Hileni Simeon, a bicycle mechanic, is pictured at the Havana Empowerment Bicycle Center in Windhoek, Namibia, June 8, 2023. Over the past 16 years, a bicycle center in an impoverished community in the Namibia's capital of Windhoek has been helping people seek a better way of life.(Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)
WINDHOEK, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Over the past 16 years, a bicycle center in an impoverished community in the Namibia's capital of Windhoek has been helping people seek a better way of life.
In the past decades, tens of thousands of people in the Southwest African country were attracted to the capital and other major cities by opportunities for jobs. But many of them had to build up a fortune in informal settlements.
For Tate John, who lives in the Havana informal settlement with 30,000 inhabitants, one of the biggest impoverished communities in Windhoek, cycling is the cheapest and most efficient mode of transport.
"I know where to take my bike, so I can go to work, earn an income and care for my family. Before that, we struggled," John said, referring to the Havana Empowerment Bicycle Center, which is an initiative of charity organization Family of Hope Services.
Foibe Silvanus, project manager of the center, said that many dwellers riding a bike to work struggled to find an affordable supplier and repair workshop.
"The center solved the problem. We wanted to offer an alternative mode of transport affordable to the community. This center has grown into a hub that solves their problems, driven by our motivation to ensure mobility," she said.
The center partners with Bicycle Empowerment Network Namibia, from which they source bicycles and sell them to the community at a reasonable price.
Since its inception in 2007, the center has addressed gaps in access, repair and maintenance services in the Havana settlement, where bicycles have since become a popular mode of transport. Most of the center's clients are security guards, children and employees who would otherwise have to walk long distances.
Furthermore, the center has provided jobs for women, strengthening the Namibian government's efforts for gender parity.
Before coming to the center to repair bicycles, Hileni Simeon had to eke out a living by mowing grass for sale. The 49-year-old woman said she was lucky to have the opportunity to attend a vocational training four years ago.
"I am the mechanic here, repairing all the bicycles. It is a first for me," Simeon said.
"The bicycle workshop was intimidating at first, but I mastered all technical skills, and have since repaired over 100 bicycles," she said with a sense of pride.
Simeon served passionately because she knew too well the difference the bicycle could make. "Growing up in the village in Omusati region, we mainly relied on bicycles to fetch water, access the clinic and run errands." Meanwhile, Simeon hopes to inspire others, proving that women can be just as good as men.
Moreover, income generated from selling and repairing bicycles has had a ripple effect. The funds have sustained the work of the Family of Hope Services which is supporting over 300 orphans and vulnerable children within the Havana settlement.
"Our biggest joy comes from the positive change, especially when the youngsters progress in school because they no longer have to learn on an empty stomach or miss school. We strive to empower the community and improve the quality of their lives," Silvanus said. ■
Hileni Simeon (R), a bicycle mechanic, assists a client at the Havana Empowerment Bicycle Center in Windhoek, Namibia, June 8, 2023.
Over the past 16 years, a bicycle center in an impoverished community in the Namibia's capital of Windhoek has been helping people seek a better way of life.(Photo by Ndalimpinga Iita/Xinhua)
