Red Cross receives 1,250 bicycles to facilitate its 5,000 volunteers

The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has received 1,250 heavy-duty bicycles that will help ease the mobility and efficiency of its volunteers.

The reception ceremony was held at the URCS headquarters in Lubaga, Kampala on April 21, 2023. The bicycles of the Buffalo Bicycles brand are made by World Bicycle Relief, a philanthropic organisation dedicated to enhancing bicycle infrastructure in Africa.

Sean Granville Ross, senior global director for Programmes at World Bicycle Relief, explained that Buffalo Bicycles is their wholly-owned, for-profit commercial subsidiary whose profits help fund their charitable work.

Ross said the Buffalo bicycles are specifically designed and lab-tested to withstand rough and tough terrain and life of rural Africa. Among their advantages are the rear rack/carrier’s carrying capacity of over 100kg, and a durable seat with twin springs for comfort.

LAND CRUISER OF BICYCLE WORLD

Robert Kwesiga, the secretary-general of URCS, said the bicycles will ease the work of their 5,000 volunteers who usually walk more than 10km in tough terrain with backpacks. With each bicycle valued at Shs 780,000, the whole donation amounts to Shs 975 million, he said.

The bicycles come with a five-year warranty; Kwesiga referred to them as “the Land Cruiser of the bicycle world”.

“This partnership is big relief. These are businesspeople; so, we must respect thei sacrifice of their profits. These are bicycles that cannot be assembled or repaired any street mechanic. Buffallo Bicycles are setting up shop in Uganda; they will train specialized assemblers and mechanics of these bicycles, and thereby provide employment to Ugandans. They will also set up spare parts shops,” he added.

Kwesiga spelt out strict management of the bicycles, saying they would be given to only volunteers in actual work and staff in actual relief work.

“We are going to brand them with our red colour and URCS initials. We will enter them into a registry and distribute them according to need; i.e, the more active volunteers or branches get more bicycles. … I want to commit that these bicycles will be used as agreed. … If you find them in the wrong place, raise a flag! We will prove that this support was not in vain,” he assured.

Kwesiga said URCS, as the largest humanitarian organisation in the country with 51 branches and an auxiliary to the government of Uganda in health and humanitarian activities, currently has 500,000 registered members and volunteers countrywide with 15 million beneficiaries and people reached during the period 2020 to 2022.