I am now in Zomba and I am very happy to be here. Zomba was just designated a city and there are great hills, lakes, and people that reside here. Yesterday I was able to do some mountain biking and do some bicycle repair at Africycle. I am impressed with all the great work being done in Malawi to assist others. I really enjoyed taking the time to assist at Africycle and even if it was grabbing parts out of bins for the mechanics and tightening some bolts it feels fulfilling to be involved.

Yesterday I bicycled up the Zomba mountain to the lodge. The climb was all up hill and it took me over an hour. The down hill took me 15 minutes. I think I am the only person in Zomba with a helmet. There were other people with bicycles, but they were carrying large load of wood down the mountain to sell. There were also many kids selling wild strawberries, rasberries, and bananas. I have savored all three and they are fantastic.

I met a Noel from Australia who is a designer and engineer. He is working in design and also teaching computer classes at a local high school. We were speaking about bicycleing and he invited me to Africycle where he was going to help repair some bicycles. Africycle is a nonprofit orgainization that collects bicycles in Cananda and ships them to Malawi. They have a warehouse and repair building 3 miles out of Zomba and they have a waiting list for bicycles as they have become very popular and are fulfilling a need for inexpensive quality transportation. The website is africycle.org and here is a write up on the organization.

Who We Are Africycle is a charitable organization bringing people together to improve access to bicycles in Africa.
Based in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, Africycle functions through many facets, bringing communities together to pursue the common goal of providing people in Malawi access quality used bicycles. Many Malawians experience difficulty accessing quality bicycles, due to economic constraints and the limited availability of affordable, reliable bicycles in the local market. Africycle believes that by providing bicycles it can be a catalyst for sustainable and effective development in Malawian communities. To accomplish this mission, Africycle follows a defined plan of action which consists of two parts on opposite ends of the planet: The ‘Recycle-a-Bike’ program in Canada and a bicycle repair shop and distribution center in Malawi