Center of Bicycle Technology
Maya Pedal is a Guatemalan NGO based in San Andrés Itzapa. We accept bikes donated from the USA and Canada which we either recondition to sell, or we use the components to build a range of "Bicimaquinas", (pedal powered machines). Pedal power can be harnessed for countless applications which would otherwise require electricity (which may not be available) or hand power (which is far more effort). Bicimaquinas are easy and enjoyable to use. They can be built using locally available materials and can be easily adapted to suit the needs of local people. They free the user from rising energy costs, can be used anywhere, are easy to maintain, produce no pollution and provide healthy exercise. We make water pumps, grinders, threshers, tile makers, nut shellers, blenders (for making soaps and shampoos as well as food products), trikes, trailers and more.
In Guatemala
We have a busy workshop staffed by locals and by volunteers from around the World. As well as building Bicimaquinas, we offer a bike repair service and sell used bikes in the surrounding area. We also work with a number of local partners, NGO's, agricultural cooperatives and organic producers.
Internationally
We are supported by a number of international organizations and accept volunteers with a range of skills and interests. We are in the process of making our designs available globally, via downloadable fact sheets and step by step instructions. We aim to be a center of pedal power research and development and an information resource for NGO's promoting appropriate technology and small scale, sustainable agriculture.
History
We began in 1997, working with a group of Canadians from the organizationPEDAL. Following a vision for sustainable development in Guatemala, we became constituted under local control as Asociación Maya Pedal in 2001. http://www.mayapedal.org/machines.en
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