As the UK becomes increasingly gripped by cycling fever in anticipation of the arrival of the Tour de France, we can't help but reflect on the impact of the common bicycle on the lives of people living in Malawi.
Over 3.5 million bicycles are sold in the UK each year, and yet only 8% of the population cycle 3 times or more each week, suggesting that here cycling is very much a sporting or leisure activity enjoyed by the minority, rather than a necessary part of our everyday lives.
On the contrary, in Malawi, rather than being a recreational toy, the bicycle is, for many, an essential tool for survival, whether providing them access to basic services, a means of earning an income, or ensuring they and their family receive vital medical care.
In Malawi, 11.2 million people live in rural, heavily agriculture-based areas, which are usually quite some distance from paved roads. Only 1% of rural households have a motorised vehicle - the remainder having to rely on travelling by foot, unless they have access to a bicycle.
Since the average distance from a village to the nearest health centre is 8 miles, in many cases, having a bike can mean the difference between life and death. For example, a woman is 14 times more likely to die in childbirth in Malawi than in a developed country like the UK. Heavily expectant mothers, as well as bed-ridden or injured people, get medical help much more quickly when they are transported by bicycle ambulances - bikes outfitted with a lightweight trailer and removable stretcher.
Indeed, communities with even just one bicycle have seen their infant mortality rate drop dramatically.
If you are lucky enough to own a bike, you can more easily look after the basic needs of your family and it is not uncommon to see bikes stacked high with piles of firewood, or with sacks of maize precariously balanced across their frames. The transportation of live goats and pigs is a familiar sight, as are live chickens swinging upside down from the handlebars.
In a country where 39% of the population live on less than a dollar a day, owning a bike opens the door to a earning an independent income for many, whether that be selling ice lollies out of a coolbox in the searing city heat, or providing a courier service for the delivery of parcels to more remote areas.
In recent years, the 'Njinga', or bicycle taxi, has become a common feature in rural and urban areas alike. With padded passenger seats fashioned out of their rear metal baggage racks, and additional handlebars for passengers to hold onto for support, these bikes and their drivers line the roads and congregate at junctions waiting for people to hop on for a low cost ride. Indeed, pedal power has filled the gap left by the chronic shortage of public transport in more rural areas, as well as become an easy, cost effective way for people to get to work in the country's urban centres.
It is no wonder bicycles are considered to be like gold dust in this impoverished country.
How much more wonderful that makes it for our children to have access to bicycles, both at Harrogate House and our Foster Homes, and we are very grateful for the generous donations of a number of our supporters who have, over the years, increased our pool of trikes and bikes, which the children adore. We are also grateful for having Maxwell on hand to keep them serviced and in working order! For now, at least, cycling remains a fun pastime for our children, as they take great delight in improving their confidence and balance, and racing each other around the courtyards!
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