Repairing Bicycles for Africa, Winterthur

About the event

Recycled bicycles from Switzerland combine social and professional integration in Switzerland with sustainable development cooperation in Africa.

Thanks to your support, we can export more bicycles to the Global South, train additional bicycle mechanics, and enable more students to become mobile by bike.

Your task will be:
Together with participants from WTL 2Rad, you will prepare donated bicycles for export to Africa. Is the bicycle functional? Does it need minor repairs? How can it be prepared for export in the most space-saving way? You will learn all of this during your volunteer assignment—and get hands-on right away.

Since 1993, Velafrica has been collecting decommissioned bicycles, refurbishing them, and shipping them to Africa. Each year, over 20,000 bicycles are sent southwards, improving lives by providing mobility. Beyond mobility, Velafrica supports the development of bicycle workshops and the training of mechanics. This creates jobs and income opportunities in assembly, repair, and distribution.

In Switzerland, Velafrica collaborates with social institutions that employ individuals who are unemployed or have disabilities, as well as organizations involved in correctional measures. In this way, integration efforts in Switzerland are successfully combined with development cooperation abroad.