FIDESMA
Chimaltenango, GUATEMALA
3,562 Bikes Shipped


A corn grinder made from bicycle parts

A boy rides to school

Arnuldo Catu, FIDESMA's director, relaxes after finishing another load of bikes.

The local bike shop serves the needs of the community
11/16/99, FIDESMA paid for a second shipment of 527 bikes the following year, but internal management difficulties undermined the program's financial self-sufficiency.

In 2002, the Skoll Community Fund underwrote the partial costs of a third shipment, re-capitalizing the FIDESMA program and enabling the Guatemalan agency to pay the full costs of a fourth container later in the year.

Prospects are good for FIDESMA to pay for and import at least one shipment annually, expanding its impact throughout Chimaltenango and beyond.