Acirfa Bikes

What we do: Acirfa's initial program began in Zambia, with our initiative known as Zambikes.
Through Zambikes, we import high quality bicycles (manufactured by Trek) from China. These bicycles are then assembled in country by a team of trained Zambian mechanics, once assembled our trained Zambian marketing team sells the bikes to service-based and underprivileged Zambians at a subsidized price.

Why Bikes? Transportation costs right now in Africa are even greater than we can imagine here in the states. With gas prices around $7.50 USD per gallon and new car prices upwards of $60,000 USD for base models, bicycles are the best alternative for transportation. The average daily wage in Zambia right now is approximately $3, unfortunately, $1.50 is generally being spent on public transport.
With a bicycle, these costs are negated, as people are able to travel to work, school, and church with their bikes instead of relying on automobiles.
Riding a bicycle is also a very efficient alternative to walking, as it allows a person to travel 4 to 5 times quicker.
Additionally, a bike allows for a person to carry larger loads from farm to market, which provides people with entrepreneurship opportunities

Why sell the Bikes? Our mission states that we wish to overcome the mind-set of poverty in Africa. Unfortunately, many foreign aid organizations lend to this mind-set rather than help overcome it. Instead of giving "hand-outs" to the people, we support Zambikes who sells the bikes at a subsidized price in order to promote independence.

By purchasing a bike, a person can have pride in ownership, a feeling of accomplishment, and will not be dependent on foreign aid to survive. We try to abide by the mantra of, "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a life time."

It's not just a Bike! While we support the bicycle industry, through Zambikes, our focus is on the relationships we are able to form, rather than the bicycles themselves. The stories below show you that its not just a bike, instead we help provide...
A Job: Aside from providing jobs in our mechanic training school, marketing and development team, and executive training team, Zambikes seeks to train Zambians in entrepreneurship and management. One of the best examples of this is Dennis.

Dennis is pictured above holding two pieces of paper, these papers are a loan contract that he signed with Dustin and Vaughn. After hearing Dustin speak on the parable of the talents, Dennis wanted to learn how to be a good steward with his money, so he asked Dustin and Vaughn for a loan to start a business. They loaned Dennis the equivalent of $6, which he used to purchase charcoal and vegetables from a farm. He then transported these goods on his bicycle to the city of Lusaka, where he sold them. In two weeks Dennis had earned $120 from that original loan, and he now owns his own property and sends his entire family to school with the profits he has made.
A Hope: The hope that is offered through Zambikes can best be summed up by a conversation with the newest member of our marketing team, Simon (pictured below signing with the children).

"After attending the Zambikes bike and entrepreneurial training school, I have taken on additional roles with Zambikes as a marketing representative. Before Zambikes I never had work. In Kampampa, there is little entertainment. Oftentimes we, men, just turn to drinking and women to meet our needs. AIDS is very prevalent in this area. You know, Zambikes gives us goals we never dreamed of before now."
Simon went on to describe his transformation into a marketing representative: "I still remember when I was asked to do marketing by the management team. I was surprised. I sat in bed staring at the ceiling thinking to myself, 'Who am I to have this opportunity? Who am I to get to do marketing? Who am I that God would choose me?'"
A Change: Our goal is to promote a lasting change in Africa that will be felt even without our presence. Within the next five years, we would like to see Zambikes run 100% by Zambians, so that they can put the skills we have taught them to work on their own. At which point, we will remain as consultants to Zambikes and hopefully expand into Rwanda, Tanzania, Congo, Nigeria, and so on.

Aside from bikes and jobs alone we try to promote moral and family values, relationships, and the gospel through our actions. Zambike's employees and customers are more than that, they are friends, teammates, companions, and brothers and sisters in Christ. We hope this change is not only seen in Zambike's employees, but in their children, their spouses, their communities, and in Zambian business culture.

History of Acirfa: Our founders, Vaughn Spethmann and Dustin McBride traveled to Zambia on a short-term mission trip in the summer following their freshman year at Azusa Pacific University. These two young entrepreneurs left a large piece of their hearts in the country of Zambia, and vowed to return.
Within the next year, the vision of Acirfa began as a project that Vaughn and Dustin worked on together in an international business class. The vision continued to grow for the remainder of their college careers until their senior year when they were honored to present their business plan at the Urbana Conference in December, 2006. Shortly thereafter Acirfa was formed. A board of directors was selected and Jonathan Axtell was hired as the US Executive Director ( Jon is another Azusa Pacific Grad, who is a semester away from attaining his MBA in Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries at the Monterey Institute of International Studies).
Two months after graduation, Dustin and Vaughn felt that it was time to answer God's call to move to Zambia. After meeting many spiritually and politically influential people within the first few weeks of living in the country, the guys secured a living arrangement and prepared for the first shipment of bikes to arrive in November 2007. Despite sicknesses, car accidents, government and cultural boundaries, Acirfa's first initiative, called Zambikes, continues to thrive and is truly a testament to what can be done when we are acting according to God's will.
July 2008 marked the one year anniversary of Acirfa's presence in Zambia, and also is an exciting time as Zambikes second shipment of bicycles finds its way into the country.