Group 5 Bambike - Notes for social business PDF

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BAMBIKE

Bambike is a socio-ecological enterprise based in the Philippines that hand-makes bamboo bicycles with fair-trade labor and sustainable building practices. Our bamboo bike builders (aka Bambuilders) come from Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine based community development organization for the poor, working to bring an end to poverty. The famous and successful Bambike that has been tested for impact, fatigue and crashing and that is internationally certified by third party and incurred the international standard validated in United States and Europe along that it has been exporting since 2015, is really booming all over the country, yet before it became famous and successful, lets jump to the history first. Before the Bambike originally made in the Philippines, the Filipino-American founder “Bryan Benitez McCelland” did not made the Bambike in his first years in the country, instead he first serve as a volunteer in Gawad Kalinga helping sustainable community program, and because as a volunteer the need for livelihood in a community is quite big, and that’s the beginning of the idea of making Bambike came; along with that his brother is one of the investor and co-founder of the Bambike. According to Bryan, the Bambike was originally modeled in one of the project he attended in Africa that is intended for livelihood in such country, the said modeled according to Bryan can also be applicable to the Philippines so why not try it?. In process of Bambike, the said founder along with the 2 member of Gawad-Kalinga in Tarlac (Fred and Nel) and the other groups did invest 10,000 dollars for an international bambike maker in order to make the bike detailed, “THE WHOLE JOURNEY HAS NO SHORT CUT” and that includes Bryan speaking tagalog every day—since all bambuilders (bambike makers) speaks tagalog, and as a person he can’t speak tagalog fluently, he needs to practice such, in order for both parties understand what they wanted to convey. The said product has its own first workshop located in Victoria Tarlac in Inagawad Kalinga community. In the part of making the bambike, the founder first researches how many kinds of bamboos around the country (which is at least 70 kinds in the Philippines) and techniques to makes a bambike, this also includes where can they get a supply on bamboos around the country and today their bamboo is supplied mainly in Luzon. The bambike is made by three classes of bamboos namely: Bayog, Tinik and Buho, and connect those three classes with abaca fiber, the crucial part of making of the Bambike is that bamboos are dried for about two (2) months and “pinapausokan pa ito” in order not to be destroyed by insects (specifically termites), according to bambuilders, the said product cannot be done only in one day but in can be done in one whole week which is proudly done by handmade by all bambuilders.

But what makes Bambike so unique that the founder McClelland pushed through with this ideas; first, because it’s organic, Bambikes are crafted from “the greatest building material in the land,” says McClelland. “Bamboo has grown to be strong and pliable which in terms of uses of bike material it is very high performing, and as strong as steel, it is lightweight and beautiful naturally.” Unlike steel bikes that are mined, transported, and forged, thus containing a large carbon footprint, Bambikes are made of material that stabilizes soil and retain ground flooding. For its many environmental-friendly advantages, Bambikes are as (reasonably) pricey as bikes go: from P35,000 to P120,000. Each is made to order, with a production timeline lasting up to seven months. Second, it provides livelihood, the workers behind Bambikes are a Gawad Kalinga community in Victoria, Tarlac, all trained and skilled to produce quality. “We’re trying to improve all the designs. We are capable of producing 30 frames a month. We’re not always running a full production, autotyping, and experimenting,” McClelland says. The good thing about not falling for the mass production model? “We’re working towards building more scale of a bike models that eventually bring the price down.” Third, it’s fun, with our tours, we also teach you about history,” says McClelland. Bambike EcoTours holds two tours every day from Tuesday to Sunday. The tour lasts from an hour to two hours and 30 minutes, and costs at least P600 per person. The tour is not just available at the pre-war-built district. McClelland reveals, “We’re also making it more fun in BGC, wherein we’re working with BGC proper, Shangri-La Hotel, and Ascot Hotel and other partners to develop Bambike BGC art tours.” He likes seeing guests “becoming big kids again” once they’re on a Bambike. And lastly, Bambike keeps you fit, don’t let the bamboo material fool you. Every Bambike is sturdy, and can actually match the capacity of your steel bike. And so you can use it in the dirtiest and most difficult trails. McClelland stresses, “Biking beats traffic in Manila, keeps you fit. Long distance biking builds endurance. Sprints, mountain biking, and trail riding definitely help with basic circulation, cardio, and strength.” Bicycle has become a popular means of transportation these days by students, office employees or workers. Among the bicycle that catches the people’s attention is the bamboo bike. McClelland’s company, Bamb Ecological Technology Inc., made the bamboo bicycle, or Bambike, its “flagship product because, literally and figuratively, it served as our vehicle into the field of sustainable livelihood development.” Bamb ecological technology inc. supports the medical frontliners’ transportation needs in Manila, Quezon City, Pasig, and Iloilo through a rent a Bambike for Frontliners program. In fact, the advantages of riding a bike are evident. In ecological terms, the bike is one of the most environmentally-friendly modes of transport, and pedaling to get from here to there generate significant health benefits. Also, because it is bamboo made it is a super environmentally-friendly bike. By planting bamboo, farmers have been able to eliminate soil erosion where for every individual who rides a bike, there is less traffic, fewer CO2 emissions and more opportunities for an active lifestyle. But apart from the business prospects of this project, Climaco sees an underlying theme that makes this a truly Filipino product—“Kawayan is resilient. Filipinos are like that. And this is also about sharing the skills and sharing the opportunities.” The bambike does not only gives wonders of the social community and in the business world but also gives the benefit towards the bambuilders' families as well as the programs its connected with, and this connects to the employment of people (who actually in need for jobs), gives scholarships for children, feeding program and planet preservation. Hence, once an individual buy a bambike, they are not only getting themselves a good durable bike, but also helps other

individual's life to be better by purchasing one, in addition, purchasing a bike also gives the benefit for someone's health and life which is in line with the program of "Bantay Kalusugan". In today’s day and age, the growth of the entrepreneurial world is rapidly increasing. Successful entrepreneurs often create a gateway to exciting new innovations that could greatly enhance the way we live. The Bambike, is the proof of these innovations creating more job opportunities, helping our community and industry to flourish. Bambike shares the vision of a poverty free Philippines and contributes to the cause by hiring local villagers and providing them with sustainable livelihoods. This hip socio-ecological enterprise hires people in need to build bikes made from locally-sourced bamboo. Each of the craftsmen working at the Bambike Workshop came from a life of poverty. They worked hard jobs and found it difficult to earn enough money to feed themselves and their families. Because of the Bambike Workshop, their community is once again thriving and their lives have been greatly improved. It is also important to note that, we need not only to focus to the “people” but of course to our “planet”. The problem of global warming is worsening each and every day. To safeguard our environment for future generations, drastic action needs to be taken; else future generations will be left with to live on an Earth with a heavily damaged ecosystem. We all need to take steps to protect the environment and conserve our resources, and getting actively involved in social enterprise is a great way to start showing you care....