In June/July 2014, a team of cyclists will ride 400+ miles in 7 days to raise awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa.

In June 2013, a team of 25 cyclists set out on a 409-mile, 7-day charitable bicycle ride from the capital city, Lusaka, to Victoria Falls in Livingstone to raise awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. They raised nearly 120K in contributions. Bike Zambia's inaugural ride, in June 2012, brought a team of 34 cyclists to ride a total of 305 miles in 5 days. Between both years, Bike Zambia has raised almost 270K, providing contributions to 4 different beneficiary organizations, and making a difference to local communities across Zambia. Zambia is one of Africa's poorest countries with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection. More than 1 in 7 adults is living with HIV/AIDS. 1 in 6 children are orphaned. The life expectancy at birth is age 39. The need for help is clear.

This ride is a life-changing experience for our beneficiaries and participants alike. Our basic goal in riding is three-fold:

1. Increase awareness of HIV/AIDS health and wellness programs available in Zambia
2. Raise money for HIV/AIDS-related NGO’s that have proven themselves effective
3. Promote cycling as a means of transportation for people to get to the care they need

For Bike Zambia 2014, we will again ride from Lusaka to Livingstone with the aim of surpassing last year's fundraising amount. We will make substantial donations to selected beneficiaries, which include but are not limited to the following:

• World Bicycle Relief is dedicated to providing access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles.
• The Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) helps train medical professionals in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. The mission of CIDRZ is to improve lives and communities through research, disease prevention and treatment, and HIV/AIDS care.
• Sishemo Education Trust: An under-resourced school in Zambia that provides food, education, and life skills training to children affected by HIV/AIDS
• Grassroot Soccer: An organization that uses the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize communities to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. To achieve their mission, the organization continuously improves their innovative HIV prevention and life-skills curriculum, shares their program and concept effectively, and utilizes the popularity of soccer to increase their impact.

If you have any questions or comments about our ride, or if you wish to get involved in any way, please shoot us an email. Keep checking back for more details. You can also join our Facebook page, subscribe to the blog, and follow us on twitter to stay in the loop

 

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