Category Archives: bicycles

Albania, bicycles

The Bike Academy in Tirana, Albania

Fall 2016 InGear

2016octalbania3bikers
We’ve been providing free cycling classes for the past two years, where many young people come to learn how to ride a bike. We notice more and more young people come each week. And riders improve as the weeks go by. Each week we are inspired to persist in changing our daily lives and the traffic of Tirana. We’re glad to inform you that we’ve used several of the bikes for the activities we’ve organized, hence changing the lives of those who only dreamed of learning to ride a bike. We are pleased to see our former students riding on city streets. The number of bike riders has tripled and all this thanks to the “Bike Academy”.

Bike Tours

We travel by bikes every Saturday to various destinations, thus traveling several miles while discovering, cleaning, and promoting different attractions on the outskirts of Tirana. We are grateful for the bikes you’ve donated because it is through those bikes that the young people are provided the opportunity to become part of these travels since they don’t possess a bike of their own. The bike trips have brought us closer to the people who need us the most and more conscious of the distinctive issues the suburbs face.

Bicycle Essay Contest

We often organize a literary contest consisting of a bike essay and award the winner one of the bikes you have provided. The main purpose of this contest is to raise awareness of citizens, artists, and bike lovers through literary expression, with the main topic being the ecological two-wheeled vehicle. The aim of this competition is to assess everyone, be they young or old, be they writers or artists, who want or need to express themselves regarding the bikes.

bicycles, Collectors, Sewing Partners

15 Years of P4P Collections, An Appreciative Retrospective

by Jackie Johnson, Granby CT
Fall 2016 InStitch

I wrote an article for the Spring 2011 InGear that began as follows:

I was prompted to call Pedals for Progress in September of 2002 after I read a small article in Hope Magazine (long since out of business). The article told the story of Dave Schweidenback launching Pedals for Progress following his experience in the Peace Corps and referenced the 57,000 bicycles that had, at that point, been shipped to partners in sixteen countries.

So, to take you back in time a bit, it was a year beyond 9/11 and our nation was on the verge of war in the fall of 2002. I was feeling a burning need to do something positive and meaningful, ideally involving my husband and two children who were then ten and twelve. The article was so inspiring that I immediately called P4P and said I wanted to organize a collection. Despite my being further from High Bridge (in northwestern Connecticut) than any previous collection, the response was positive and I was encouraged to organize a spring collection. I ultimately spoke with Dave and explained that I really didn’t want to wait until spring. He was reluctantly convinced and our first Pedals for Progress collection was held at Holcomb Farm, an arts and environmental center, in Granby, CT, on December 7, 2002. A very chilly 42 bikes were collected and processed that day by an enthusiastic group of volunteers who have shown up every year since.

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Five years from the time of that first article, we just held our 15th collection, with a grand total of over 2,000 bikes and more than 100 sewing machines collected to date. While making a difference for individuals and communities in the developing world has always been at the heart of our 15 years of collecting, there has been an unexpected benefit in the community created here at home. Many donors are moved by the opportunity to build a bridge from our small Connecticut town and to touch lives abroad and offer to help spread the word about future collections. Our dedicated group of volunteers has grown to include a long list of folks who have shared email addresses and offer to post flyers and share through social media each year. Stories shared by donors, like that of the bike of a lost and beloved daughter, the sewing machine from a mother or grandmother, have created meaningful moments and stories that have fed and inspired our group of volunteers.

This year, we welcomed two new volunteers who took the lead in coordinating the Granby collection. Kate and Rachel are high school students and National Honor Society Members at the local high school. They eagerly publicized the event and brought in a new group of student volunteers. Kate and Rachel plan to use this year’s experience to mentor two students from the class behind theirs, continuing to grow a committed community of young people.

Being part of the P4P community for 15 years has been a privilege and great source of joy. We here in Granby look forward to gearing up for many more!

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.