At Cycle Connect, we provide rural farmers, like Ojok Richard and Akello Milly, with the opportunity to continuously invest in products that will move them and their families forward out of poverty.
Christopher Oyuko
Christopher is a mechanic who started his business by walking from one village toanother repairing people’s bicycles. Over time, he realized that this nomadic lifestyleleft him unfulfilled because he was not spending enough time with his family.
Christopher reached out to one of his friends who had received a loan from CycleConnect. A Cycle Connect staff member provided information and training abouthow a grinding machine can be a business opportunity, which persuaded him toapply for a loan. He started using the machine for commercial purposes and nowcharges his neighbors an affordable fee to help them add value to their agriculturalproduce, such as maize and millet.
The grinding machine now brings in a daily profit of $3.Christopher's increase inincome changed his life: as he no longer needs to choose between school fees andmedical bills, he can afford a better life for himself and his family.
Amule Anna
Anna is a farmer in Gulu who takes care of her grandchildren. Her farm produce wasnot bringing in enough income to meet both her and her grandchildren’s needs. Shewas spending a lot of money transporting her produce to the market, which oftenleft her with losses.
Anna reached out to a friend, who introduced to Cycle Connect. Through a CycleConnect loan, she was able to acquire two bicycles. The bicycles helped hersignificantly reduce the amount of money she spent on transporting her produce tothe market. Her grandchildren also use the bicycles as a means of transport to schooland the medical clinic when needed. They also use the bicycles to sell poultry toother families in order to increase their household income.
Several months later, Anna was able to get a pair of oxen from Cycle Connect thathelped her cultivate more land and further increased her income. With severalstreams of income, Anna now pays for her grandchildren’s school fees and finds iteasier to take care of her household.
Ojok Richard
In 2021, we worked with clients like Ojok Richard, a farmer and small business owner. When Ojok isn’t tending to his farm he is managing his bakery.
The two motorcycle loans he received enabled him to expand his bakery’s delivery to five districts. Currently, Ojok is in the process of receiving four oxen and two plows on loan to further expand his farming business.
The extra income has enabled Ojok to create access to education, food security, and healthcare for his family.
Assets unlock small businesses and small businesses build resilience in the last-mile.
Akello Milly
Since 2019, Milly has been investing in her future through Cycle Connect. Over the past two years, she invested in two bicycles and a pair of oxen.
Milly is a community leader in her region and the bicycle helped her get around to support her community through the pandemic. Realizing one bicycle wasn't enough she invested in a second to help her children get to school and to travel back and forth between her farm.
Milly's oxen have helped her double the amount of land she can plow every season, leading to a bigger harvest and more food on the table for her family.
Her assets have enabled her to earn additional income and send all of her children to school. Milly is not done investing. Next time, Milly hopes to secure a motorcycle loan to move her even closer to her dream.
Help Us Connect More Farmers in 2022
If you make a gift to Cycle Connect before the end of the year, your donation will be doubled thanks to the generosity of a family foundation that is matching donations to up to $25k.
Your support will bring us closer to our vision of a world where every family in the last-mile has the means to thrive, not just survive.
give a gift today