Pikala
Pikala is a non-profit association founded in 2016 in Marrakech, by Cantal Bakker. Pikala's vision is to promote the use of bicycles for a healthy lifestyle and create inclusive and sustainable cities.
Overview of the project
1- Acting for civil society – We focus our activities on the citizen, placing social action at the heart of our initiative. Our aim is to make cycling accessible to everyone, by setting up programmes to raise awareness and educate people about the benefits of this sustainable mode of transport. By encouraging the adoption of cycling by a broad cross-section of the population, we are strengthening the social fabric and contributing to a better quality of life for all.
2- A strong business model – We are striving to create financial independence for our project. By working with a variety of players, we are developing partnerships that provide financial support for our initiative, while integrating the cycling solution into the city’s economic fabric. This strategy guarantees Pikala’s long-term financial viability and encourages the adoption of cycling as an economically attractive mode of transport. We also offer eco-tour and bike hire services to finance our activities.
3- Advocacy for soft mobility – We work closely with government to influence public policy in favour of cycling. Our aim is to achieve a lasting impact on environmental awareness, infrastructure and road safety. We advocate investment in safe and efficient cycling infrastructure, while raising awareness among citizens and authorities of the environmental, social and economic benefits of cycling. In this way, we are helping to create an environment where cycling is not only accepted, but also encouraged by urban policies.
Pikala's aim is to ensure that young people can work, learn and play safely by bike, and to create inclusive and sustainable cities.
Ongoing research
19/05/2016 - project still in progress
Pikala has created 30 decent jobs
80 young people a year follow Pikala’s training courses in mechanics or eco-tourism
125 young girls a year take part in Pikala bike courses
Since 2019, 2,000 children have taken part in road safety courses organised by Pikala
14 free bicycle repair days have been organised
2 seminars have been held to raise public awareness of soft mobility and sustainable development
In 2016, Pikala took part in COP 22 and was commissioned by various Moroccan authorities to become the main player in promoting ecotourism in the Marrakech region in order to create employment opportunities for young people. The project has had a positive impact on sustainable mobility, and the eco-tourism activities proposed by Pikala have been very well received by our partners such as TUI and the Royal El Mansour.
Through donations or calls for projects
the public sector supports us: The Wilaya of Marrakech, the Dutch Ministry,
as well as the private sector: TUI, Royal el Mansour, DHL, Decathlon...
Our bike hire and eco-tour services in Marrakech
organisation
Pikala is a non-profit association founded in 2016 in Marrakech, by Cantal Bakker. Pikala’s vision is to promote the use of bicycles for a healthy lifestyle and create inclusive and sustainable cities. As such, our missions revolve around a number of complementary areas:
1) Creating educational and employment opportunities for young people through training courses
2) Improving sustainable mobility and promoting eco-tourism by offering eco-tour services
3) Protect the historic city centre from polluting traffic by lobbying local authorities.
4) Raising citizens’ environmental awareness through awareness-raising events.
We have built up a strong local and international network of associations to extend our scope of action and advocacy: ESPOD association, FES, Heinrich Boll Stiftung, RVO, Dutch Cycling Embassy, FIA Foundation, project soar, dar moustaqbel, le grand atlas, etc.