Riders for Health Press Center
Information and contact details for the press.
For details about Riders and our work and for all media inquires, please contact Riders’ Development Director, Lisa Johnson Bakker.
E-mail: lbakker@riders.org
Tel: 312-373-1447
Fax: 312-466-3700
Web: http://www.riders.org
Introduction
Riders for Health is an international non-governmental organisation born out of the world of motorcycle racing. Its mission is to ensure that health workers in Africa have uninterrupted access to reliable transportation. Without such transportation, all health care projects fail. Using an innovative social enterprise model, Riders has developed a practical, dynamic approach which is helping to achieve real and sustainable development. They have put in place reliable preventive maintenance systems for two- and four-wheeled vehicles used in health care delivery allowing health workers to reach rural villages time and time again.
Riders currently operates three national programs, in the Gambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, where we work with ministries of health, UN agencies and local humanitarian organizations. All programs are managed by wholly-African, wholly-professional teams, and not by volunteers or expatriates. This means that Riders is able to build a lasting base of local knowledge and a culture of maintenance in the communities with which it works.
Riders is the official charity of MotoGP and motorcycle sport's ruling body, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The quality and innovation that Riders brings to its programmes in the field have been recognized gobally on many occasions. In particular, Riders is regarded worldwide as a leading example of social enterprise.
At a Glance - Riders in 2011
· Operates in seven countries (the Gambia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Lesotho, Zambia and Tanzania)
· Employs over 300 people in Africa
· Manages 1,300 vehicles
· Reaches 12 million people
· In 2010 individual health workers mobilized by Riders covered an average of 675km every month.
· Has helped increase the proportion of fully-immunized infants in The Gambia from 62% to 73%
· In Zimbabwe there has been a 21% decline malaria in Binga district, in which all health workers are now mobile, compared with a 44% increase in neighboring district.
· Riders for Health has launched a new vehicle leasing program that has made the Gambia the first country in Africa with enough vehicles to deliver health care to its entire population.
· Thanks to Riders for Health’s Sample Transport programs, a potential three million men, women and children now have access to laboratory services at a primary level.
How We Can Help
Riders can:
· Provide case studies, pictures and information on our work in the field.
· Provide facts and spokespeople on the issue of transport and logistics in development in Africa.
· Provide facts and spokespeople to talk about social enterprise, as well as providing access to a network of leading social entrepreneurs.
· Give information about links between the motorcycle community and charity, especially regarding fundraising.
Credits – Riders has appeared in several high profile TV programs, newspapers and magazines.
· 2011 Riders for Health's work subject of film at Skoll World Forum as part of the Uncommon Heroes series.
· 2011 Jay Leno mentioned Riders for Health on the Tonight Show.
· 2010 Riders on American Motorcyclist December cover and in feature article.
· 2010 Riders was featured as a top 10 Father’s Day gift idea in the New York Times.
· 2010 work in Lesotho feature on Sky News on World AIDS Day.
· 2010 programs in Zambia featured in BBC World series Alvins Guide to Good Business.
· 2009 work featured on Trans World Sport.
· 2007 Riders featured as international charity in the Times Christmas appeal.
· 2006 BBC LifeLine appeal presented by Suzi Perry.
· 2005 CNN documentary about our work in Kenya, presented by Christiane Amanpour.
· 2005 PBS documentary shown as part of Time magazine’s global health summit.
· In 2005 Riders' founders ere featured in Time magazine as ‘heroes of global health’
Click here to download Riders press information sheet.