ITDP is supporting the donation effort by coordinating bicycle distribution with service workers active on the ground. The first shipment will be received by the Sri Lanka office of the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG).

Thousands of people in Sri Lanka are still living in camps after having their homes and villages destroyed. It is estimated that 300,000 bikes were destroyed in the tsunami. ITDG has opened two offices in the Hambantota and Ampara districts of Sri Lanka to assist in reconstruction work. The bikes will be used by municipalities and non-profits to assist in relief and rehabilitation work. ITDG will also help train people on bike maintenance and repair in an effort to rebuild the small enterprise that was lost after the tsunami.

Recognizing both the immediate and long-term requirements of the relief effort, Fuji pledged to donate 50 bikes each year for the next three years. The bicycles will come equipped with rear carriers, fender and light sets, as well as bicycle gear packs donated by Adam’s Bicycle World of New Orleans, Louisiana, which health care workers can use to carry supplies.