Fall 2025 Newsletter

Clearing the Container Through Customs

FIDESMA‘s 26th container arrived August 9, 2025. As always, with the support of our authorized customs agent, we made all the necessary tax payments to authorize the release of the container. The only inconvenience this time was that the container was flagged “Red,” which caused many delays. Several days went by without clearance, and the problem was that they unloaded everything, then reloaded it, and now they don’t know how to properly arrange the bicycles inside. Then, for anything they don’t like, they want to impose a fine, which increases the payments and greatly affects the final import costs.

Despite the problems at customs, we managed to get the container released as quickly as possible, and after many unplanned days, it was finally transported to Chimaltenango. Costs have risen compared to five years ago. Even so, we continue moving forward and doing our best to ensure that the bicycles are available in the ECOLOBICI (Spanish facebook) Chimaltenango shop.

This is not the first time we’ve had problems clearing customs

Receiving the Bicycles at our Chimaltenango Location

Once the container arrives at the Chimaltenango warehouse, we unload it with the support of a group of friends and volunteers who also love bicycles and understand their social and environmental benefits. They are young people who come to help us unload the bicycles whenever we call them.

Usually, we are more than 15 people helping on unloading day. This time, the container arrived at 2am in the morning — even so, we were there to store the bicycles in our facility.

We finished unloading at dawn, as the sun was rising. We were tired but satisfied, knowing that all the effort had been worthwhile and that we could move on to the next phase — inventory, pricing, and special deliveries to people in need, sports enthusiasts, and workers who want a bicycle.

Bicycle Sales

In the sales phase, we prepare and organize the bicycles by type and quality to make pricing easier, offering promotions depending on the population being served.

We look for children who need a bicycle, young people who don’t have one and would like one, and we encourage them to use bicycles for sports, training, helping with household transport, or commuting to work. We also reach out to older adults who work far from home and need transportation. We always strive to offer the lowest possible price so they can take a bicycle home.

Additionally, when selling bicycles, we aim to distribute them in many different communities and towns to avoid discrimination about who receives one and who doesn’t. We try to deliver bicycles to all kinds of people — men, women, children, youth, and even some elderly individuals.

Activities for Bicycle Donations

During the first 10 months, we planned to donate more than five bicycles in various communities in Chimaltenango and beyond. We primarily focus on finding children among those in need to give them a bicycle. We can see that each recipient is very happy to receive their bike.

The photos show how everyone takes their bicycle home to use it on their streets and in their daily lives.

Social Activities Funded by Sales

In addition to bicycle sales — which benefit both adults and children, and the annual bicycle donations — we also provide support to community groups in need. Each year, we identify communities and groups that require assistance due to poverty, illness, lack of local education, child malnutrition, or the needs of women artisans.

Every year, we look for where and how to offer help within our means. Sometimes, we complement aid from other institutions through coordination and partnerships so that together we can better assist communities facing social challenges.

We are very grateful, on behalf of the ECOLOBICI–FIDESMA project, for this shipment of bicycles, which is number 26–2025. We are certain that the people — children, youth, and adults — will be very thankful when we deliver these bicycles to their communities and towns, where they can use them for work, sports, exercise, travel, and transportation to distant places. Everyone agrees that using a bicycle is a great benefit.

We will continue to share updates on our promotional activities, sales, donations, fundraising, and social initiatives throughout the rest of this year.

Many thanks to David, to Alan, and to all the colleagues who support you in the United States.

Sincerely,

Arnulfo Catu and The FIDESMA Team