See How Old Bicycle Parts Power a Green Economy Emily Gertz - TakePart
go to original March 11, 2015

In this video produced by Makeshift, Maya Pedal director Mario Juarez takes viewers along to check in on the group’s workshop and visit a few bicimáquina users. (Maya Pedal)

A Guatemalan group called Maya Pedal designs and builds “bicimáquinas,” pedal-powered machines engineered from reclaimed bicycle parts. The different designs make all sorts of labor-intensive work easier, from pumping water to grinding corn for chicken feed. That translates directly into more money for low-income people.

The average annual income in Guatemala in 2012 was $3,242, according to the United Nations. But with around 54 percent of the population living below the poverty line, most people make far less - on the order of $2 to $3 a day. So even small upticks in income can make big differences in a family’s health, quality of life, and educational opportunities.

A bonus: The machines emit no greenhouse gases or other pollutants once they’ve been built.

Read the rest at TakePart

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