Good NewsPedal power in Guatemala pumps water and grinds coffee beans
Maya Pedal is a Guatemalan NGO that converts old bikes donated from Canada and the United States into "bicimáquinas" (bike machines).
Since 1997, the organization has used these simple electricity-free machines to help locals perform tasks like grinding corn, pumping water, depulping coffee beans and shelling nuts.
"These machines make a world of difference to local small businesses, which don't need to rely on or pay for undependable electricity, and are relieved of difficult and time consuming manual labor," TreeHugger's Alex Davies writes.
Worldwide Cycling Atlas produced a short film that celebrates the work of Maya Pedal:
Want to build your own bicimáquina? Find the instructions for some of the Maya Pedal models here.
