All Health Workers In Rural Africa Should Have Access To Bikes For Transportation

In a CNN opinion piece published as part of a series produced in association with the Skoll World Forum “on people who are finding new ways to help solve the world’s biggest problems,” Andrea Coleman and Barry Coleman, co-founders of Riders for Health, an organization that helps health workers in Africa reach more people, write that every health worker who serves rural communities in Africa should have a bike for transportation. “They don’t earn much money and often have to live hundreds of miles away from their families,” they note, adding, “Often they will walk. Walk for hours at a time. In the sun or rain, across tough terrain, carrying whatever they can manage.” They continue, “The situation was unacceptable and made us angry. It is why we re-mortgaged our home and gave up our careers to start Riders for Health.” The Colemans discuss their work with the organization, which “now has programs in seven countries, transforming health care for 14 million people” (12/15).

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