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Pedal Proud Campaign

Supporting:

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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