Millennium Development Goals

In 2000, the United Nations established the Millennium Development Goals – eight international development goals – to help improve health, economic, and environmental conditions around the world by 2015.

In efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Bikes Without Borders and the Pedal Powered Hope Project (PPHP) Malawi will directly address 6 anti-poverty goals.

1. End poverty and hunger – Communities that have improved, and better access to health services are healthier. Healthy people can work, increase income, and contribute to their communities. Healthy people are better able to produce or buy food for themselves and their families. Community Based Organizations (CBO’s) working with Bikes Without Borders have started community gardens to help feed their patients and generate income to help pay for repairs and maintenance of bicycles and CareCars. CBO’s have also formed committees to ensure proper usage and upkeep by monitoring the repair and maintenance of the bike and CareCar.

2. Child Health – Community Health Volunteers (CHV’s) pay particular attention to the health of children under 5 years. CHV’s use the bicycle to provide home-based care, making regular visits and check-ups at households within their catchment area to ensure that children under 5 years are receiving appropriate immunizations and health services. Access to a health professional or healthcare facility can be difficult since they are on average 15 km from the home. CHV’s with a bicycle can provide home-based care and thus increase child health by ensuring that communities prioritize their health. CHV’s play an important role in advocating for child health and immunizations to families who have limited access to information.

3. Maternal Health – Malawi has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios (510 deaths per 100 000 live births) in the world.The risks of pregnancy are indicated by the words used to describe a pregnant woman in the local Chichewa language: either pakati (between life and death) or matenda (sick). In Malawi, behaviour at the village level can contribute to maternal mortality, for example, most births and deaths of pregnant women happen at home,and some behaviours within the community hinder timely and appropriate care-seeking.CHV’s ensure that all pregnant mothers are recorded, monitored and encourage safe practices by advocating prenatal and antenatal care, with the provision of nutritional supplements when available. Generally pregnant mothers would not access a healthcare facility to give birth due to the distance from their home that could mean walking 15 km. Many pregnant mothers in Malawi keep their pregnancy secret for fear of losing the child and being a burden upon their family if it is known this could affect their lifestyle. The role of the CHV is crucial since any information shared is confidential. A pregnant mother is far more likely to disclose information to a CHV on a home visit rather than walking 15 km to a healthcare facility where someone from the community might wonder what the purpose of their visit is. The CareCar is an excellent way to increase maternal health by ensuring that all pregnant mothers have access to transportation to a health facility when needed. Advocating emergency usage of the CareCar increases the usage and creates a safer environment for mother and child.

4. Combat HIV/AIDS – Malawi is one of the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic with over 920,000 people living with HIV/AIDS (2009 estimate) in a country of 15.8 million (July 2011 estimate). CHV’s visit People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWA) weekly to do check-ups and provide counseling and support on an unfortunate taboo issue. Anti-retroviral (ARV) medication is free in Malawi but people living with HIV/AIDS face discrimination. Therefore some prefer to remain confidential and choose to not take ARV’s. Some people living with HIV/AIDS do not have access to transportation to pick-up their ARV’s and can be too sick to walk to a health facility to collect the ARV’s. CHV’s fill this gap by providing home based care and delivering medication to the patient’s home. CHV’s are active in screening for HIV/AIDS within the household. CHV’s advocate healthy living and strategies to avoid getting HIV/AIDS and choosing healthier lifestyle options. Drama presentations, skits, and songs are an effective way that CHV’s distribute the information when they travel village-to-village. The bike is an essential way of increasing the number of visits CHV’s can make to their patients in need of health care. The bike is also an effective way of motivating CHV’s who work on average four days a week, without any pay.

5. Environmental Sustainability – Bike and bike-related solutions are forms of non-motorized transport which are undisputed ways to commit to cherishing our environment. There are no toxic emissions or destructive pollution emitted into the atmosphere. Bike and bike-related solutions including CareCars, are sustainable since the communities will never have to supply gasoline. Gasoline has been known to be in short supply in Malawi particularly due to increasing costs and the lack of foreign currency required to buy and import gasoline. Communities with increased access to bikes and CareCars are not reliant on surging fuel prices, or lack of supply, and are better equipped to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

6. Global Partnership – Bikes Without Borders works to strengthen global connections to local Malawian communities in a number of ways. By partnering with YONECO (Malawian based non-governmental organization) who has been working with CBO’s and CHV’s in Malawi since 1997, allows resources (access to information, pharmaceuticals, transportation etc.) to be maximized since effective working relationships have been established by YONECO. BWB is dedicated to contributing to a healthy and sustainable economy and Phase 2 of PPHP Malawi will strive to incorporate micro-financing and entrepreneurial opportunities to Malawians. YONECO was an integral part of the collaboration and dialogue within beneficiary communities. One CBO chairperson told us, “I am so happy we are a part of the country now. This bicycle ambulance connects us and makes us less isolated. Thank you.” Further collaboration was initiated with the nonprofit research group Invest Knowledge Innovation (IKI), the Malawi National Statistics Office (NSO), the Zomba District Assembly’s Social Welfare Office, and Africycle Malawi.

Statistical Source: CIA World Factbook