people working on tea estates in northeastern India.
(Photo: Mercy Corps)
Mercy Corps is the latest organization to harness the power of a bicycle to change people’s lives. The global aid organization that opened its world headquarters in Portland a year ago now includes the purchase of a bicycle as part of their annual symbolic gifts program.
Mercy Corps staffer Lindsay Murphy got in touch to tell us that for $52 you can help give someone the gift of a bicycle:
“The bike has been predominantly used in our micro-loan project in India, but we’re hoping that with its continued success we can grow the program and implement the use of bikes in more countries around the world, reaching even more beneficiaries.”
On their website, Mercy Corps writes that bicycles can have a huge impact in developing countries, but they’re not always easy to come by. “Unfortunately, in these communities where people make only a few hundred dollars a year, a bicycle is financially out of reach.” Mercy Corps puts the $52 gift toward small loans or grants that help people “bridge the gap” to purchasing a bike.
Learn more at the Mercy Corps website.