by Ronald Ssekandi
KABALE, Uganda, July 2 (Xinhua) -- In one of Uganda's major bamboo forests in the southwestern district of Kabale, a piece of bamboo is picked out, cut down and taken to Noordin Kasoma's workshop for treatment against insects.
After a process of sun drying, cutting to the desired length and assembling in a few days then, the grass would be transformed into the frame of a bicycle.
The use of bamboo is not as strange as it might be in the cycling world. For Noordin Kasoma, a young entrepreneur in Uganda, the idea of handcraft bamboo bicycle frames was born out of his passion for cycling as well as his dream to make it more environmentally friendly.
In order to focus on his passion, Kasoma said goodbye to his electrical job and devoted himself to full time cycling. Through the journey, he met American bicycle frame designer and manufacturer Craig Calfee and learnt how to make bikes.
In 2013, Kasoma founded the company Boogaali Bicycles Limited, specializing in making bike frames out of bamboo grass. "Boogaali" is a portmanteau term of bamboo and "gaali," a word which means bicycle in the local Luganda language.
Kasoma said he chose to make bike frames with bamboo because the plant is strong, light, durable, and has the property of flexibility, which allows it to absorb shocks especially when people are riding off-road.
What's more, he said, bamboo can be easily found in the African country, grows fast and can be sustainably harvested.
Kasoma encouraged people to use bicycles more in their daily lives instead of choosing motorcycles and cars, help reduce air-pollution emissions and protect the environment.
To ensure sustainable supply of bamboo, he has also planted a bamboo forest in his home town Nakifuma in the central Ugandan district of Kayunga.
Besides the 100-percent handmade frames depending on clients' needs and specifications, bicycles from Kasoma's workshop come with a special Ugandan spin -- the joints of the frames are firmed up with bark cloth, a traditional clothing material extracted from the inner bark of the Ficus natalensis tree.
In a month, Kasoma, with the help of his colleague Mike Kisegerwa, could make around five bicycle frames. The products are subjected to several tests before being shipped to clients, mainly in Europe and the United States.
The production cost is around 350 U.S. dollars each. As bamboo bike frames become more popular worldwide, Kasoma plans to expand his business and transfer the skills.
He also wants to take advantages of the beautiful landscapes near Kabale to develop bicycle tourism and boost his business.
"My dream is to open up a vocation institution focusing on bamboo bicycles. I want to teach people how to make them," Kasoma said.
