The chukudu (or chikudu, cbokoudou, tshukudu) is a two-wheeled handmade vehicle used in the east of the

Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. It is made of

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

, 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 A kick scooter (also referred to as a push-scooter or scooter) is a human-powered street vehicle with a handlebar, deck, and wheels propelled by a rider pushing off the ground with their leg. Today the most common scooters are made of aluminum, ...

. On flat ground, the rider can put one knee on the deck and push the ground by the other foot like a

knee scooter A knee scooter or knee walker is a two, three or four-wheeled alternative to crutches or a traditional walker as an ambulation aid. It is known by many other names, such as knee coaster, knee cruiser, knee caddy, orthopaedic scooter, or leg ...

. Rubber mud flaps and shock absorber springs may be added.

History

Chukudus first appeared in the 1970s in

North Kivu North Kivu (french: link=no, Nord-Kivu) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Goma. North Kivu borders the provinces of Ituri to the north, Tshopo to the northwest, Maniema to the s ...

, during the difficult economic times under Mobutu Sese Seko. In 2008, chikudus 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. A 2014 article estimated a cost of about US$150, which a driver could pay off in about six months, earning $10–20 per day.

Construction

Goma Goma is the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the Albertine Rift, the ...

, where chukudus form the "backbone of the local transportation system", chukudus are made of hard mumba wood and

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

wood, with scrap tires for wheel treads. These chukudus take one to three days to build, and last two to three years. The most commonly used size is about six and a half feet long, and carries a load of 1000 lbs. However, "the largest chukudus can carry up to 800 kilograms of weight." A small chukudu can be built in about three hours, using dimensional lumber and materials available in a hardware store. The chukudu is customizable to carry different types of cargo. To haul firewood some chukudus have a hole drilled in the middle of the sitting deck, and the operator can insert a stick to hold firewood in place. Others have a large basket to carry various loads.

References

External links

Chukudus in Goma - YouTubeShort video
from the BBC
Chukudus of Goma
*{{Cite web, url=https://makezine.com/projects/chukudu-wooden-scooter/, title=Build a Wooden Scooter That Can Haul Hundreds of Pounds, date=2015, website=Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers, language=en, access-date=2019-02-20 Bicycles Human-powered vehicles Rwandan culture Transport in Rwanda Democratic Republic of the Congo culture Transport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

History

Construction

See also

References

External links