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Prodigal Bikes - Sending bikes to Africa
Prodigal Bikes is a charity that brings hope and changes lives in both Africa and the UK.
Why “Prodigal” Bikes? In the Bible, Luke Ch. 15 vs 11-32 is a story Jesus told about a father who welcomes his wayward (Prodigal) son back into his family, giving him a second chance in life.
In the UK we refurbish bikes donated to us, teaching engineering skills and giving work experience to those who need that second chance. These bikes are then either shipped to Africa or given to refugees and asylum seekers here in the UK.
In Africa our bikes are used by patients to access healthcare, and by school children and teachers to get to schools. We also provide tools, spare parts and training to keep the bikes working.
Please browse our website to see what we do, who we help and how you can get involved.
HOW COULD YOU HELP?
We are a non-profit organization, and rely on volunteers and donations to help us make a difference to people’s lives. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or organise a charity event please get in touch we’d love to hear from you.
Latest Prodigal Bikes News
Back at the end of October, we delivered 58 bikes plus loads of spares and tools up to Leeds, where it was all loaded into a 40ft shipping container along with loads of other wonderful aid from the Zikomo Trust and Changing Stars Malawi . After a rail trip down to Southampton, boat trips around the Cape up to Dubai, to Reunion Island then to Beira, Mozambique, and an overland truck trip to Lilogwe, Malawi, all this arrived last week. Our man in Malawi, Pearson, did an amazing job getting a truck hired, then getting all the bikes etc. up to the deaf school in Bandawe where our bike project is located (on the west bank of Lake Malawi about half way up). Today some of the bikes were given out. Here's the pictures of a lot of happy people...![]()
Massive Thanks to the Zikomo TrustChanging Stars Malawialawi for a problem-free shipment. Thanks also to the Generations Trust and the Coles Medlock Foundation for their support funding this shipment. And thanks to all our dedicated volunteers, @Yeovil CollegeThe Hub Yeovileovil who collected and fixed up all these bikes last summer.![]()
The teachers in this area of Malawi all live together in accommodation blocks several kilometres from the schools they teach at. We sent 120 bikes here in 2022, to help the teachers get to school more easily. They loved them. Along with the teacher training work done by Hooke Court in Malawi, out partner charity, this area has gone from 16th out of 17 up to 3rd out of 17 in the school league tables. Now with more bikes and a load of bike spares, this project is good to run for a few more years and boost the education of thousands of children in this area. And we will keep supplying beyond that. Not a bad result for some bikes destined for the recycling skip...![]()
Our next project is a huge shipment of 360 bikes going to school kids in a remote part of Kenya at the end of this year, to help them with access to far away education and healthcare. If you would like to support our work, please follow this link and donate:![]()
wonderful.org/pay?ref=1170845
A fundraiser for the charity we work with in Malawi, Hooke Court in Malawi. They do amazing things to boost education in this very poor country. Please do go along if you would like to support them and love your Disco.
We have lots of bikes not suitable for Africa up for sale. If you are looking for a bike, do get in touch. All proceeds of sales to Prodigal Bikes of course.