Millions of rural Ghanaians suffer from a critical lack of reliable, affordable transport. Walking miles through the heat or spending 50% of their income on carfare has crippled many communities. The rural way of life is in crisis as many people leave their villages in hopes of better options in the capital city of Accra. When sustainable transportation is introduced it becomes a tool of development, enabling people to generate and save money. Education, health care and jobs become accessible without having to leave permanently.

Ayamye* begins in Boston where volunteers work for two days loading a container with donated used bikes and parts. Through skillful packing, 450 bikes are loaded and the container is sent to Ghana, West Africa. The majority of the bikes are sold in a colorful frenzy to pay for shipping costs, while the best bikes are set aside to take to a rural community with limited transportation options.

Nurse Letitia struggles to master riding a bike, so that she can administer vaccinations in neighboring communities. A bike is loaned to her by a friend and she is determined to learn, training for hours in the middle of the biggest rainstorm of the decade. “I will learn, I know I can learn,” she says as she maneuvers the bike through mud. Her enthusiasm is so pervasive another nurse declares, “Nurse Letitia will teach me to ride also!”

Seth, too poor to afford secondary school, works on a poultry farm almost every day of the year. The poultry farm is located far from his village and friends. Through The Village Bicycle Project he receives a bicycle. With his bike he saves time in commuting – allowing him to contribute to the growth of the Youth Drama Group – reaching out to the Ghanaian youth with plays about HIV/Aids, Malaria and family planning.

A year later the film catches up with the community to see if the bikes are still maintained and how the long term effect of mobility has improved their situation in life, and in turn the development of the village.

Ayamye* celebrates the energy of the community and proves that sustainable solutions to crisis are not always complex. Goodness, kindness and bounty can go far to empower not just individuals but entire villages.

*Goodness, Kindness, Generosity (in TWI)