Pedal Proud Campaign
Peace Pedalers donated
100 Bikes to 100 African Families on February 14, 2006!
Help us make a difference as we continue to donate 100's
of bikes to African individuals
and families!
Click
here to Buy a Bike for a Child Now! Just a $50 Tax Deductible
Donation!
(Be sure to note Peace Pedalers "Pedal Proud" in the Designation
field. This donation will go to our fiscal sponsor International
Bicycle Fund and be forwarded to us. Please email us after you make your donation so we can get your name and contact info to the recipients.
The majority of Africans
lack adequate transportation. Because transport is often not
affordable or available, many are forced to walk to their
destinations, wasting hours of valuable time that could be
spent generating income, gaining skills, or meeting household
needs. Even the most determined and able individuals cannot
lift themselves out of poverty without affordable and efficient
transport. Bicycles, for many trips, are an ideal mode of
transport and assist in alleviating poverty…
Peace Pedalers (USA) and BEN
(Bicycle Empowerment Network) in Cape Town are working
together to purchase hundreds of bikes from people in Africa.
BEN will be providing the bikes to Peace Pedalers a low cost
of $50 per bike. We will have the bikes delivered to towns
on our route.
Do your part and donate a bike.
Here are the steps:
1) Go to the donation link
of our 501c3 fiscal sponsor International
Bicycle Fund
2) Make a $50 donation on your credit card (or $100 for 2
bikes, etc)
3) In the "Designation" field, be sure to put "Peace
Pedalers Bike Donation"
4) Or you can mail a check payable to Peace Pedalers* and send it to:
Etrade Bank, Attn: Peace Pedalers
Account # 2005958083
PO Box 1542
Merrifield, VA 22116
* Please email us when you send a check so we can keep accurate records.
Here are some stories to address sponsorship for those that
still need bikes:
Sadé Fielies
Age 16, Grade 11
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
There are days that Sadé isn’t coming to school
at all. Her mother is the main breadwinner of the family and
because she has to travel a long time, there is not always
money for the expensive taxi and bus. These 45 minutes travel
time are not easy to cross by bike, but Sadé knows
it’s worth it. There is no other way she could get to
school and because it is also healthy she will use the bike
every day to get to Rocklands High and don’t miss any
more classes. This way her mother will have money left for
other important purposes, which is always welcome in the Fielief
family.
Achmat Southgate
Age 16, Grade 11
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
Rocklands High is very far from Achmat’s home. Every
day he spends 20 Rand on taxi fee. Not only the school is
a long way, even the shops are too far to walk. The whole
family is struggling with money for transport and it’s
getting too expensive. A bicycle would be the perfect solution.
He could use the bike to get to school and save a lot of money.
His family would use the bike to get to places as well. They
don’t have a car, so the bike would be used as a form
of transport to get them everywhere.
Simamkele Ngalwa
Age 14 - Houtbay
The City of Aachen and Imagine
Houtbay organized a summer camp in spring vacation in Houtbay.
Simamkele was one of the children who was present at this
camp. She never heard of the Bicycling Empowerment Network,
until BEN showed up providing workshops around bicycles. A
lot of people around Simamkele own a bike, but she never got
the chance to ride a bike herself. That’s why she was
eager to take part in one of the workshops. The first time
on a bicycle was everything she imagined and if she would
have the money, she would buy a bike for herself. Every morning
Simamkele has to take a taxi to get to school. Not only it’s
expensive, she’s also very dependant on this way of
traffic. Her school is situated in Houtbay and it’s
only a seven kilometer drive, which can easily be done on
a bicycle. Although the roads are dusty and she fears for
car accidents, cycling would be so much easier and healthier
than going by taxi every day. She knows the bicycle is an
accepted way of transport in her neighborhood and there are
a lot of children who already use their bikes to get to school.
Her brother and herself want to buy one bike and share it,
but there is simply no money. Simamkele knows that if she
would save the money on the taxi, in a few months she would
have enough to buy a bike. But unfortunately she wouldn’t
be able to go to school in those months and so she remains
in this vicious circle.
Khaya Hlathuka
Age 16, Grade 9
Imizamo Yethu, Houtbay
The Bicycle shop that The Bicycling
Empowerment Network established in Houtbay is not too far
from Khaya’s home. Every Saturday Khaya visits Themba’s
shop to help him out with small tasks. He loves to be around
bikes and wants to help wherever he can. Khaya would love
to have a bike for himself, but he has absolutely no money
to buy one. This is why Themba introduced him to the BEN staff
which gave him the possibility of getting a bike. Over the
past years Khaya had no problems getting to school. It was
an easy distance to walk en no other transport was necessary.
Unfortunately Khaya needs to change schools because he is
entering grade 9 after the holidays. His new school is six
kilometers further and this is where the problems start. He
can’t go to school by foot, but at home there is no
money for public transport. It would cost him 120 Rand a month.
The school starts at eight and he would often be late if he
had to walk that distance. Khaya’s father past away
last year, so the family lost its mainly breadwinner. His
mother doesn’t have job, this means there is no money
left to spend on transport. Six kilometers is a good distance
to cycle. The roads are dangerous but Khaya knows another
route that can take him to school safely. Khaya finds the
bicycle a good way to keep fit and healthy. It gives him the
opportunity to exercise and meet other people who cycle as
well so they can do tours together. This way he stays away
from the criminal activities that happen in his neighborhood.
The bicycle is an accepted form of transport in Imazamo Yethu.
Only the thought of getting a bicycle makes Khaya’s
face light up. Enthusiastic pictures himself riding his bike
and cycle to school.
Amos Peters
Age 18, grade 11
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
Every day Amos has to walk twenty minutes to get to school.
This is the main reason for him to use a bike. But he has
no money to buy one. Amos lives with his mother and sister
in Mitchell’s Plain and because his mother can’t
do everything by herself he would like to help her around
in the house. With his bike he could easily get to the market
for groceries so his mother would have more time for other
things. This is one of the many advantages and ideas he has
of owning a bicycle.
Marvin Misrool
Age 15, Grade 10
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
Marvin has to walk to school every day for 45 minutes. His
parents don’t have money to pay for transport, so walking
is the only solution. A bicycle would come in handy. It would
save his parents money and he would be at school on time.
Marvin knows that a lot of children of his age are getting
in to trouble easily in his neighborhood. He thinks a bike
will help him stay out of these criminal activities. He would
spend his free time cycling and train for the upcoming Cape
Argus Cycle Tour.
Sadé Fielies
Age 16, Grade 11
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
There are days that Sadé isn’t coming to school
at all. Her mother is the main breadwinner of the family and
because she has to travel a long time, there is not always
money for the expensive taxi and bus. These 45 minutes travel
time are not easy to cross by bike, but Sadé knows
it’s worth it. There is no other way she could get to
school and because it is also healthy she will use the bike
every day to get to Rocklands High and don’t miss any
more classes. This way her mother will have money left for
other important purposes, which is always welcome in the Fielief
family.
Winston Dunjua
Age 15, Grade 10
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
It takes Winston an hour to get to school. His parents do
not always have the money to pay a taxi, so Winston is often
forced to walk that long distance to Rocklands High. That’s
why he is often late and misses classes. He knows a lot of
things can go wrong when he cycles. He could get robbed, the
bike could break down and those repairs cost money. But still
Winston wants to have a bicycle and use it on a daily basis
as a way of transport.
Daniel Davids
Age 16, Grade 11
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
Because sports play an important role at Rocklands High, al
lot of children find it a disadvantage that it is more difficult
to play sports in the holidays. Daniel is one of these children.
He likes to sport, but isn’t really joining any team.
If he would have a bicycle he would use it every day, just
for transport but most of all for staying fit. Going to school
would be a lot easier as well. Usually Daniel has to walk
for twenty minutes to get to school, with a bike he would
be a lot faster. His family could use it as a form for transport
as well.
Teegan Ruiters
Age 13, grade 8
Rocklands High, Mitchell’s Plain
Although he is only thirteen, Teegan insisted in participating
in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour. He would love to have a bike
and train for this big event. It is the first time he ever
had an opportunity like this and he wants to go for the 100
percent. If he had a bicycle for himself he would use it to
get anywhere in his neighborhood. He also thinks his family
would have benefits by using the bike. They could exercise
to stay fit and healthy and use it for the grocery shopping.
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