Chukudu
African kick scooters
The chukudu (or chikudu, chokoudou, tshukudu) is a two-wheeled handmade vehicle used in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is made of wood, and is used for transporting cargo.
The chukudu generally has an angular frame, two small wheels (often of wood, sometimes wrapped with rubber), handlebars, and a pad for the operator to place their knee on while propelling the vehicle with their leg. On a descent, the rider stands on the deck like a kick scooter. On flat ground, the rider can put one knee on the deck and push the ground by the other foot like a knee scooter.
Rubber mud flaps and shock absorber springs may be added.
History
Chukudus were first invented in 1972 by Pedro Sarracayo in North Kivu, during the difficult economic times under Mobutu Sese Seko. According to The Economist, they were "apparently invented in the 1970s by farmers on the mountain slopes around Goma to take produce downhill".
In 2008, chukudus were selling for US$100 with a cost of materials of nearly US$60. Similarly, in 2014 they cost $50 to $100 and were used to earn up to $10 per day, in an area where most people live on less than $2 per day.
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This entry incorporates text from “Chukudu” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.