business solutions in combating Climate Change.

A total of five International Awards were available in 2011 and the Ghana Bamboo Bikes was one of the only two projects selected from sub Saharan Africa. Other winners hail from Egypt, Uganda, Cambodia and India.

Each winner is awarded with a €5,000 euro prize to be spent on expanding climate technologies and green activities. Winners also have the opportunity to present their work to influential audiences and will be rewarded at the occasion of the 15th International Business Forum in 2012.

The Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative seeks to break the status quo in the development of a bicycle industry in Ghana and train people with little or no education in the manufacturing and assembling of bamboo bikes.

The Initiative is also spearheading the production of stable, cheaper and reliable bikes in Ghana to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels whiles increasing economic activities of rural Ghanaians.

With the Award, the German government would complement the work of the Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative in promoting economic development in Ghana while providing substantial environmental benefits.

Co-founded by two students, Bernice Dapaah and Kwame Kyei of the Christian Service University College and Ternopil State Medical University respectively, the Initiative seeks to take advantage of the abundant raw bamboo materials in Ghana to manufacture high quality bamboo bikes suitable for export markets as well as for the road conditions in Ghana, and affordable to the poor.

The social enterprise project designs, develops and markets multi-purpose bikes for the transportation of passengers, commodities or as an ambulance.

Through the provision of a sustainable and low-carbon transport solution, Bamboo bikes aim at raising awareness about environmentally friendly habits, while increasing economic and employment opportunities of rural people - especially among youth.

The Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative won the 2011 UNEP Seed Initiative Award and the 2011 Inaugural ImagineNations Global Business Plan competition.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana