In rural Uganda a bicycle is the key to many destinations. It can take you to be an entrepreneur offering delivery and taxi services, it can also increase the revenue from the crops since you will be able to transport your “Matoke” bananas to the nearest town and boost the price.
A bicycle here means better access to improved water sources, health services, schools, fuel wood, work opportunities and a better life.
“When I was a kid, all I wished when I grew up was to have a bicycle and a radio to be set… with the radio, I would keep connected with the world and the bicycle would take me anywhere I wanted” said Martin Tumwesigye a local driver from the UNDP.
Here, life is simple and simple things mean the world to someone like this boy in the picture. He proudly asked me to take a picture of him posing with his new bicycle. He had just bought it from a neighbor and now started his own business giving rides to little kids to school.
What a touched story. Life is actually so simple as simple as riding a bike. But many of us make it to be so complicated
The transport sector in Uganda is still very much in its infancy because of poor road network and of course the income levels. Bicycles have for long helped folks in the upcountry areas. In the past 10 years motorcycles are taking over as they can get to any place however remote.