Category Archives: bicycles

Albania, bicycles

PASS/Ecovolis: P4P Partner in Albania

Employees at a bike-sharing kiosk in Tirana
Employees at a bike-sharing kiosk in Tirana

PASS (Programii Alternativave Sociale Stimuluese, Social Stimulating Alternative Program) was established in 2002 with the goal of encouraging community action and raising public awareness of local social and environmental issues in the Albanian capital city of Tirana. PASS activities include operating a Welcome Center for families in need, involving local residents in resolving community problems through its Volunteer Action Movement, supporting the AKSES Program to foster the education and employment of rural youth, aiding the transition from school to work through the Employment Office, and facilitating youth community engagement through the Civil Youth Project.

With help from Pedals for Progress and the George Soros Open Society Foundations in Albania (OSFA), PASS established a Tirana Community Bicycle program, including the bike-sharing program Ecovolis.

Ecovolis

Kidical Mass in Albania
Kidical Mass in Albania

Ecovolis (EcoBike) is a bike-sharing program created by PASS in Tirana, Albania. Ecovolis promotes ecological transportation by giving Tirana cleaner air, adding a civic European practice that helps in the economic, social, and environmental development of our community.

Not only will Ecovolis provide jobs for workers maintaining and managing the bicycles, but the bikes themselves will help reduce the social and economic isolation of suburban and rural communities by providing dedicated transportation from the margins of Tirana to the center. An additional effect of the program will be to raise awareness among citizens of the bicycle as a fun, healthy, and environmentally sound method of transportation.

For more information:

  • Click here to see a P4P report on Ecovolis from July 2012.
  • For a P4P report on the bike program in its early days (April 2011), click here.
  • Click here to see the Ecovolis facebook page.
  • This blogspot on Ecovolis has great photos of the bikes and the people who work on them.
bicycles, Guatemala, Sewing Partners

FIDESMA: P4P Partner in Guatemala

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FIDESMA is the Fundación Integral de Desarrollo Sostenible y Medio Ambiente, Foundation for Sustainable Development and the Environment. With headquarters in San Andrés Itzapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, FIDESMA was founded in 1998 and has five major programs: agricultural micro-credit, natural medicine, job skills and training, bicycles and environmental conservation, and health and special education for people with physical disabilities.

FIDESMA was started when Margarita Caté de Catú, the current president of FIDESMA, wanted to organize against the problems facing her community. Ms. Caté de Catú and 150 other women struggled to create the foundation with financial support from the Leadership Council.

This non-profit organization is non-political and non-religious and therefore the majority of our financial assistance comes from other non-profit organizations. Our primary role in Guatemala lies in development. FIDESMA helps the community become more self-sustainable and for this reason we distribute financial assistance (in our micro-credit program) and show the community prospective job opportunities. We hope that they will then be able to have their own business, thereby contributing to the rest of the Guatemalan economy.

 
Bike Race at the grade school in San Andrés Itzapa in honor of
Guatemalan Independence Day with bikes from FIDESMA!

 

FIDESMA is one of fifteen organizations of FEDENMURG (la Federación de Mujeres Rurales de Guatemala), a national, democratic association that promotes social development. The women members fight for the rights of rural women throughout Guatemala, along with bringing awareness to the preservation of the environment.

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The FIDESMA sewing course teaches women how to make all types of clothing. Lourdes Santiso Salizar was one of the first graduates of the sewing course in 1999 and now has her own women’s clothing business specializing in wedding gowns. Click here to see a report on Lourdes from the Fall 2006 InGear newsletter.

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FIDESMA’s natural products courses teach local women how to use natural plants to make shampoo and soap to sell in the local market. Grupo Mujeres Integrados en Accion has 10 members that work weekly to make aloe shampoo and soap. Ana Maria Guch is one member who is a widow with 8 children who supports her family from the sale of their natural products. Click here to read more about the shampoo production process.

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The Mujeres Maya (Mayan Women) Kaqchiqoel from Santa Caterina Barahona received a micro-loan from FIDESMA in 2001 to start their traditional weaving business. Click here to read a 2006 InGear article about the Mujeres Maya. Click here to read more and see samples of their work.

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Jorge Luis of San Andrés Itzapa uses his bicycle from FIDESMA to sell ice cream in the outlying villages. He averages about 20km everday on his bicycle riding from 5am to 5pm. He is able to support his wife and 7 children from the money he makes selling ice cream. Click here to see more of his story.

P4P’s 100,000th bicycle went to FIDESMA in 2006! Click here to read more about the bike, its journey, and Mateo Patzan, the happy recipient.

P4P’s 150,000th bicycle went to FIDESMA in 2017!! Click here for the whole story.

bicycles, Peace Corps

The Borough of High Bridge Green Award, 1/22/15

P1110921David Schweidenback is hereby the recipient of the High Bridge Environmental Commission’s eighth annual Borough of High Bridge Green Award for 2014 in recognition of his continuing dedication to promoting environmental preservation.

David Schweidenback was “Caught Being Green” by fellow residents who nominated him for this award for his ongoing environmental actions. David’s Pedals for Progress organization founded in 1991 rescues bicycles destined for overburdened US landfills and ships them to developing countries where they are sorely needed and highly valued. P4P Bikes are put to work not only is basic transportation, but are used as a supplement to school and community programs.

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The Environmental Commission recognizes that David has had the distinguished honor of being twice invited delegate to the International Convention of Environmental Laureates in 2012 and 2013.

The Mayor and Council of the Borough of High Bridge, County of Hunterdon and and the State of New Jersey sincerely appreciate his commitment to reducing the amount of trash we generate and creating an awareness for environmentally sound transportation.

Mark Desire, Mayor

bicycles, Guatemala

Happy 2015 from FIDESMA – Guatemala

FELIZ-Au00D1O-NUEVO2015Hola David, Muchos Saludos, Esperamos se encuentre bién, con bendición en su casa. Agradecemos a Usted y su asociación, todo el apoyo que nos da, es un proyecto que beneficia a muchos hogares y familias, hace más feliz la vida de muchos niños, jovenes y personas que jamás pensaban que podían tener una bicicleta para su ayuda personal y laboral. Adjuntamos una sencilla tarjeta, de todo corazon, deseamos que lo usted esté haciendo sea de bendición para todos los que le rodean.

Hasta pronto,

Margarita Caté y compañeros
FIDESMA Guatemala

Dear David, Greetings from FIDESMA. We hope that this letter finds you well and that all is well with your family. We would like to thank you and your organization for all of the support that you give us, for all of the families that have benefitted from P4P and the children and young people that have improved their situation in life with a bicycle. We have created this simple card with all of our hearts and sincerely feel that all of your work is a blessing to everyone that comes in contact with Pedals for Progress.

Until we speak again,

Maragarita Caté and Associates
FIDESMA Guatemela

bicycles

In Honor of Sean Tyrrell

By Fran Tyrrell

“On October 18th, 2014, a memorial bike ride in honor of my husband, Shawn Tyrrell, was held in Gwinnet County, Georgia, by members of his bike club, the Gwinnett Touring Club (GTC). Shawn was an active member of the club, and toured with them both in Georgia and in Europe. Shawn passed away from a heart attack in 2013. Members of his club wanted to honor him by holding a group ride, and I was asked to pick a charity. I had heard of Pedals for Progress from my sister, who lives in West Orange, New Jersey, and the great work that this organization provides. Since Pedals for Progress is a group that combines our love of cycling with a global commitment to sustainable programs in developing countries, it was the perfect charity to choose. We had a beautiful day for the ride, and were provided with support along the route by club members, and even a police escort! We look forward to holding this event annually in the future.”

gtc2 triple_Shawn GTC

bicycles, Nicaragua

For the Love of Bicycles

IMG-20141128-WA0006Even from the earliest days 25 years ago, not too long after we began to deliver bicycles, some young person who wants to race is hanging about, often willing to work for free just to be around bicycles. At first I really discouraged racing clubs because our real goal was income generation, workers getting to work. The love of bicycles and the love of racing have always won out. The people who work in the bike shop and the people who hang around there are always great bicycle enthusiasts.

Juan Carlos Jimenez is such a young man. 18 years old, he works in a bicycle parts shop in Rivas, Nicaragua. In his spare time he is preparing for upcoming competitions racing up and down the steep jagged foothills of western Nicaragua. Thanks to the donation of this beautiful carbon-fiber Motobecane bicycle to Pedals for Progress, Juan Carlos has an exceptionally good bike to race.

I have often been asked, Is this bike too good? No bicycle is too good. There is a purpose for every bicycle. We seek to ship the highest quality bikes possible and when we can obtain such a beautiful racing bike, there is a great demand for that bicycle overseas.