Category Archives: bicycles
A 23-year Relationship with Fiji
by David Schweidenback
Fall 2015
One of the things about Pedals for Progress that makes us most proud is the tenure of commitment we share with our partners overseas. Indeed, our oldest partner, EcoBici, in Rivas, Nicaragua, has been receiving shipments regularly since 1992: in the last 23 years, we’ve delivered 24,214 bikes and 182 sewing machines there.
After Nicaragua, the second nation that we shipped bicycles to was Fiji back in 1993. In those days the port facilities had not been improved since World War II and the cranes were only capable of lifting 20-foot containers. Between 1993 and 2002, we made six shipments of bicycles to Fiji totaling 1,012 bicycles.
The program started out as a Junior Achievement Project and has been continuing ever since. Percy Navolo, the director of the Nadi Cycling Club, dedicated himself to the sport of cycling and the promotion of cycling in Fiji. Indeed, even more than the distribution of bikes and the promotion of cycling in general, Percy has engaged at risk youth into the sport of cycling by training them to be bicycle mechanics.
We had not heard from Percy in over a decade but he wrote to us this summer expressing his desire to receive another container of bicycles to push the program forward again. Beyond training youth, Percy is keenly aware of the daily stress on the many Fijians who lack basic transportation. The Nadi Cycling Club will use the bicycles in the training of its students but also will distribute the bicycles to the general local population as basic transportation.
Percy had saved up a little over half of the cost of shipping the 40-foot container. The Friends of Fiji, a national organization of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Fiji, has once again stepped up to the plate with funding to help with the shipping costs. So, too, has the Clif Bar Family Foundation, whose financial support has made Pedals for Progress more nimble, agile, and flexible over the last 10 years. Their assistance greatly extends the reach of Pedals for Progress and has allowed many more containers to reach those in need.
While the majority of the bikes were collected for Pedals for Progress by service clubs such as Rotary, religious institutions, and state agencies, 140 bikes in this shipment were collected by the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (GMRPCV). This unplanned bonus closes the circle for Peace Corps involvement in all phases of the Pedals for Progress program: collection, consolidation, shipping, and distribution. The Green Mountain RPCVs held their annual Pedals for Progress bicycle collection in late September. The third goal of the Peace Corps is to take what you learned while serving and continue the mission. I, as a former Peace Corps volunteer, take the third goal very seriously and have dedicated my life to economic development in the Developing World. So two organizations in the United States, GMRPCV and P4P, while pursuing the third goal of the Peace Corps, will have a dramatic impact on the first goal of the Peace Corps, which is to create positive change. It is so satisfying when it all comes together.
So today, October 24th, 2015, we loaded a container with 440 bicycles and 68 sewing machines bound for Fiji. A special thank you to the Vineland and Westfield Rotary clubs in New Jersey, the Middletown Rotary Club in Delaware, and the Newtown Rotary Club in Pennsylvania, who kindly donated the volunteer effort to collect the bikes and sewing machines that allowed this shipment to happen. The shipment, while a small drop in a very big bucket of need, will allow at least 500 families to help themselves with sustainable basic transportation and many more with sewing machines. That is all they ever ask for, a helping hand, not a hand out.
Klodi, a New Bike Owner in Albania
by Ened Mato
Fall 2015 InGear
Pedaling towards freedom… This is a story about a 7-year-old boy named Klodi. Because of a vendetta initiated by his father and the resulting threats from another family, Klodi has lost his opportunity to go to school and to learn basic mathematics and how to read and write. Klodi is one of 70 similar children who share the same isolation from society and isolation from opportunities.
Ecovolis donated the first 3 bikes to these children in the Malesia and Madhe region of Albania. The Malesia and Madhe region is in the far northwest of Albania, about 100 miles from the capital, Tirana, where the P4P partner Ecovolis runs the bike sharing program described in the Summer 2011 InGear newsletter. The Malesia and Madhe region is home to about 40,000 of the 3 million people of Albania. The region lies on the Albanian border with Montenegro. To the west lies the Adriatic Sea, which separates Albania from the bootheel of southeastern Italy.
We’ve had a very positive reaction from the community and the media, so we decided to expand our program to the children of 20 other families who remain confined to their homes because of vendettas.
What we saw when we visited these families was really different from what we usually see on TV, as this subject has been covered by the media in Albania many times. We knew of difficult living conditions; what we learned was that not only were the situations unchanged for many years but that children were under even more pressure than we thought. Not only did the families have little to no access to education. The children were also robbed of their childhood in other ways, because a majority of the families had little to no income and they could not afford the simplest of toys.
We were accompanied by a local volunteer teacher, Liljana Luani, who teaches these children basic reading skills and math. She told us many details of how these families lived and survived; it was really sad how little was done for them.
We talked to many children. Most of them, because they had no social life, were terribly withdrawn. They spent all day with their families but they made no friends and were eager to do something new. They did not know that we were coming to visit, and you could see the surprise and pleasure in their eyes to meet new people and receive a gift most loved by children, this small symbol of freedom – a bicycle. We spent some time with each of them in order to learn their names, ages, and daily routines. But they could not take their eyes off the bikes. Even though the Malesia and Madhe region is very near Shkodra, which historically is the Albanian bike capital, half of the children didn’t know how to ride a bike. We helped them with the basics and did our best to equip and modify the bikes to the needs and pleasures of the children.
We had a very positive reaction to our social programs. The media drew attention to the problem once more, but the coverage was different: this time there were more smiles. As we made clear on every single occasion, we know the needs of these children are big and various. If we could, we would do more, give more. Equipping these children with bikes is a pleasure for us, because it’s a pleasure for them.
We are talking with Liljana about giving sewing machine to some of the mothers so they can create handicrafts to sell and raise their income. We will let you know the details as our plans evolve.
Letter from Fiji
Bula Vinaka, Greetings from Fiji
Between 1993 and 2002 we were lucky enough to receive six shipments totaling 1012 bicycles from Pedals for Progress. We were very successful reaching at-risk youth, teaching them basic mechanics and instilling in them a love for cycling.
Due to a variety of reasons both personal and political I was not able to keep the program going. Now I hope to reinvigorate the program for the benefit of all Fijians and have petitioned Pedals for Progress for our sixth shipment of bicycles.
The beautiful Fiji Islands are well known for their unique tropical scenery, tasty food, and eco-friendly life-style, but Fiji is still a developing country. Systems and life-style aren’t diverse compared to other countries.
To help establish a solid foundation I would like to introduce cycling as a major event.
The program I would like to highlight mainly targets unemployed youth and settlers in rural areas. As an example, consider our sugar cane farmers. Many travel quite a distance to their work fields, working long hours and earning a gross salary of $100 U.S. a week.
As a volunteer, I live day by day and cover expenses with my own earnings. I do not receive government grants nor have any major sponsors, but due to my love of cycling, I do my best to maintain the bikes. I conduct workshops on topics such as the importance of healthy living, safety and fitness, reasons for cycling, rules of the road, and cycling skills and techniques. I have average turnouts and a good number of trainees and cyclists but do not have enough equipment.
We have very dedicated youths who hold great pride in this sport, but cannot afford bicycles. Receiving another container will give some employment to the youth who are studying mechanics by rebuilding the bikes for the general population, fulfill the needs of the youth who wish to compete on bicycles and also grant mobility to many workers who need basic transportation. Now that Pedals for Progress also ships sewing machines, this would give valuable work opportunities to even more people. It is my ardent hope that the people of the United States will once more aid me in helping my fellow countrymen by donating bicycles and sewing machines so that I can receive a container this autumn.
Vinaka Vakalevu
Percival Epeli Navolo
U.S.A.
Guatemala Update
Spring 2015 InGear
San Jose Artesanas
There is a small town in Cimaltenango, a department of Guatemala, where a group of 17 housewives and mothers have changed their fortunes. San José Poaquil is an isolated area and the residents of this municipality have little opportunity for economic and educational improvement. Still, one particular woman named Marta had the initiative to work for change. Under her guidance, the local women learned the craft of sewing and began to create and market blouses that are typical of their region.
They began with only one sewing machine to share among them. The success of the sales of these blouses enabled them to save enough so that they, through FIDESMA and P4P, could acquire more machines. Each blouse brings in about Q50.00 or Q100.00 (Guatemalan Quetzals), which is enough to improve their ability to get better food and other important resources for their families, which consist of anywhere from 3 to 9 children. Access to these sewing machines will eventually lead to long-term opportunities as these women continue to establish themselves as artists and businesswomen.
Abner Ottoniel Siquinajay Popol
Abner has a small family since his father abandoned them when he was only eight months old and his older brother was two years old. The child’s mother, whose name is Reyna Elizabeth Siquinajay, works in a tortilla company, where she earns very little and not enough to pay for the education of her children. Therefore Abner has worked as a shoeshine boy since he was 7 years old. He works during the evenings in the park and in the different houses of the village. Abner received the donation of a BMX bike from the FIDESMA Foundation to increase his mobility so that he could complete more work in his evenings. With support from Pedal for Progress, FIDESMA has received 15 containers of bicycles, parts, and sewing machines for sale since 1999. Most of the bicycles and sewing machines are sold at low cost; however occasionally for cases like Abner’s the bicycle is donated. It is a special case of a child working in the evenings to pay for school in the morning at the National Urban Mixed School September 15. It is admirable that a human being at such a young age can take responsibility and desire to excel as this boy of just 12 years, whose dream is to some day graduate Master of Primary Education.
Frontier Tourism in Moldova
by Alex Gutsaga
Spring 2015 InGear
Did you know that the #1 wine country in the world is still unknown? Imagine a friendly country, where everyone is eating fresh organic food, drinking clean domestic wine from grapes they have grown themselves, and all the local traditions are about hospitality and making guests happy—this is Moldova!
Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe, with a population of about 3 million people. In 2014, Lonely Planet stated that it was the “least visited” country in Europe, and second-to-last visited in the world. In 2014 Moldova was visited by less than 5 thousand real tourists; it is practically unknown by international tourists and is considered “off the beaten path”.
Moldovans usually have 2 houses in their garden. The first is old and small where the grandparents usually live and the second is new and much larger, about 5–7 times larger than first house. If you were to ask any tourist in which of these houses they thought people lived they would say, “Of course, in the large one”. But the same question asked of locals will show the opposite response: “Of course, in the small one”. The larger, new house is wasted!
We have decided to develop tourism in Moldova and at the same time help local people to rent their houses to tourists on a daily basis. We have 260 houses available for online booking in 60 different villages. All together there are about 2300 person/places to stay overnight. The project is called Hai la Țară, which in Romanian means: let’s go to the countryside. Most of the home owners are pensioners, receiving pensions of about $40–$50 a month.
Membership in our guest-house chain allows them to earn additional money for their living. Competitive per-person lodging and meal fees allow them to make another 2–3 pensions each month without any effort. It was enough to bring just a few tourists to these homes and the whole village knew about the opportunity to make money! In a short time each village has seen about 5–10 additional houses registered in the system. Tourists now have an opportunity to choose a place to stay according to available conditions and client reviews. Competition in the village makes a tectonic impact: local people start to make repairs inside their houses by installing toilets and hot-water showers. In the garden they put ethnic pieces from our local culture: cart wheels, jars of clay, handmade carpets, and so on.
Moldova is the largest per capita wine-grape growing country in the world. At a time when local people in France are prohibited to grow grapes and make wine, in our country it is the national culture! Every homeowner has their own cellar full of wine and a variety of conserved natural products. The food here is very delicious and hospitality is a part of our culture.
There is a need and desire to develop tourism in this country. But the number one problem that we face is this—what is there to do in the countryside? There are only a limited number of developed tourist attractions in the countryside. This is the reason why many of our customers do not stay longer than a few days. We need to have more tourist attractions. That’s why we are working on a new project called www.attractionsbylocals.com. It will allow local people to rent their boat, bicycle, or swimming pool; and even offer a culinary tour or wine-making tour along with many other offers made by locals.
Moldova is an excellent country for cycling tourism. Using our chain of guest houses, we could offer tours or bicycle rental for international tourists. With this perspective the bicycles from Pedals for Progress could be the just the right seed to bring thousands of tourists to Moldova and help local people earn a better income. With more bicycles we could create more attractions in the countryside, and create the opportunity for those living in the countryside to have more tourists.
We have already had tourists from 19 countries, including the U.S.A., Mexico, Chile, Canada, Australia, and even 2 groups from Japan! All of them enjoyed their vacations here! We invite all of you to spend a few weeks in Moldova—a most excellent country to be explored by bicycle!
Iowa Update
by Tim Weitzel
Spring 2015 InGear
For the second time, Dave has asked me to write an update on the “Iowa operation”. I would report that P4P in Iowa is very much a mixed bag as we begin the 2015 collection season. On one hand, we are enthusiastic, have established a recognizable “brand”, have many supporters, and the supply of used bikes and volunteers is deep. On the other hand, we do not have a “trucker” at this time!!!
Looking back 10 years, I now understand Dave’s business-like approach to moving bikes. At the time, I was young, more naïve, and certainly blindly idealistic. Our biggest hurdle is to find transport for the 929 miles from Dubuque to High Bridge, New Jersey. So we are not going to give up. Our volunteers, our sponsors, and our supporters in Iowa are 100% committed to the work of P4P. Yes, we are idealistic out here in the Heartland. Somehow, I believe we will have the big wheels rolling east again in 2015 with lots of bikes onboard.
Thanks, Dave, P4P staff, and all the P4P supporters for your trust and belief in the Iowa Connection
Costa Rica Update
Spring 2015 InGear
Carlos Camacho lives at the bottom of the hamlet in Dulce Nombre de Coronado, Costa Rica. He works in the workshop of a flag factory located near Coronado. He put a basket on his bicycle so he could begin to deliver vegetables and fruit to some of the families that are along his route on his way to work. Some of the fruit and vegetables are from his own garden and others he buys the day before. He manages to generate a little income while he is commuting, which he puts towards the cost of his five-year-old daughter’s education. The bicycle allows him to manage to drop off the vegetables and fruit to several households on his way to work.
Martha Bejarano raised her daughter alone doing needlework. She lives in Aguas Zarcas of Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica, in a very humble village. At great cost she is sending her daughter to school to become a professional, so now she is caring for her granddaughter. The daughter gave her a better P4P sewing machine with more stitches, so she can be more productive while her granddaughter is at school. She now lives much happier because one needs to save. She learned to operate the new machine almost immediately and it is allowing her to be more productive and do more work. Now her dream is to improve the kitchen and the refrigerator of her humble cottage with the added income she is earning.
Javier Baldivia and his family live in the district of Los Guidos in the heavily populated canton (much like a county) of Desamparados, Costa Rica. In this urban environment, Javier and his wife work hard to maintain a steady income in order to afford both the basics for the family and school for their older two children. Construction is his main occupation but, as in many places, the work varies as much as the demand. He waits for his boss to let him know where and when to be at a job and needs to be able to get to the assigned location as quickly as possible.
Not only does he compete with Costa Ricans for work, but he must also contend with the enormous influx of other Nicaraguans looking for a better life and steady wages. The ownership of a single bicycle has enabled Javier to remain reliable and, thus, competitive in a congested world of surplus able bodies. As a bonus, on weekend mornings, he can also make use of his bicycle to run errands for the family, such as shopping with his daughter at a “Pulpería” to buy cheese and bread for their breakfast.
As our American cities embrace bicycle commuting and sharing as a new (much needed) trend, people like Javier have known for some time that two wheels mean much more than less traffic and good exercise. Bicycles are the most economical and efficient tool for many people of many incomes to keep their families secure and their environment healthy.
Albania Update
by Ened Mato
Spring 2015 InGear
It has been a frenzy driven period for us. In between the activities we are organizing many society projects and we are preparing for many more.
I am more than happy to tell you about Kidical Mass, which is a younger version of Critical Mass, and it has been a success for parents and children alike. The weather here is also very harsh on bikers but as soon as it gets a bit warmer and a bit less rainy we will return with this project as it was a wonderful occasion for parents to spend time with their children while doing something fun along the way. There was a significant participation in our last events in the year 2014 and we are constantly told how eagerly people await the return of these events in 2015. Participation was enabled by the many and many children’s bikes you sent us, and we really hope to draw attention to these bikes because not only they are (probably) the most entertaining gifts for a child but also the healthiest.
I must thank you for the sewing machines. We are currently putting them to use in a small project for a small economic empowerment of families in the north of Albania, where conditions are difficult to live and survive. As soon as we get some results and individual perspectives of the project, I’ll let you know and maybe we can include those in the newsletter.
Also I want to tell you of a very important project for us. We are currently totally engaged to make it work. With the sales of the last 2 months from the bikes (and of months ahead) we are working to plant 1000 trees near a landfill site called Sharra, with the hope of a better environment for the adjacent villages and the general area where the fumes from the landfill make living hard. “Plant Your Tree” and Ecovolis have the motivation to make this work. Phase One is three days away with a first step of 1000 trees, and based on the participation we get we are going to plan and go all the way until we hit the target of 1500 trees (and who knows how many more later). Soon enough I’ll have some photographic material to send to you so you can also give impressions and include it in the newsletter.
There have also been smaller scaled projects but with a considerable success upon drawing attention of the public towards a greener living in general and biking in a more specific manner.
Best regards,
Ened