At our Kisumu, Kenya workshop, we use our own Big Boda load-carrying bicycles to do our project work. Above, George hauls three complete Big Boda frames back from the papyrus weavers. Worldbike's entire budget for the Big Boda trial market couldn't buy us one Land Cruiser even if we wanted one.

We simply needed to find other ways of getting around Kisumu, to do sales, buy materials, and commute to work.

The Big Boda and the Worldbike prototype were great solutions. They carry large loads, and can be real problem solvers for situations when you need to pick someone up from the bus station or buy lunch for the team.

For example, we did a sales mission out to the region of Nyakatch, a rural region which was home to our workshop manager Moses Odhiambo. We brought two bikes with us: a Big Boda and the Worldbike prototype. We tied them on the roof of the matatu (public transport van) to get them out to Nyakatch. There were three of us (Ed, Moses, and myself). We asked a previous Big Boda customer to come with us for the day to make testimonials at our sales demos. So we set off with four of us on three bikes. As it happens, we sold a Big Boda to a bread delivery man at our most distant stop, and left the bike with him, taking a 20% deposit. (Since Moses returns regularly to Nyakatch on weekends, he took responsibility for collecting the remainder of the bike payments.)

On the way the four of us fit on two bikes. Ed was on the back of the Big Boda taking pictures and video, and I carried Moses.

We dropped Moses off at his Shamba and had tea with his family. Then I rode with Ed on the back of the Worldbike about 10km to the bus stop back to Kisumu.

There's no describing the feeling of doing quality project work on bicycle technology, using bicycles as your project transport. It's fast, convenient, and ties you directly to the community you are trying to serve.

At first, when Ed would ride around Kisumu, carrying supplies to and from the workshop, people would shout "Mizungu", which means "White Person". But as he kept working on the project, people began shouting "Paro Manyien".

Ed started asking what Paro Manyien means and found out that it means "New Technology / New Hope." What an amazing transformation from "Mizungu"! We took "Paro Manyien" as our motto and put in on the stickers we used to brand our Big Boda bicycles.

Using the bicycles as project transportation is one of the key building blocks of a successful bicycle distribution project.