One of the first things a visitor to Mozambique or Malawi will notice immediately is that there are very very few motorized vehicles, many many people on bicycles, and a great multitude of people on foot. In the poor areas of Tete Province, for example, the great bulk of a person's day is taken up in the daily tasks of collecting water and arranging for something to eat. Regarding water, if a family is fortunate enough to live within a well, then collecting water is a relatively simple (though not necessarily easy) task. Usually one or more 5 gallon jerry-cans are brought to the well to be used for a family's cooking, drinking, and bathing. But many are not so fortunate. Their option is to travel, however far, to a river, or, more likely, to a shallow hole dug in a dry river bed or low spot until enough water seeps into the depression. In any case, having access to a bicycle is a luxury that can make all the difference in the world.
The typical bicycle is a sturdy steel-frame one-speed cruiser, often made in India. They have a steel cage over the back wheel for one of two extra passengers, or a load of goods to sell or a bundle of twigs or firewood. Usually the pedal platforms have been broken off, leaving the rod alone.
Nedson tells us that the price of a new bicycle is about $170. Considering that the average annual income is about $350, this is a massive amount, but it can make such a difference in a person's or a family's life, people will be willing to work for a year to afford a bicycle so that the option of transport can even be considered.
It is very humbling (and something more than humbling that I'm not sure of the word for) that my sweet bicycle at home is worth several years' income.
Next, more about food...
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