Fall 2006 InGear

Every day Santos uses his bicycle to travel the one-and-a-half kilometers from his house to his job at the local brick factory on the outskirts of San Antonio, Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Before he owned his bicycle, Santos had to walk to work as well as to his other activities. Now he moves easily from place to place without wasting time. He leaves work in the evening and still has enough time to get to his small farm and back home before dinner with his family. He even has more time on the weekends for socializing in the community and tending to his crops. Santos has also benefited from the bicycle mechanic course at FIDESMA. Over six months he learned everything he needed in order to maintain and repair his new bicycle. The standard of living for him and his family has already improved because of the bicycle he bought from FIDESMA.