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Feb 20, 2007
"Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them." --Henry Ford
Riders for Health
Andrea and Barry Coleman share a passion for global health -- and motorcycles. On a visit to Africa the couple was struck by the number of broken-down motorcycles and vehicles they saw across the continent. When they witnessed a woman in labor being taken to the hospital in a wheelbarrow, they knew they had to do something to change the system. Together they founded Riders for Health, an organization that provides health care workers with motorcycles, excellent for Africa's rugged roads and terrain. They train local people to maintain vehicles, prevent breakdowns, and keep a supply of spare parts. They have also invented a vehicle they call the Uhuru (the Swahili word for "freedom") -- a motorcycle with a sidecar ambulance attached. Thousands of lives across the continent now have reliable access to medical care thanks to the Colemans' work.