In partnership with global charity Bicycles For Humanity, the Ahmed Samerai and Ben Stiller Foundation donated 1,500 bicycles to Uganda.
The mobility a bicycle provides allows people to travel greater distances in a shorter length of time and transport much more weight – this means children can go to school more easily; families can access vital healthcare more quickly; and enterprising villagers can take their goods to further markets, generating a higher income and raising living standards.
The Bicycle Empowerment Model concept also creates many jobs centred on servicing and supporting bicycles, creating a new village ‘micro-economy’.
The subject of bike donations inspired Ahmed Samerai to produce his first video documentary, via Sahara Productions. One Yellow Bike tells the story of how a bicycle travelled by stormy ship and treacherous road from Dubai to the remote village of Abim. The film premiered at Reel Cinemas, in Dubai Mall, to much acclaim.