Category Archives: bicycles

bicycles, Collectors

Turning Waste into Opportunities

by Liz Sweedy
Fall 2016 InGear

The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA) has hosted a used bike and sewing machine collection for 14 consecutive years since 2003. The Pedals for Progress collection program aligns with the MCMUA’s overall vision to reduce waste, reuse items, and build a culture for sustainability. In those 14 years, the MCMUA has collected over 3,676 bikes and 26 sewing machines through the programs run in conjunction with Pedals for Progress and Sewing Peace.

Some people may be turned off by the idea of working in the solid waste field. Trash, you ask? Yes, trash, litter (which is different from trash), recyclables, hazardous waste, and vegetative waste. A world of waste that is so wildly interesting, there is never a dull moment! I have worked for the MCMUA for over 20 years in the recycling division and I have learned a lot about the behavior of people and our obsession with throwing things ‘away’. Most people do not think about where their waste ends up, or how much energy, natural resources, pollutants and fossil fuels were used or created in the process of making these items and what it takes to properly dispose of them.

morriscountyrecyclingsep2016before

The solid waste hierarchy lists waste reduction at the very top. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a hierarchy which ranks various waste management strategies from most to least environmentally preferred. The hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling as key to sustainable materials management. It is important to purchase only items we really need. The second listing is reuse! It means to use again or more than once, give something a new purpose. Because we are a throw-away society it is difficult to get some people to understand the concept of reuse. Most of us want instant gratification by purchasing the latest, the biggest, the shiniest, the absolute BEST there is to buy, and quickly get rid of items that no longer suit our needs, wants or whims.

Thismorriscountyrecyclingsep2016after brings me to the lowly used bike standing on the curb, out for trash collection. It has a flat tire and a few scratches on the rear fender. It is not the prized possession it used to be when it was brand new. To the untrained eye it is a meager shadow of its former glory. Don’t judge this discarded bike that is out for trash. With a little elbow grease and a new tire this gem will become the new transportation for a student who currently walks 6 miles in order to get to school! It will provide the liberty and luxury to ride to school in less time than walking, and perhaps provide a ride to a passenger so he or she can avoid the long walk as well. Pedals for Progress, with the assistance of their partner agencies, delivers the chance of a lifetime to those who need it most. Some people don’t have any means of transportation and this opportunity can make such a positive impact on their lives.

bicycles, Guatemala

A Guatemala Success Story

Fall 2016 InGear

We regularly feature stories of our partners’ customers whose lives have been improved by a bicycle. Here’s a different kind of story: the story of a former employee of our good friends at FIDESMA, our partner in Guatemala, who hired a hard-working young man five years ago and supported him in a series of jobs of ever greater responsibility.

Byron Rodrigo Can Fernandez began working at FIDESMA at age 20. He rode a bike to work every day.

201601guatbyronworkingonbikes

He helped at the bike shop, starting with simple repairs and maintenance and learning more and more with time: assembling, disassembling, and refurbishing bikes – all aspects of bike mechanics.

Eventually he was appointed manager of the shop, in charge of accounts and billing as well as sales and repairs.

Byron promoted bicycles through the use of social media, posters, and advertising. He promoted bikes for reasons that P4P and its partners have emphasized since the beginning: bikes provide cheap, reliable, non-polluting, efficient transportation and exercise. On a bike, you can go farther and faster than on foot, to work or to school.

Byron201601guatbyronsellingbikeschimaltenango remembers how happy children were to be able to buy a bike with their own savings, how some of the riders became superb athletes in part because of their training on their bikes, how families were able to save money on transportation because they used bikes instead of taxis or buses.

Besides its bicycle operations, FIDESMA runs several other programs. In one of them, Byron taught computer skills to both students and teachers who had little or no previous experience with computers. He also helped with tech support for social projects, worked with rural communities, worked on medical outreach, and helped with job training for youth and the disabled.

Besides his work with FIDESMA, Byron continued his education in several different fields, earning credentials in industrial security, computer and industrial art, first aid, and natural and alternative medicine.

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Finally, Byron attended the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, the state university of Guatemala, and in 2015 received his law degree, a most unusual and impressive accomplishment for someone from his modest circumstances. Among his areas of university study were criminal investigation, poll tax law, finance law, and protection of childhood and adolescence.

His current job is based on his law school education and is far removed from the world of bicycles. He now works for the municipality in the office of the mayor, conducting civil marriages, helping local residents negotiate government programs, and helping with municipal paperwork.

Thanks to FIDESMA for giving Byron a start in its bike shop and other programs, congratulations to Byron for his accomplishments so far, and good luck to him in a most promising future!

Albania, bicycles

Letter from Albania, October 2016

Dear David,

I hope all is well with you.

Winter is on the verge in Albania as the first snow has fallen on the Dajti Mountain in Tirana. We’ve worked very hard during the summer at the camp in Jal with lots of young and energetic people. We’ve come back to Tirana full of energy, dreams and plans, as we are recognized for our leadership in improving the life of the community.

2016octalbaniaened
The first project we’ve completed is a soup kitchen in the neighborhood of Tufina in Tirana. The right to food is the basis for human rights, enshrined in conventions and constitutions, including that of the United Nations. Article 25.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”

2016octalbaniakidseatingOur mission “A plate full of love” is initially to help nourish, at least twice a week, 300 members of the community using surpluses that society already has available. Eventually we hope to open the soup kitchen every day. We believe that no one should go hungry and that we have a moral obligation to assist those who need aid the most. Malnutrition causes poor health and premature deaths, and has long-term effects on wellbeing and productivity.

It was both a pleasure and a challenge building this kitchen as we had to reconstruct the whole building, build a new roof and find food. The walls were painted by volunteers as we wanted to engage them on this project as they can gain experience, confidence and a great sense of pride being part of the community.

2016octalbania3bikers
We have also launched an event called “Ecovolis has a bike for you” where we invite everyone who wants a bike but can’t afford one to write to us. We receive so many letters each week and donate a bike every week to the person whose letter impressed us the most. The fact that this is a surprise event makes it that much more special.

Last but not least, the winter is on the way and we’ll need other bikes to proceed with our projects as Eco Bicycle is our main source of support and the bikes from the last container from P4P are almost gone. So we were wondering when do you think you’ll be able to proceed with the next shipment to Albania?

We appreciate and are deeply grateful for all your assistance. Thanks in advance!!

Best Regards,

Ened
October 12, 2016

[Click here to see the Ecovolis facebook page.]

bicycles, Business, Sewing Partners

Progress Report for End of Fiscal Year 2016

On 30 September 2016 we drew the curtain on our activities for fiscal year 2016. (The P4P fiscal year runs from October 1st through September 30th.)

In 2016 P4P collected 36 more bicycles then we did the previous year. And as for sewing machines we had an almost 13% increase in machines collected.

(On 9/30/14, the end of fiscal year 2014, we had 365 bicycles in inventory.)


Fiscal Year 2015 Bicycles Shipped
Date Shipment Bikes
shipped		 Sponsor
18 Oct 2014 Rivas #55 502 Ecobici Revolving Fund
1 Nov 2014 CostaRica #2 438 VerdeBici Revolving Fund
15 Nov 2014 Albania #6 453 PASS Revolving Fund
9 May 2015 FIDESMA #16 488 FIDESMA Revolving Fund
30 May 2015 Albania #7 459 PASS Revolving Fund
20 Jun 2015 Moldova #8 439   Clif Bar Family Foundation
26 Sep 2015 Ghana #18 460 WeBikes Revolving Fund
2015 Total Bikes Shipped 3,239
2015 Bikes Collected 3,094
9/30/2015 Bikes in Inventory 220



Fiscal Year 2016 Bicycles Shipped
Date Shipment Bikes
shipped		 Sponsor
24 Oct 2015 Fiji #7 440 Friends of Fiji/Clif Bar Family
14 Nov 2015 Albania #8 483 PASS Revolving Fund
5 Dec 2015 Rivas #56 297 EcoBici Revolving Fund
30 Apr 2016 FIDESMA #17 495 FIDESMA Revolving Fund
4 Jun 2016 Albania #9 520 PASS Revolving Fund
9 Jul 2016 Rivas #57 525 EcoBici Revolving Fund
2016 Total Bikes Shipped 2,760
2016 Bikes Collected 3,130
9/30/2016 Bikes in Inventory 590

(On 9/30/14, the end of fiscal year 2014, we had 50 sewing machines in inventory.)


Fiscal Year 2015 Sewing Machines Shipped
Date Shipment Machines
shipped
1 Nov 2014 Costa Rica #2 100
14 Nov 2014 PASS/Albania 22
9 May 2015       FIDESMA/Guatemala 36
30 May 2015 PASS/Albania 30
20 Jun 2015 Moldova #8 53
26 Sep 2015 Ghana #18 69
2015 Total Machines Shipped 310
2015 Machines Collected 280
9/30/2015 Machines in Inventory 20

(On 9/30/15, the end of fiscal year 2015, we had 20 sewing machines in inventory.)


Fiscal Year 2016 Sewing Machines Shipped
Date Shipment Machines
shipped
24 Oct 2015 Fiji #7 68
14 Nov 2015 Albania #8 34
30 Apr 2016 FIDESMA/Guatemala #17 20
28 May 2016 Albania #9 25
13 Jun 2016 Tanzania #3 74
23 Jun 2016 Kyrgyzstan #2 30
12 Sep 2016 Kenya #1 34
2016 Total Machines Shipped 285
2016 Machines Collected 327
9/30/2016 Machines in Inventory 67
bicycles, Business

Summer 2016 Podcast Featuring Dave

CNN Heroes is a TV special created by CNN to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to humanitarian aid and who make a difference in their communities. Dave Schweidenback, P4P founder and CEO, was a 2008 CNN Hero for his work with P4P. Shin Fujiyama was a 2009 CNN Hero. He founded Students Helping Honduras, an NGO that runs projects in Honduras to support education, housing, and microfinance.

In the summer of 2016, Shin got in touch with Dave and recorded a conversation about P4P history, philosophy, the economics of development and non-profits, the introduction of the wheel, corrupt customs officials, and lots more.

Shin published the conversation in his podcast series. Shin’s website has lots more information about Students Helping Honduras and his other activities.

Click here for an introduction to and a summary of Shin’s conversation with Dave and for links to the podcast audio files.

bicycles, Moldova

Moldova

2016springMoldova
Spring 2016 InGear

The granddaughter of one of our key volunteers had a bike she had outgrown and she wanted her grandfather to donate it to Pedals for Progress. We wrapped it up with orange tape so we could follow it and then we put it in the front of a container going to Chisnau, Moldova.

We thought we had lost track of this bike as we had not heard back from our partner, but it turned out we just had an email problem, which is now fixed. This is the very happy little girl who received the bicycle from a very generous young American.

bicycles, Ghana

Update from Ghana, Fall 2015

by Kwaku Agyemang
Spring 2016 InGear

[In November of 2014, P4P sent an entire 40-foot container of just spare bicycle parts to WEBike, our partner in Ghana, West Africa. These parts, valued at a little over $300,000, were a generous donation to P4P from Bell Sports. Here is a report from Kwaku Agyemang, our partner at WEBike in Ghana.]

When we got the shipment containing the bicycle spare parts, our idea was to use them to repair and service some old unusable bicycles that have been in WEBike’s warehouse for some time now. These bicycles were unusable because some parts were missing or not working when the shipment arrived. Bike parts from some unusable bikes were used to repair other bikes to make them ready for dispatching, but we still had many bikes in no condition to sell or donate.

2016springGhana2menOnBike
Besides using the new parts to repair the bikes in our warehouse, WEBike decided to try an additional strategy. We wanted to visit some people who already had our bikes to check the condition of their bikes. Maintaining a bike can be very expensive, so it makes sense to help with maintenance as well as with the original acquisition of the bikes.

For instance, in Walewale we visited Mr. Usifu, a student teacher. Though Mr. Usifu’s bicycle was in good shape, all his tires had worn out. We gave Mr. Usifu a set of tires and tubes to get his bike back on the road. This placed a big smile on his face.

2016springGhanaWomanManOnBikeWe also visited Paa Joe, an apprentice and inhabitant of Suhum in the Eastern region. We discovered that his bicycle had been unusable for some months. When asked why, Paa Joe lamented that he was the youngest apprentice in the shop where he learns his trade, and that his bicycle had been seriously abused by his master and his senior colleagues. Paa Joe further explained that because the bike was unlocked when he got to work, it was at the service of everyone at the shop and his junior position at the shop prevented him from saying a word. WEBike checked the bike carefully and gave Paa Joe a set of tires, a bell, pedals, a seat, lights and a little cash to help him fix his bike. He was also given a lock to ensure his bike was safe anytime he was at work. He was very grateful and speechless at our kindness.

2016springGhanaVanLoadedWithBikesWe also visited Esi, a student of Nkwanta Senior High in the Volta Region. We found Esi‘s bike to be functioning very well. When asked how she keeps the bike in such good shape and how she maintained it, Esi replied that the bike was her only means of getting to school on time so she had to save some of her pocket money to maintain the bike. Esi also complained that some of her own friends call her names because she refuses to offer them a ride when they ask. But she was of the view that they lived close to school and could easily get there on foot. She on the other hand had to walk for hours to get to school before the intervention of WEBikes. She further explained how much her education meant to her and that she did not want to jeopardize it. We gave Esi a pair of tires, a seat, a bell, lights and other parts to be used whenever she needs them.

In the towns we visited, we also noticed that some people who had not gotten their bikes from us were having problems with their bikes. We want to help them, too. We met Mr. Cobbla at a bicycle shop where he repairs his bike. After a chat with him we gave him a seat, a bell, and a set of tubes, which he needed to fix his bicycle. We also spotted Mr. Azuri pushing his bike to the workshop. Mr. Azuri told WEBike he had to walk for 30 minutes to the shop to fix his flat tire. We gave him set of tires and tubes to maintain his bike. He was very grateful and pleased with the organization.

Albania, bicycles

Bicycles Support Roma Children in Albania

by Ened Mato
Spring 2016 InGear

December 2015: 2 babies died from the cold. They belonged to the Roma community, one of the most marginalized communities in Albania. Since 1990 they have been in constant movement.

2016springAlbaniaRomaGirl
They raise their homes near rivers so they have access to water for drinking and cleaning. Simultaneously they do some of the best work that humans do for their planet, which is recycling. But they suffer, they have always suffered in Albania. They have more than 25 years of living on trash heaps and wandering in the open air.

The Roma people in Albania alone have 500 of their children at risk from the cold, the winter rains, and from poverty. They are full of life. You can find them everywhere, separating trash from recyclables. You can find them in the street begging for money, or in bars selling almonds and walnuts.

2016springAlbaniaRomaBoy
They are everywhere, and often are victims of violence, exploitation, or abuse. You can see these kids everywhere except at school! None of them go to school for a simple reason: they are unwashed and unkempt, and are too embarrassed to attend school, where they feel rejected. Their problem lies precisely in their living conditions. This is the point where all the problems of this community begin. Lacking adequate living conditions, they lack the opportunities that others have. So because of the lack of sanitation in their communities they do not go to school but instead go out on the street. It is a vicious circle from which it is so difficult to disconnect the dots. This is why we hope to attack the problem at its root.

20160321AlbaniaTeamWithRomaTrailer
All the money from the sale of the first 100 bicycles from our recent P4P container will go to provide the first house trailers of the First Roma Park in Albania. The trailers will ensure minimal living conditions, adapted also to their nomadic culture. We will supply house trailers to 40 families with 150 children. Pedals for Progress will be the catalyst of this change.

These children will leave the streets and will return to school. They will have the opportunity to be educated and they will have a future. But what is most important is that these Roma will have a roof over their heads for the first time in 25 years. There will be no more babies dying from the cold.

bicycles, Nicaragua

It’s Not Just Any Bike That Will Do

by Patricia Hamill
Spring 2016 InGear

When requests for donations are made, it’s often assumed that any item, no matter how worn or outdated, is better than none at all. That is correct—for the most part—because old and unwanted cycles definitely can be resurrected, recycled, and repurposed. We have taken even the most well traveled bikes and turned them into viable and reliable transportation for many new owners. But here is the catch: What if the recipients have special requirements or requests? Is it enough to send what happens to be donated at a particular time and let those at the receiving end figure out how to manage from there?

The bikes we send are in good shape and ready to be purchased, so it’s not like anyone has to repair anything before they get rolling. So maybe that is good enough. But who is to say what enough is? There is a story that Gloria Steinem tells about a turtle she found near a road. She was sure the turtle was in danger and in need of help. She made a point of returning it to the river it “belonged” in only to find out later that she had interfered with the turtle’s arduous efforts to travel to her nesting spot. Steinem took that lesson of assumption to heart and began to apply it to all she does when she helps others. Basically she admonishes us all to “Always ask the turtle.” So, we at P4P find ourselves in a similar situation except the turtle has come to us. In other words, we have found out that the concept of what is good enough is relative and our assistance is needed not just for access to jobs but to athletic ambitions that can offer opportunities for life improvement. There are recipients that know better than us what they need and we should pay attention to that.

2016springNicaraguaSergioIn 2014, we introduced a young man named Juan Carlos Jimenez based in Rivas, Nicaragua. The article, “For the Love of Bicycles” shares Juan’s ambitions to become a competitive bicycle racer. It was the donation of a carbon fiber Motobecane bicycle that made this possible. In fact, his daily employment was in a bicycle shop, so his financial and professional aspirations were both enhanced by his association with P4P. Today we reflect on Sergio Ramos Antonio Quintero, a 25-year-old living in the Nicaraguan municipality of Diriamba. A textile worker by trade, his great interest is in racing bikes and he hopes to do this full time; but he lacks access to the kinds of cycles that can propel his goals into reality.

So far, he has participated in a number of long-distance races in Nicaragua, winning many second places and bronze medals. His ambition is to be able to have more time to hone his skills; but this means less time at the textile plant and less income. If he becomes good enough to participate consistently and, of course, win, he could merit financial backing from local sponsors. If Sergio leaves the textile mill, his spot will go to another who is in need of work. It’s a winning situation for more than one person.

So, returning to the example of the turtle, we all probably should work on shifting our perceptions about who is in need and what our contributions can really do. It’s not just one bike, one person. It’s about the person as well and what he or she really needs. Their locations, their terrain, their employment or lack of, and their personal ambitions and desires are all part of one large equation that we may not be able to know, but we can offer the widest range of options for them to make use of. If our recipients can thrive better with high-end competition bikes, then let’s make it happen! The good old cruisers have their place and it’s a given that children’s bikes are valued, but if you aren’t spinning past the finish line these days, there is someone out there who is working hard to earn that honor!

Let’s ask our activist and philanthropist selves not just who we can donate to but what they best need. If you don’t know the answer, ask this turtle: P4P.