Audio By Carbonatix
Give a man a bicycle and he’ll be able to get around, but teach him to build a bicycle and he can mobilize an entire village, even a country. Over the past four years, ACIRFA (pronounced a-ker-fa) has helped people in Zambia build over 2,500 load-bearing bicycles. “Until this organization, Zambians walked everywhere they went and everything was carried,” says Lyn Simon, host and coordinator of tonight’s Africa: One Bike at a Time, a fundraiser held in the Botswana exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Boulevard. “They are ten times more efficient when they ride a bicycle. And in addition to the regular Zambikes they build, we’ve also taught them to build a Zamcart that attaches to the bicycles and a Zambulance to help transport sick people and pregnant women to the hospital.”
Recently the organization has been teaching Zambians how to build beautiful bicycles frames out of bamboo — a sustainable, readily available natural resource. A few of these unique bamboo bikes will be on display and up for auction at the event, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m.; the Pan Africa Ensemble, originally from Togo, will perform traditional music and dance, and there will also be giveaways, African auction items, hors d’oeuvre and a cash bar. Tickets, $75 for adults, $25 for children under thirteen, can be purchased at www.abikes.org; for more information, call 303-550-7420.
Sat., Feb. 27, 6-10 p.m., 2010
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