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On March 7-9 th , 2025, Trevor Clarke, Executive Director of Working Bikes Chicago, visited Cycles For Farmers (CFF) in Uganda to review the organization’s performance, partnerships, and implementation strategies.
During the visit, Irene Mukisa, Director of CFF, delivered a comprehensive presentation that highlighted:
- CFF’s mission and organizational history
- The total number of bicycles and spare parts received from Working Bikes
- Impact stories from beneficiaries
- CFF’s current financial position and sustainability outlook
The meeting was attended by 10 staff members and team representatives, providing a valuable opportunity for shared learning, dialogue, and reflections on the way forward. Following the presentation in Kampala, Trevor and the CFF team travelled 6 hours to Lira, where they met with farmers who have benefited from the Farmers Bicycle Asset Program. The visit also attracted new interest, with several farmers expressing a desire to join the scheme.
CFF’s Lira Branch, managed by Patrick Egen, hosted a well-attended meeting of 68 participants, during which the team reaffirmed its goal to deliver a full container of bicycles to Lira in 2025. This will enable each farmer to acquire a bicycle through affordable instalments payments. Currently, over 500 farmers have registered interest in joining the program.
The trip also included visits to Namutumba farmers and Rain Uganda healthcare providers in Mbale District, who had previously received 80 bicycles. These bikes are actively being used to support farming activities and HIV/AIDS outreach and care services, demonstrating the broad and life-changing impact of bicycle mobility across sectors.
It was truly an inspiring and collaborative trip, having Trevor Clarke with us on the ground—engaging directly with our teams and the communities we serve. Together, we exchanged ideas on how to strengthen our partnership and scale our impact, with a shared vision of transforming lives through bicycle mobility across even more regions. The visit reaffirmed our commitment to working together to create broader, sustainable change—one bicycle at a time.
Impact Stories
Namutumba Farmers Innovation Agriculture (NFIA)
Cycles For Farmers (CFF) donated the first batch of 40 bicycles to the Namutumba Farmers Innovation Group, thanks to the support of Jay and Liz Shefsky, who facilitated their shipment from the USA to Uganda. The group, based in Namutumba District, has 48 active members growing crops such as cassava, chili, yams, maize, and coffee. During the donation event, attended by 29 members, farmers shared how the bicycles will help them access nearby towns and markets—earning better prices than selling to local middlemen. The bikes aim to improve mobility for farming, household duties, and help sustain the group’s mission. CFF mechanics also serviced and repaired the donated bicycles and offered to carry out a more extensive bike maintenance program.
Tikkun Olam Primary School
Tikkun Olam Primary School, a rural school in Namutumba District, received a donation of 40 bicycles from CFF. The bicycles were received by Mr. Yoash Mayende, the school principal, along with four teachers. Though the visit took place during school holidays, a few students were present to participate. Mr. Mayende shared that many teachers live far from the school, and the bicycles will help them travel more efficiently, arrive on time, and reduce the strain of long commutes. Some bicycles will remain at the school to support student participation in extracurricular sports, promoting physical activity and personal development.
RAIN Uganda (Responding to HIV/AIDS and the Needy)
In rural areas, accessing healthcare is a major challenge—especially for community health workers delivering life-saving medication to remote patients. RAIN Uganda, led by Dr. Sam Wamani in Mbale, received 40 bicycles from CFF to support their VHT (Village Health Teams) in reaching HIV/AIDS patients in hard-to-reach areas. These bicycles will enable health workers to cover more ground efficiently, overcoming poor road conditions and long distances to serve vulnerable communities.
Light of Hope Widows and Needy Children’s Foundation
Cycles For Farmers (CFF) donated 40 bicycles to the Light of Hope Widows and Needy Children’s Foundation, received by Mr. Israel Siriri. The bicycles aim to support widows and vulnerable children by improving mobility, enabling easier access to schools, and promoting economic empowerment through greater access to markets and opportunities.
Renting bicycles with tourists from Spain to tour Ssese Island.
Many tourists and travelers in Uganda are looking for ways to explore destinations in an eco-friendly manner and cycling offers an adventurous way to see several sights. CFF was contacted by a team of 6 tourists from Spain to rent our bikes and tour a popular tourist destination Ssese which is made up of 84 islands. The team moved with 6 mountain bicycles and 2 our CFF’s mechanics, Andrew and Michael and the activities on the islands included fishing, cycling and boating and the island attracts both the local and foreign tourists due to its accountable beaches hence providing memorable holidays and vacations. With CFF you can rent high quality mountain and e-bikes and profits from bike rentals support CFF’s programs.
Today the 6th of May 2024, the Northwood bicycle was won by teacher Seth for the town schools raffle program.
Seth Mwebasa is a Primary Seven Mathematics teacher at Sir Appollo Kaggwa Primary School in Kisasi. CFF organized a bicycle raffle program for primary teachers amongst 10 schools. Seth eventually won the bicycle raffle for his outstanding teaching role at the school. The school is acknowledged by the Ministry of Education for producing the best performing math’s students in the country. Seth is one of the best mathematics teachers in the country and has taught many students in different primary schools. He noted that winning the Northwood bicycle saved him paying Shs.10,000 transport fare from Kyebando to the school in Kisasi every day, “shillings 10,000 is a lot of money to pay daily, a bicycle will save me time as I’m never caught up in jam compared to using public commuter taxis”. The bicycle will also make it easier for me to attend teachers mathematics workshops and professional development opportunities that may be inaccessible due to lack of reliable transportation. With reduced travel time, teachers may have more time for personal activities, reduce stress and increase overall job satisfaction.
