Ghanaian Bamboo Bikes Make Global Impact

Bamboo Bike

A young female social entrepreneur has vowed to bring change to the world - one bamboo bike at a time. The 19-year-old employs about 30 girls to produce bikes in Ghana and has received numerous awards for her work.

Bamboo Bike

Winifred Selby, 19, is a young social entrepreneur who is determined to fight for a carbon-free and greener planet.

She founded Ghana Bamboo Bikes in 2009 - and her business model took off immediately. She currently employs about 30 young women and her bikes made from bamboo are becoming more popular day by day. Selby says the company creates a turnover of about $10,000 (7,720 euros) a month by exporting some of its bikes.

She started her enterprise at the age of 15. Money was always tight in the family. She says she was motivated by the challenges she and her family were facing.


"When I was six things were so tight that we sometimes had to sell [items] during [school] vacations, because where are the school fees going to come from?" Often she would sell toffee or other small items to earn a little bit of money.

Innovators in Ghana have taken to producing environment and economic-friendly bikes made out of native bamboo.  Addressing the problems of climate change, poverty, rural-urban migration and high unemployment amongst the youth in rural Ghana, the initiative has created employment opportunities and sustainable livelihood job skills for the youth.  These bikes are being both in Ghana and exported to foreign markets, making it a highly profitable business.  A second generation of bamboo bikes have been released, which are suitable for the high terrain and rough roads that locals may need to travel through. ...AllAfrica