The Kona Africa Bike
From its inception in 2005, the Kona BikeTown Africa program has had a simple, primary focus: provide durable, easy-to-maintain AfricaBikes to healthcare workers to assist in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients.
To date, Kona has donated roughly 500 bikes, and will double their output this year for the project.
The scheme is simple; Kona donates one bike for every two purchased to BikeTown or other non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) whose missions include helping to improve the quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sparked by an idea from ‘Hank & Frank’s,’ a northern California Kona bike dealer, Kona, with tremendous support from Bicycling magazine and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s ‘Secure the Future Foundation,’ created the strict not-for-profit ‘Adopt an AfricaBike’ program. With roughly 2,000 AfricaBikes being sold around the world in the last year, Kona will donate 1,000 to the project. All proceeds from sales go into the production and delivery of AfricaBikes to Africa.
Kona Chief Jake Heilbron says “The idea that we can help in Africa has clearly hit a nerve in the minds of cyclists everywhere.” Making at least three trips to Africa in June and August, BikeTown representatives, volunteers and bike mechanics will be stopping in Mozambique, Swaziland and twice in South Africa to educate Africans about the bikes and lend support in their healthcare mission.
