Vale Moçambique is delivering 435 bicycles to the 25 de Setembro community, in Moatiize

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Vale Moçambique is delivering 435 bicycles to the 25 de Setembro community, in Moatiize

8:21 CAT | 14 Dec 2021

Photo courtesy: Vale Mo;ambique

As part of its ‘Vai de Bike’ project, Vale Moçambique on Thursday, December 2, began delivering the first batch of 435 bicycles destined for the 25 de Setembro community in Moatize.

The project, implemented since 2020 in partnership with Mozambikes, a company that manufactures bicycles in Mozambique and is associated with several social responsibility projects, is aimed at improving mobility.

So it was that, on Thursday, in the presence of members of the local government and representatives of Vale Moçambique, the first 165 bicycles were delivered. Delivery of the next tranche was scheduled for December 6th, and it is expected that all 435 beneficiary families will have received their bicycles by December 20th.

During the ceremony, the beneficiary communities encouraged Vale Moçambique to continue implementing initiatives that promote local development. “We appealed to the company to include us in this project, and today our request was granted,” said Duzéria Conto, speaking on behalf of the recipients. “These bicycles will be a very useful means of transport for our day-to-day activities. We are grateful to Vale and hope that it never stops supporting us.”

President of the Municipal Council of Moatize, Carlos Portimão, stressed the importance of beneficiary families looking after the bicycles properly. “We are happy to be able to count on Vale’s support to facilitate the mobility of the population resettled here, who sometimes find it difficult to get around. We appeal to the communities to maintain their bicycles well,” Portimão said.

By subsidising the purchase of these bicycles, Vale Moçambique essentially hopes to make life easier for the beneficiary families. Bicycles shorten distances, bring people closer together and facilitate the transport of goods and services in Moatize communities.

The bicycles delivered to the 25 de Setembro community brings to around 2,500 the number of families in eight Moatize communities covered by the Vale Mobility project since 2020.

The bicycles come with repair kits to ensure greater longevity, and the project also includes an auto business component that benefits young people from the community through the creation of ‘Bike Business’ workshops. The objective is to create business opportunities in the area of maintenance, repair and sale of accessories, as a way of helping the community keep their bicycles in good condition. At the same time, it represents a potential source of income for the young people who are part of the initiative.

As a socially responsible company, Vale Moçambique prides itself on continuing to work to ensure the well-being of the communities near its concession areas.

Source: Vale Moçambique / Media Release