Rural villages that are isolated from basic infrastructures such as electricity supply have a particular disadvantage in the digital age. Despite the giant strides made via mobile telephony these villages are still beset by simple problems such as charging their mobile phones.

The village bicycle (VB) concept addresses this problem as well as several other related problems and provides a holistic green community development solution. The VB is a mobile village green providing up to a dozen different services depending on the needs of the local population.

The VB is a trailer that attaches to a standard bicycle. The trailer contains several rechargeable batteries, these batteries are charged in two ways; by kinetic energy generated through pedaling the bicycle while mobile, and by solar panels whilst stationary.

The trailer opens in a table like fashion whereby the solar panels are unfolded to capture the suns energy and the center of the trailer transforms into a kiosk.

The trailer is equipped with several devices dependent on the needs of the region including mobile phone charging, tool sharpening, pay phone, Micro banking, photograph printing ,airtime sales, distribution of health products/ information and demographic statistics collecting.

The trailer is designed to easily set up in rural locations and in the advent of the batteries running low while set up, the bicycle can raise its tires off the ground and can be peddled to generate additional energy.

The technology utilized is 100% green with a zero carbon footprint. The batteries are recharged via energy from peddling the bicycle and through low-cost photovoltaic solar panels. The VB can be operated by between 1 and 4 people depending on the facilities and the usage.

The packaging of multiple services in a one-stop-shop forum effectively creates a magnetism towards the VB which allows it to leverage its presence and provide additional benefits such as selling advertising space on the VB and providing statistical information about areas often inadequately documented.
The VB project can easily be launched via branding opportunities and sponsorships from mobile phone operators incorporating corporate social responsibility and accessing corporate social investment budgets.

The availability of the VB service on a regular basis will dramatically increase the quality of life for the local residents as well as stimulate income generation by creating employment for VB operators.

Additionally this will have a knock-on effect in the region regarding economic development since it has been established that increased mobile phone accessibility leads to increased financial prosperity amongst ultra low income population groups.

As such the VB targets all aspects of the triple bottom line by improving quality of life, reducing carbon emissions and providing a self sustaining cash-flow-positive revenue model.