Humanitarian projects

Malaika

Founded in 2007 by Noella Coursaris Musunka, the mission of Malaika is to empower Congolese girls and their communities through education. Based in New York, the organization operates in the village of Kalebuka, in the Southeastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the Malaika School provides quality education for 253 girls. The organization is fuelling a generation of change-agents by building girls’ leadership capacities so that they may give back to their communities and have a positive, long-term impact on the future of the DRC.

Georgie Badiel Foundation

At the Georgie Badiel Foundation every dollar received goes towards providing clean water in Burkina Faso. This includes digging wells, water treatment facilities as well as education for women and children. In less than 1 year, the Georgie Badiel Foundation restored 13 wells, built 2 new wells and 10 new sanitation systems. In total, the foundation has provided access to clean drinking water to over 75,000 people in Burkina Faso.

Foumbot

In the village of Foumbot, we will also be visiting the newly built technical school by our friends of Vélo Afrique, that can accommodate 700 pupils. A modest part of the collected funds will be used to financially support the further enlargement of the school with some new classrooms.

“Samarcande” (Etterbeek)

Samarcande is an association that provides support to children and their families who find themselves in problematic situations. To enable the children to take part in social activities, sport camps, cultural events etc. the association is in need of a vehicle. Bike for Africa 2018 will financially support this purchase.

"Eindelijk” (Buggenhout)

The association "Eindelijk" in Buggenhout is a day care centre for 20 people with traumatic brain injury, that offers acrivities, social contact and permanent revalidation. To allow the residents to attend sports and other events they are in need of a minibus. Bike for Africa 2018 will financially support this purchase.

Mercyships

Bike for Africa 2018 will financially support Mercyships, a b.foundation partner since 2010. The Africa Mercy, the world's largest hospital ship, will lie at anchor in Douala, a perfect opportunity for the bikers' group to see the medical teams at work and actually meet the beneficiaries of their fundraising work. Mercyships is an international organisation that sails with the largest private hospital ship (the "Africa Mercy") to African countries to provide free surgeries, treatments and trainings. Aboard more than 400 volunteers who pay their own travel and accommodation: doctors, nurses, engineers, farmers, construction workers, etc. From August 2017 till June 2018 the Africa Mercy will lie at anchor at the coast of Cameroon.

The funds raised by Bike for Africa will be used to support this 11-month mission in Cameroon. More details will be given shortly.

Muriel Africa

Maternity unit “Muriel Africa” in Mbour.

The Belgian Muriel Jonckheere took the initiative to construct a maternity unit next to the Grand Mbour2 hospital in Mbour (Senegal) entirely funded with donations. It’s the only maternity unit in the area, with 10 beds, a labour ward and a delivery room, changing area and rest room for the midwives. Focus lies on hygiene and cleanliness. Muriel has done tremendous efforts to collect the budget required by addressing all possible service clubs, companies,parishes…Muriel has lost both her son and husband in a short period of time. These tragic losses motivated her to engage in this humanitarian project, dedicated to the remembrance of her son Bernard and to all African women.

Thanks to the donation received from Bike for Africa, Muriel can proceed with the construction and installation of the first floor of the maternity and the overall upgrade if the infrastructure, more in particular:

In June 2016, Muriel succesfully inaugurated a brand-new ultrasound machine in the maternity ward in Mbour. The gynecologist who runs a weekly consultation round in the maternity is thrilled by the quality of the device and the images. She can now perfectly determine the exact number of weeks of the pregnancy, view the foetus from closeby and spot any problems.

Construction works (with a new contractor) have restarted in June as well.

For more info visit www.maternitemurielafrica.com

Electricity
Plumbing
Masonry
Carpentry
Waterproof facade
Painting works

The Horizons Clinic

Cleaning out 100 childbirth facilities across The Gambia via The Horizons Clinic.

Most childbirth facilities in Gambia are below standard when it comes to hygiene and competence of the staff. This results in a high child mortality rate (50% of all child mortality happens within 24 hours after they’re born due to unhygienic conditions). Bike for Africa supported this initiative of the Horizons Clinic (http://www.thehorizonsclinic.com) with the upgrade of 5 facilities during 5 years. The money will be used to successfully change behaviour and attitudes toward cleanliness as well as to establish self-sustainability. The budget will be used for training of midwives, cleaning staff, consumables, and monitoring of compliance and infection rates.

Moreover, in two if the facilities (Serrekunda and Fajikunda), important infrastructure works will be carried out (€70.000):

Ensure 24-hour water supply
Covering of the septic tank and soak away
Maintenance of non-functioning solar water heater
Fix all electrical wiring issues
Supplement electricity supply by providing 12 hours of solar power daily to cover peak periods (already installed in the meantime)

Junior Bears on Wheels

Junior Bears on Wheels , via United Fund for Belgium.

This subdivision of the famous Leuven Bears basketball team offers wheelchair basketball to disabled children. Bike for Africa 2016 donated 26.000 to Junior Bears on Wheels, to be used to buy a trailer to transport the wheelchairs and 4 youth sports wheelchairs.

"Les Sentiers" (Brussels)

Les Sentiers is a shelter home in Brussels for children aged between 12 and 18 who face a difficult family situation. It welcomes children from all levels of society, no matter their origin or background. A child’s stay at Les Sentiers creates a physical distance with the family which reduces the tension and allows all parties some breathing space.

Les Sentiers focuses on the willingness of the child and parent(s) to find a solution to the situation. Each week the child meets his family at Les Sentiers in the presence of a psychologist and educator for mediation sessions where both sides are encouraged to understand the other and start thinking about the future in a positive manner. After two months, an assessment of the situation is made with the family and the child either returns home or an alternative arrangement is made.

Bike for Africa 2014 purchased bikes and a bike shelter for Les Sentiers.

"De Engelbewaarder" (Aartrijke)

This is a nursing home and day care centre for people with a serious impairment. In order to give them the chance to leave the centre every once a while and enjoy the world on the other side of the walls, the Bike for Africa funds have been used to purchase a set of adapted bikes.

website : www.engelbewaarder.be

read more about De Engelbewaarde (Dutch version)

United Fund Belgium (UFB)

UFB is a non-profit organization that helps people in need in Belgium by financing projects of charity associations. UFB supports in particular charity associations involved in child welfare, reduction of poverty, support tapped persons and social integration and training. From a whole list of projects, Bike for Africa 2014 has selected two "bike-related' projects in Belgium, one Dutch-speaking and one French-speaking.

website : www.ufb.be

Activity report 2012

CoRSU

CoRSU stands for Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda and is one of the b.foundation pet projects in Uganda. CoRSU is a private non-governmental organization with primary focus on children with physical impairment. They come to CoRSU for orthopaedic and plastic/reconstructive surgical interventions and rehabilitation services. In CoRSU the children below 17, often from poor families, receive free surgery thanks to the financial support of donors and CoRSU's mother organisation CBM. The Brussels Airlines b.foundation team regularly visits the hospital, drop offs material and pays for surgery of a child (through fundraising actions) in case it is necessary.

website : www.corsu.or.ug

CoRSU has used the funds collected (€115.000) through Bike for Africa for the following items:

The purchase of external surgical fixators. These fixators are extremely necessary and life changing for many of the patients that come to the hospital.
Artificial limbs (legs, below and above knee) for 60 children with disability
An operating table
Financial support for surgery, therapy and hospital/hostel stay for 32 children with disability. At present, the cost structure of CoRSU is that thanks to the donations from various organisations the hospital is able to provide free surgery to children with disability. The total cost of a surgical procedure (each child has more than one surgical procedure with an average length of stay per procedure of 12 days) is about €400 per child.
Two anaestethic machines

“We are extremely grateful for the much needed contribution that you give to CoRSU that has made a tremendous change in the lives of so many children”.
(Malcolm Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, CoRSU)

Humanitarian projects