Early on we recognized that bicycles could be a significant boon to our business, but that most of our agents did not have one and could not afford to buy one. So, we started offering agents loans to buy bicycles once they had 100 batteries on the Burro program. This number was selected because it indicated a commitment to the business and could reasonably be achieved on foot.Serendipitously, we also met a young 
American in the early days who was starting a bike shop almost across the street. In a venture with a Ghanaian-American, Emmanuel Ofosu (you may have seen him on Oprah), of the Emmanuel Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged, the bike shop is called Ability Bikes and all the employees are physically handicapped in some way.
American in the early days who was starting a bike shop almost across the street. In a venture with a Ghanaian-American, Emmanuel Ofosu (you may have seen him on Oprah), of the Emmanuel Education Foundation and Sports Academy for the Physically Challenged, the bike shop is called Ability Bikes and all the employees are physically handicapped in some way. In a country where one's living is largely dependent on physical labor, those with physical chal
lenges can be particularly hard-pressed to find work and contribute to their families - or feel confident even having families of their own. Dave Branigan, the guy we met on the street one day, is an avid cyclist and bike mechanic as well as a returned Peace Corps volunteer who spent his tour in Ghana. He has started Ability Bikes from scratch and trained all the mechanics as well as administrative staff and got the business off the ground in about the same time we have been here in Koforidua. (http://bikesnotbombs-eefsa.blogspot.com/)
However, unlike Burro, Ability Bikes receives its "inventory" of used bikes from a number of organizations in the U.S., includi
ng Working Bikes Cooperative, Bikes Not Bombs, and Re-Cycle. The bikes come in a variety of conditions but are almost all high-end bikes even by U.S. standards. The mechanics here strip them down and completely overhaul them, cleaning everything, replacing parts that are worn or broken and basically making them like-new.
ng Working Bikes Cooperative, Bikes Not Bombs, and Re-Cycle. The bikes come in a variety of conditions but are almost all high-end bikes even by U.S. standards. The mechanics here strip them down and completely overhaul them, cleaning everything, replacing parts that are worn or broken and basically making them like-new. All our our agents' bikes have come from Ability Bikes and they pay anywhere from 45 to 75 cedis (thats $30 to $50, for reference) per bike 
depending on their taste for flash. They pay off their interest-free loans to Burro over four months. It's a great deal and we're thrilled to have met Dave early on. It gives us tremendous confidence in the bikes our agents buy. Dave is moving on to a head-office position, with Bikes Not Bombs, I think, 
but Ability Bikes seems well on it's way to being a huge success story - run completely by Ghanaians with physical disabilities. And, they have really gelled into a fun and amazing team as you can see by the photos, taken on the day they unloaded their latest container of bikes.
depending on their taste for flash. They pay off their interest-free loans to Burro over four months. It's a great deal and we're thrilled to have met Dave early on. It gives us tremendous confidence in the bikes our agents buy. Dave is moving on to a head-office position, with Bikes Not Bombs, I think, 
but Ability Bikes seems well on it's way to being a huge success story - run completely by Ghanaians with physical disabilities. And, they have really gelled into a fun and amazing team as you can see by the photos, taken on the day they unloaded their latest container of bikes.XO
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