Do You Want To Help This Start Up Mobility Business In Tanzania?

Archy Gomba, Founder and Director of the Shirati for Active Rehabilitation and Development Organization (SARDO), aims to promote the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of life in Tanzania. As an adult with a physical disability, an arm amputated below the elbow, Archy grew up understanding how disability can create barriers to getting an education, getting a job or being accepted in the community. During the summer of 2019, Archy was invited to participate in the Professional Fellowship Program on Inclusive Disability Employment, which was supported by: U.S. Department of State, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD); ICI-UMass Boston; and by Humanity & Inclusion. This professional fellowship supported Archy during his five weeks of residencies in different States, where he learned about disability rights, small business development and employment inclusion.

Archy came to Berkeley, California and learned about: local and international disability organizations; disability inclusive community support services; adaptive sports programs; as well as small shop wheelchair manufacturing. In the summer of 2019, Archy obtained a Whirlwind RoughRider wheelchair to take back to Tanzania with him, since he wanted to learn how to set up a RoughRider wheelchair workshop in his home village. After returning home and getting married, Archy saw the need to create a business, which makes and sells solar powered and handcycle tricycles, which would greatly help local persons who have limited mobility become more independent and be able to start a business or get an education.

So Archy developed a prototype of a solar powered electric tricycle, using locally available parts from friends. With a little technical assistance from Whirlwind, Archy successfully created in his workshop a solar tricycle prototype, using 26 inch bicycle wheels, including: an iron chassis, a 15W solar panel, a 24V motor and lithium batteries. Parts that were locally available from friends in Tanzania cost him $299, not including labor or the solar panel.

In addition, Archy has created a handcycle tricycle, which is less expensive, in order to meet the mobility needs of persons with disabilities who do not have much money. Local people have been watching as he constructed his prototypes of solar powered and handcycle tricycles and many people have said that they wanted to buy one. Archy has identified the parts that he wants to purchase from China in order to make larger quantities of these solar tricycles for sale and he wants to expand his workshop business in order to begin selling handcycle and solar powered tricycles and to be able to sell his tricycles in other cities. If you wish to financially or mechanically help Archy finish his prototypes and go to the next stage of of his business by making larger quantities of these tricycles for sale, please contact him:

Archy E. Gomba
Shirati, Kabwana, P. O. Box 9, Rorya-Mara, Tanzania
Phone: +255-75-849-7292
Email: archygo@gmail.com