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There are the usual reasons to go on a bike tour and then there are the reasons you cycle with AfriRoots, a home-grown Tanzanian biking organization with a social conscious. The tour, appropriately named Dar Reality Tour, takes namely tourists, members of the ex-pat community and an increasing number of government officials, through impoverished neighborhoods, and to important local sites and establishments. The tour single-handedly creates pathways between people of different walks-of-life, cultures and even countries.
“That’s the whole point,” said AfriRoots founder and guide, Mejah (Frederick) Mbuya. “I wanted people to see what they would not have ordinarily. I also wanted them to tour local establishments and sites as a way to bring business to the community. They [cyclists] can also think about what they’ve seen and how to improve it—some of my clients even have the power to influence decision makers.”
Last year, unsuspecting 42-year-old Jean-Marc Falconnet of Geneva, Switzerland and his partner, took perhaps the ride of their lives when they signed-up. “In one day, I can say I was not the same after, as I was before.”
“In the past, I have helped people but mostly financially,” explained Falconnet. “I said to myself that I would prefer to give money by investing it in a project where people can learn to better themselves.
“I was impressed by Mejah and the way he cared about the people, offering advice, giving money and time. I was amazed at how connected he was to the community and I felt he could make a change and be the link to the people,” added Falconnet.
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Mejah is a multi-talented, dynamic, entrepreneur, community organizer, presenter, environmentalist, youth activist, cyclist campaigner, avid cyclist and artist-painter. He holds a BA Hons in Economics and Sociology from the University of Dar es Salaam and has worked with an impressive variety of organizations.on.
Jean-Marc has had a long career in information technology service, both with small start-ups and multi-national companies such as Reuters or SITA. He is currently employed as an account manager for a renowned private bank in Geneva. Jean-Marc has experience in film making and website creation. He is a skilled photography amateur and jazz fanatic. Jean-Marc, originally from Guadeloupe, was born and bred in Switzerland.
Sia has over 15 years professional experience in marketing, communications and public relations. She works in Switzerland as a Web projects manager. She holds a BA Hons in Social Anthropology from the University of Sussex. Sia is of Tanzanian origin and regularly visits her family there.
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$125 per month In total, I home approximately 150,000 shillings a month (not including expenses), which is equivalent to approximately $125 dollars.s place.
Coffee experience So many people in the middle class here don’t drink coffee or drink from imported brands so if we produce a quality product, we may be able to cater to a part of the market being missed
Garbadge The people throw garbage and waste into the river because they have no alternative place to dispose of it.