1 of 7: Bicycles change lives

A mom assembles her first bike as a curious boy looks on.

When is a bicycle not just a bicycle?

If you're a mother of four who lives miles from the nearest school, church, or hospital, a bike can transform itself in seconds into a school bus, church van, taxi or even an ambulance, when necessary.

Through the work of two incredible non profit organizations, World Bicycle Relief, and Light Gives Heat, along with the inspiration of two bicycle enthusiasts, we witnessed firsthand the joy that a bicycle can bring to a group of working moms in Uganda.

Liz excels at distracting kids, which, after helping to load and unload the bikes, became our primary role,
while the moms learned to assemble and repair their new modes of transport.

Our day began in Jinja, home to the not for profit Light Gives Heat, an organization started by two of Liz's friends from Grand Junction (CO), Morgan, whom Liz has known since kindergarten, and her husband Dave.

The story of Light Gives Heat is an incredible one, as are the stories of all the women and families whose lives have been touched by this its amazing founders. It is certainly worth your time to check out the trailer for their award winning film Moving On.

The kids had never seen bubble wrap. The logo on the bike seats is for Buffalo Bikes. They're tough like water buffalo.

This particular day was a special day for the Suubi women, as this was the day they would finally receive their long awaited bicycles, which are the primary modes of transport for many Ugandans (if they can actually afford one).

Through an innovative savings program set up through LGH, the suubi women were able to set aside money from each paycheck towards the purchase of a bicycle. Those who signed up for the program raised half of the funds, and the other half was paid for through fundraising efforts of LGH and friends.

A bicycle recipient poses proudly with her bike.

Kip in kid-distraction mode.

The bicycles were purchased from World Bicycle Relief, and organization dedicated to improving lives in Africa by providing durable bicycles made for the rugged terrain of Africa.

And we felt so fortunate for the opportunity to see just a fraction of the work they do, firsthand. Empowerment in action is a beautiful thing.