Riding around Port Phillip Bay on a tandem bamboo bicycle to help people in rural Zambia

Tim and Meredith train on their tandem bamboo bicycle in Zambia.

As thousands gear up to tackle the Around the Bay in a Day bike ride on Sunday, October 17, one Melbourne couple will take the challenge to another level - on a tandem bicycle made from Zambian bamboo.

Tim Budge, Country Director for Plan International in Zambia, will be joined by his wife Meredith on the bamboo bicycle. Accompanied by other members of Team Plan Zambia, they plan to ride 210km in an attempt to raise $10,000 for rural communities in the developing African nation.

The Budges, who are avid bike riders, moved to Zambia in 2009 and are returning to Melbourne for their annual leave. They have been training rigorously for their tandem challenge, waking at 5:30am three times a week to complete a 30km circuit and then facing longer rides of 100-150km on the weekends.

The tandem bamboo bike has been built specially for the event by a small Zambian business called Zambikes. The business was founded in 2007 to provide affordable, sturdy bicycles built for the rugged Zambian environment as a solution to the serious transport issues that affect many people. Many Zambians can walk up to three hours each way for work – riding a bicycle reduces that time to 40 minutes.

Money raised by the Plan Zambia team, will be used to buy bicycles and a unique medical trailer called a Zambulance from Zambikes that will help Plan’s work with rural Zambian communities.

Mr Budge has seen first-hand the impact of Zambikes' bicycles and Zambulances on communities. "The Zambulance is particularly important for emergency transport for the ill, wounded or expectant mothers," said Mr Budge.

"Traditional birth attendants and motherhood groups are now able to reach more expectant mothers, and reports from many provinces show that Zambulances are being used to transport more mothers to health facilities for safer deliveries," he said.

ENDS

For more information and interviews with Tim and Meredith Budge, please contact:

Sinead Blessing
Communications Co-ordinator
Plan International Australia
Ph: 03 9672 3678
Mobile: 0450 081 659
Email: Sinead.blessing@plan.org.au

For more information on Zambikes

Around the Bay in a Day will take place on Sunday, October 17. To support Plan Zambia’s fundraising to buy more bicycles and Zambulances, and to follow the Budges’ training blog, go to Everyday Hero

Background information

Blurb about the Budges (where they are from – western and northern suburbs, relevant work history – their time in Timor etc).
Bit more background information about Zambikes, impact of their bikes, and the bamboo bike.

Just some of the positive effects include:

•   A person that used to walk three hours to work can now make the journey in just 40 minutes.
•   A nurse or social worker can visit an average of 10 patients per day.
•   A person can carry more than double the weight on the bike’s rear rack than in their arms. For a transport entrepreneur that means double             the income.

Plan International

Plan is one of the oldest and largest children’s development organisations in the world that works to empower communities to overcome poverty. By actively involving children, and working at the grassroots with no religious or political agenda, Plan unites and inspires people around the globe to transform the world for children. Plan works in more than 49 countries.

For more information about Plan go to our website