Fall 2006 InGear

Jorge Luis wakes up every morning at 4:30 to begin his day selling ice cream. Since he does not have a freezer at home he must ride his bicycle 5 kilometers to the nearest city to buy his supplies. Once he returns to San Andrés Itzapa, Jorge rides with his cooler and cones to the smaller villages in the mountains beyond San Andrés to sell his ice cream. He returns home at 5:00 p.m. everyday with a profit of about $10. Jorge is known around his neighborhood as the “ice cream man.” He says he is proud to be the owner of his own business and to be his own boss. He is also very proud that he is able to provide for his wife and seven children. Jorge recently purchased a second bicycle from FIDESMA and is fitting it for his cooler and basket. His new bicycle is a much lighter mountain bike that will help him tackle the hills every day.