Design For Development is a Canadian nonprofit group that develops design concepts that aim to improve the living situation of those residing in developing companies. Currently, the group is working on bicycle ambulances for use in sub-Saharan Africa.

Patty sent me the information about this group, so I’ll let her tell you a bit about the organization and the project in her own words:

“Inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa live in a world where medical emergencies are made even more dangerous by the sheer distance of the nearest health care facility – sometimes up to several kilometers away. Currently, the most common means of transporting the sick and injured is through a network of people who take turns carrying the individual, known as a “stretcher group”. Design for Development, a Canadian-based organization founded by Niki Dun and Sue Fairburn, has come up with a solution through the design of bicycle ambulances that can be easily used throughout rural Africa in the transport of sick and injured people.

With the project currently underway in Nambia, DFD is looking to expand their design concepts into other regions of Africa.”

You can read more about this effort on Design For Development’s website. Interestingly, Cyclelicious mentioned a bicycle ambulance project in Nambia not long ago. The two projects do not appear to be related, but both point to the power of design to make a positive difference in the world.