Our Plan & Partnership
In November of 2022, we announced our plans to partner with Beast Philanthropy to rebuild an orphanage for a deserving bunch of kiddos. We're thrilled to share the progress that's been made with the project so far!
There are 153 million orphans worldwide, many of whom need access to the simple pleasures we often take for granted, including electricity and running water.
The Story
Our team here at Lectric eBikes strives to support the goodness in the world, so we joined forces to get this renovation started last year. The unique and moving story from Baphumelele Children's Home in Khayelitsha, South Africa made decision to help easy.
Thirty years ago, an abandoned baby was left on "Mama Rosie's" doorstep, and from that day forward, she earned a reputation as someone who had too much of a heart to turn any child away. Mama Rosie has saved 5,330 children who otherwise wouldn't have made it without her.
Despite Mama Rosie's dedication and hard work to keep the orphanage in great shape to provide water, food, and shelter to the children, the Health Department deemed it unfit to house the orphans, and they threatened to shut it down.
The roofing used to build the orphanage was made of asbestos because it was known to be highly fire-resistant and affordable. Asbestos has since been made illegal because it's highly toxic and exposure to the chemical can cause cancer and other health complications.
Mama Rosie notes that "every day was a struggle" after hearing from the Health and Safety Department, but she kept persevering through each one hoping that someone would come and help them.
To Mama Rosie's pleasant surprise, Beast Philanthropy heard about her story and showed up at her doorstep wanting to help. They got straight to work to get Mama Rosie's pride and joy up to code again.
The priority from the very start of this project was to keep Mama Rosie's legacy alive and continue to help thousands of children. The plan called for building 12 homes including electricity, toilets, and fresh running water. In addition to these things, everything from staff to providing healthy food for every child was subsidized.
When our team here at Lectric eBikes heard about this awesome project, we reached out to let them know that we wanted to help in any way possible. As our customers already know, we donate $250 from every eBike purchased on Giving Tuesday to the project.
We ended up doubling our financial commitment to the project due to its higher-than-predicted cost. Making the decision to double our contribution was easy after hearing Mama Rosie's inspiring testament and knowing that thousands of deserving kids would have a bright future with these new resources.
We are absolutely stoked to watch the progress of these 12 homes, and we're already looking forward to more partnerships in the near future. Here's to Mama Rosie, and here's to the kiddos!
Watch the full video above to hear from Mama Rosie!
Project Update
The orphanage rebuild was completed in mid-2023, and Mama Rosie's reaction to the project is unmatched! Watch the kids celebrate with her and see the space for yourself in the video below.