For the past four years It has been the mission of adventure travel icon Dan Austin (founder of award-winning Austin Adventures) to help alleviate the cycle of poverty facing the people of rural Africa through increased mobility and economic development.  Along with a group of entrepreneurs that shared a common passion for helping those who need it the most, Austin launched the Wheels of Change (WOC) non-profit in 2010 to bring donated bicycles to the continent. On August 7, 2013, the latest shipment of more than 300 bikes, parts and tools arrived at its final destination in Linyanti, Namibia.

Wheels of Change's latest shipment is in transit to it's home in the Wuparo Conservancy. This bicycle empowerment center (BEC) will be unique as it will serve the local villages as well as rent bicycles to the nearby lodge. The BEC will also include craft center and will work with locals. The pictures below are of a storage shelter that was recently built at the sight of the BEC!

Award-winning tour operator Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure travel standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, announces that $200 on each Africa safari booking through its company in 2013 will benefit Wheels of Change, a non-profit created by owner Dan Austin in 2011, that was recently granted 501c3 status

Fourteen Namibian officials, almost 400 bicycles, a Billings-based nonprofit and a local adventure tourism company. What sounds like something that could quickly turn into a pair of tricky distance-and-division math problems actually focuses on just a single number: one.

Billings based humanitarian organization Wheels of Change http://www.wocinternational.org/, that brings empowerment and mobility to the people of rural Africa through donated bicycles has teamed up with Zoo Montana to help fill a shipping container targeted for delivery to the Wuparo Conservancy in the Caprivi region of Namibia. The public is invited from now until the container is full, to drop off donated mountain bikes at the zoo and in return receive a free pass for admission.

How did you begin getting involved with shipping bikes to Africa?

Great question. Our involvement with collecting and shipping bikes to Africa started last year. Here at Austin-Lehman we just purchased a new fleet of tour bikes and had 120 high quality used mountain bikes we needed to do something about. Paul and I decided we should look for something rewarding to do to utilize our old fleet, which had served us well. I started “googling around” and soon found an organization in Namibia; BEN Namibia (Bicycle Empowerment Network) and a fellow named Michael Linke.....

Travel + Leisure magazine announced on Oct. 19, 2011, that tour operator, Austin-Lehman Adventures (http://www.austinlehman.com/), is a recipient of its 2011 Global Vision Award. ALA is the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and most recently, Cuba

Award-winning tour operator Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA -http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure tours standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and beyond, is honoring National Bike Month with a $200 donation to Wheels of Change, a non-profit charity, in the name of each person booking one of their dedicated biking tours during the month of May.

by Donna Healy of the Billings Gazette

This spring, old bicycles taking up space in garages across Billings can help improve the lives of impoverished Africans.In Africa, a bicycle can enhance access to health care, education and jobs, said Dan Austin, a Billings bike enthusiast.