Duncan is 27 years old and lives in Soverby Farm, Lynedoch, in South Africa’s Western Cape province. He earned his Qhubeka Buffalo Bicycle through growing indigenous trees from seed, which he traded for the bike through the Tree-preneur programme, run by Qhubeka implementation partner, Wildlands.
“I love riding my bicycle; it gives me so much energy,” he says. His bicycle has changed his life by helping him to cover four times the distance as someone walking. He says he rides his bike everywhere – to the shops, to work and even to the beach, which is 17km from where he lives.
Duncan works as a gardener, construction worker or general labourer – whatever work he can find. Sometimes he travels over 20km per day to get to his job, so the bicycle saves him from walking or spending money on minibus taxi fares.
The bicycle is now his primary mode of transport. He says it allows him to be independent and he’s not hampered or limited by public transport availability or taxi strikes. He is free to plan around his own schedule.
You can help change lives like Duncan’s with bicycles when you donate at BicyclesChangeLives or take part in Qhubeka 5 000.