From: David @ The Village Bicycle Project in Ghana Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 10:25 AM To: info at bikesfortheworld dot org Subject: your January shipment
March 8
Keith and all the Bikes for the Worlders,
I witnessed the unloading of the container that you all filled on about January 8 for Village Bicycle Project. Samson, the consignee in charge of the shipment was quite happy with the goods. The mix was good for meeting program needs, 150 bikes for subsidized programs in the far north starting next week.
A lot of bikes were in very good condition, notably some child's bikes. One of Samson's regular buyers who is regularly disappointed because most of the mountain bikes are set aside for programs, has gotten excited about the 24 mountains. People from Togo come over the mountains and buy them one at a time then ride them back across the border.¯ They were disappointed that there weren't more parts. One of the regular buyers strips racers and street bikes for parts, then sells the frames to buyers from Togo and Burkina Faso. Joe, the stripper¯ told me that the Burkinabe and Togolese even cut the rims and shorten the wheels from 27 to 26 inch! The wheels are laced at a sharper angle so that the spokes arent too long. It pained me to see the high quality of some of those bikes that were destined to be broken down. It does however, underscore the tremendous need for parts. Some of your bikes went to Abompe, where we did programs with 80 people.
The Bikes for the World tee shirt is a hit, especially at programs. People often comment, which gives me a chance to talk about our suppliers, and the one in Washington DC in particular. Special thanks to Nick, who gave it to me in Senegal.
BfW volunteer Phil Ruth at the 12th annual bike collection at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church/St. John’s United Methodist-Presbyterian Church collection, held September 29, 2007 in Columbia MD. (YES, they all fit! Phil is arguably the best truck-packer in Bikes for the World, able to fit in nearly 250 bikes in a 24' rental truck.)
Our first shipment to the Women Prisoners Support Organisation, a non-profit in Uganda working with women in prison, and their families. For more info on WPSO, visit www.wpsouganda.org . Since that time, we have loaded a second shipment (May 31, 2008) --468 bikes in all--with bikes donated in Calvert County MD and with the help of volunteers from the Calvert County School System--a day we set a new record for a single day, bringing in over 700 bikes at four sites.
Pictures from the Shape Lives Foundation (Nyariga, Upper East Region, Ghana) showing SMILING beneficiaries. We supplied these bikes as part of a shipment in late 2006, just shipped our second shipment
These photos are from the Panamanian Association of Goodwill Industries (Goodwill Panama), Bike for the World's largest international partner.
During 2005 BfW shipped more than 1,700 bikes and 25 sewing machines to Goodwill Panama. Goodwill Panama is a well-organized non-profit organization providing skills training and employment to more than 100 people with disabilities.
Goodwill Panama works closely with local Rotary Clubs to oversee and support the bicycle program.
These photos illustrate the high degree of organization characteristic of the BfW-supported bicycle repair and marketing program.
Herndon High School Environmental Club - Students Against Global Abuse with SAGA advisor Gary Gepford and Bikes for the World adult volunteers and director Keith Oberg.
The unloading of our container in Guatemala, with Servicios Ecumenicos de Formacion Cristiana en Centro America (SEFCA), a European-supported politically progressive program serving urban youth in the capital city. EcoBici is the community-owned business reconditioning and selling the bikes at low prices, and using the income to cover costs and put aside some for the next shipment.
Bikes for the World is a sponsored project of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, a 7,000-member non-profit advocacy and educational organization promoting bicycling in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Founded in 1972, WABA manages, sponsors, or coordinates a wide range of activities benefiting area cyclists and the community-at-large.
For more than 30 years, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association has been promoting bicycling as a healthy and sustainable means of transportation by advocating for better riding conditions in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Become a WABA member now and show your support for a fully integrated transportation system. One that allows you to ride your bicycle everywhere you want to go - safely.
For further info on WABA, visit www.waba.org, or to become a member of WABA, you can visit their signup page here
BfW Photos 
