Electric tricycles are a ticket to respect and prosperity for some rural women in Zimbabwe
Wedza of Zimbabwe (AP) – Anna Bhobho, a 31-year-old housewife from rural Zimbabwe, was once a silent observer in her family, excluded from the financial and family decision-making of the mob leader society. Today, she is the driver of the village change thanks to the electric tricycle she now owns.
In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, women have long been excluded from mainstream economic activities, such as operating public transport. But tricycles powered by green energy are reversing this trend, offering financial opportunities and new discoveries.
“My husband now looks up to me to take care of a lot of expenses, including buying furniture and other assets,” Bhobho said in a market.
The tricycle is called “Hamba” in the ndebele, meaning “go”, powered by solar-charged lithium-ion batteries. African liquidity of a local startup drove the project in 2019 to rent vehicles to women’s groups for $15 per month. Today, individual women like Bhobho can own them through a rental purchase program.
“I used to rely on everything my husband did, even money to buy bread,” she said.
Bhobho now owns the land, opens a small grocery store, is paying off the car and transfers her children from underfunded rural public schools to fully equipped private institutions. She earns up to $300 a month, which is comparable to government workers like school teachers.
In addition to material gains, she also gained self-esteem.
The mother of three said, “Even if my husband and in-laws now have more respect for me.
According to Carlin Thandi Ngandu, African Mobility Community Engagement Coordinator, 300 women in Zimbabwe are part of the scheme, with the aim of ensuring that 70% of the beneficiaries are women.
In Wedza, only women own and operate tricycles. They were trained in safe driving skills and replaced the lithium battery with a full charge after about 100 kilometers (about 70 miles) for a $1 training.
Motorcycles are general public transportation in sub-Saharan Africa, and some now turn to electric to reduce fuel costs. The United Nations Environment Program is introducing electric two-wheelers and tricycles in nine countries, mainly East Africa. In Nigeria, a green energy company and the UK Foreign Ministry provide women with 120 electric tricycles to promote sustainability and empowerment.
In Zimbabwe, many women’s lives have changed dramatically even for those who don’t own tricycles but use them for everyday chores. Gone are the days of carrying firewood, buckets of water or heavy agricultural products.
Tricycles, able to navigate narrow paths, unable to access cars, and reach remote homesteads and vegetable gardens. Their affordability makes them accessible to locals.
Tomato farmer Hilda Takadini said her business has flourished since she started using Bhobho’s transportation services. Previously, she had to leave her home at 3 a.m. and use a cattle car to go to the market for 18 kilometers (11 miles). Usually, she arrives too late or at all, and her tomatoes are rotten.
“My price is better because now I’m on time at the market where my tomatoes are still fresh. Even the kids now know they can rely on me to pay for their tuition.”
At Wedza Mall, nearly twelve women are aligned with tricycles, which have a load of up to 450 kg (nearly 1,000 lbs) and a top speed of 60 kph (37 mph), waiting for customers. They transport passengers, patients heading to hospitals, and people carrying building materials such as bricks, groceries and firewood.
But women must deal with challenges such as recent deterioration in rainwater, and many men resist women-led men in traditionally predominantly male spaces.
Apart from business, tricycles have revolutionized health care, especially for women and children. Volunteer community health worker Josephine Nyevhe uses her tricycle to bring medical services to rural homes.
One afternoon, a group of mothers with children were waiting by the roadside. Nyevhe arrived on the tricycle, hung a weighing scale on the branches, and began measuring the growth of the children. She recorded details in her notebook, provided nutrition advice, and transferred serious cases to a local clinic.
Many times, her tricycle has always been a rural ambulance.
“I got 24 hours of standby time in strange times. I got calls in odd times. Sometimes, it was a pregnant woman who would otherwise give birth at home in unsafe conditions.” Nyevhe wore a brown uniform.
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