This blog has looked at a number of programs that increase bike use, access and participation for indigenous Australians, such as:
- The Indigenous Mountain Bike Project
- 2018 NAIDOC Week – Where are the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander cyclists?
- The Indigenous Olympic Track Cyclists Program
In this post, we look at one of Bikes 4 Life programs that connects with local deadly youths living in a remote community to a range of other health services by improving bike participation.
Bikes 4 Life is an international non-government organisation that supplies bicycles all over the world to improve education access, health outcomes and income generation.
One of Bikes 4 Life’s programs operates in a remote Western Australia community in conjunction with the local organisation East Kimberley Job Pathways (EKJP).
East Kimberley Job Pathways is located in the far north of Western Australia in the isolated community of Kunnunurra. EKJP is a ‘for purpose’ Aboriginal Corporation with the primary purpose of delivering the Australian Government’s Community Development Programme across the broader East Kimberley Region of Western Australia.
In 2019, the EKJP team ran a bike rescue program called BikeWorks. The Bike Works program underpins a social and emotional wellbeing program that EKJP runs for local youths. This program teaches youths how to refurbish and maintain donated bicycles sourced through Bikes 4 Life. Read more about the program here.
The bikes used for the program are all recreational bikes (no roadies) because more robust bikes are better suited to the remote Western Australian terrain and climate.
The Bike Works program outcomes are:
- Increased social and emotional wellbeing
- Teamwork and networks
- Building new relationships
- Improved attendance at school (and/or other education pathways)
- Raised aspirations of future pathways
- Connection and contribution to community
- Employment opportunities (within the Bike Program and with other employers)
The program was very successful. After a great start in 2019, and with increasing demands for bikes in the community, Bikes 4 Life is will continue sending bikes and supporting EKJP so this program can keep progressing.
Parts of this post are sourced from Bikes 4 Life Projects web page.