[Vision2020] Africa or Ghana?
katetegeilwe rwiza
rwiza@hotmail.com
Sun, 15 Dec 2002 01:26:13 +0000
<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV>
<P>Dear 'Vissionaries',</P>
<P>I appreciate what you are doing for my brothers and sisters in Ghana. But, I still hoped you could differentiate between Africa as continent and Ghana as a country. Often I am disappointed how little America know about Africa. Africa is not a country. Now, when you say you spent a month in Africa, were you in Egypt, Botswana, Congo etc?</P></DIV>
<P>Plaese keep up the non-profit work you are doing and hope it could be applied to other countries in that 'poor' continent.</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P>Rwiza</P>
<DIV></DIV>
<P>486 Taylor Avenue # 3, </P>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Moscow,</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Idaho 83843,</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>USA</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>Tel.: 1-208-885-1452</DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>WebPage: <A href="http://www.uidaho.edu/~rwiz2091">http://www.uidaho.edu/~rwiz2091</A></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>----Original Message Follows----
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>From: Bill London <LONDON@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Reply-To: london@moscow.com
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>To: Vision2020 <VISION2020@MOSCOW.COM>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Subject: [Vision2020] Village Bicycle Project
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 11:40:59 -0800
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Moscow resident Dave Peckham created the Village Bicycle Project to gather castaway
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>bicycles in the US, ship them to Africa, and train Africans to repair them. The
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>project has been very successful, as you can read in the update report below. If you
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>want to help with the project, donate a bicycle, or receive further email reports,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>please contact the Village Bicycle Project at <VILLAGEBIKESP@HOTMAIL.COM>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>BL
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>Village Bicycle Project Update 2002
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>With over two thousand bicycles sent from American basements to Ghanas streets
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>and roads, three hundred distributed through direct village workshops, and nearly 1000
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>bike tools seeded in the market, the Village Bicycle Project has advanced beyond the
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>start-up phase, and were ready to take off our training wheels.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> We are now focused on just three programs, those that flourished during
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> our first three years. I spent a month in Africa this summer and am pleased
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> to dispatch this update.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> PROGRAM NEWS:
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 1. Sending bikes
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> We shipped three containers of used bikes and parts this year, over 1300
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> bikes. Two were from Bike Works in Seattle (www.scn.org/bikeworks) and the
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> third from Bike Not Bombs, (www.bikesnotbombs.org) a Boston group that has
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> been sending bikes to Central American countries for nearly twenty years.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Our Ghanaian partners George Aidoo and Samson Ayine manage the customs
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> process and cover the shipping costs. In exchange they sell three quarters
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> of the bicycles, from a storefront in the capital Accra. These bikes ease
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> shortages, and keep prices affordable.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> This program is self-sustaining, and requires no donor funding for operating
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> expenses, only the donation of your good used bikes. Collection sites are
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> in Seattle, Boston, and Moscow, Idaho. We hope to have a center in the San
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Francisco area soon.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 2. Maintenance Workshops
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Our maintenance workshops distribute affordable bicycles in rural villages
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> and teach the skills needed to maintain them. In exchange for participating
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> in the day-long class, attendees get a bike for half-price (maximum $25).
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> While in Ghana I was able to observe a workshop in the village of Abura. It
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> was a fantastic opportunity to work closely with our Ghana educators on
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> fine-tuning the course. As a result:
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> - We will no longer teach bearing adjustments, as its too technically
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> delicate for beginners. Instead well be spending more time helping riders
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> identify loose and tight bearings that will quickly spoil, and urging them
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> to take the problem to the local repairer.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> - The village repairers will be active players in the long-term upkeep of
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> the bikes, so were adding some extra time in the program to familiarize
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> them more with these European and North American bikes that are becoming
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> more common around the country.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> - We will no longer limit the workshops to just one village repairer.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Our workshop hosts are Peace Corps volunteers. As resident outsiders, they
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> are well connected to the community yet unencumbered by family pressures and
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> favors owed. We have held ten workshops with the Peace Corps and look
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> forward to their continued participation.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> George and Samson, who serve as the workshop teachers, both enjoy the
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> opportunity to travel, meet new people, teach bike skills, while earning a
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> living wage.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> I also paid visits to two villages where we held workshops in 2001. In
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Volivo, I saw 18 bikes and/or their owners. I found that more than half of
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> the bikes had had breakdowns in the drive train, i.e. the chain, crank, or
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> freewheel. The good news is that the participants were still very
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> enthusiastic about the bikes, but I find the level of breakdowns
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> unacceptable. We will need to ensure that the drive trains of our workshop
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> bikes are solid, even if this means more work for Ghanaian mechanics, or
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> buying new parts in the bike market!
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> For a long-term solution, we need to consider using new bikes for the
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> workshops. This should improve durability and cut problems with
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> non-compatibility of replacement parts. The cost of new bicycles is the
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> biggest obstacle.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> The workshops need lots of financial support. This is our grassroots
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> outreach, touching farmers, teachers, small business owners, health workers,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> rural students. With the bikes they buy from our workshops, these villagers
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> can make a living delivering food or water, or spend more time tending their
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> farms instead of walking up to 12 miles each way. Its a helping hand for
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> people with the ambition and conviction to take a day to study bike repair
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> and invest half the price of bicycle.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> The cost of one workshop is $350. This covers: tools for the village
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> repairer(s), 50% subsidies for 20 bikes, and the cost of training and
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> transportation. Workshop sponsorships are available to individuals,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> organizations, companies, churches, and civic organizations, for a
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> donation of $350. Wont you sponsor a workshop today?
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 3. Tools Program
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Our partner-donor ITDP (www.itdp.org) arranged an initial $1000 order from
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Taiwan toolmakers, extending the credit to our Ghana managers, George and
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Samson. In July I had the pleasure of introducing the tools in neighboring
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> countries of Togo and Benin. Its always fun to watch the faces of curious
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> mechanics light up when they discover that, with the right tools, they can
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> easily and safely repair rear wheels or replace cranks. I would love to take
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> several months on my own to tour West Africa by bike, taking tools around;
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> it is enormously gratifying work.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> The use of these tools has eased shortages of rear wheels and cranks in
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Ghanas capital Accra over the last two years. Simply put, more of Ghanas
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> bikes stay on the road, and fewer end in trash heaps.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> In order to get tools flowing to bike mechanics on a sustainable basis,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> (i.e. affordable without subsidies), we have to get volumes up. With larger
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> orders shipping and clearing become a smaller part of the total cost. Most
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> mechanics outside of Accra still dont know about these tools. With
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> donations of $1000 a year, we could gradually expand the reach of the tools
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> throughout at least six neighboring countries within three years.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Thanks for keeping up with Village Bicycle Project. Please help us make our
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> fourth year our most successful yet.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Thank you all for your interest and support.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Best wishes,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> David Peckham
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Project totals through November 29, 2002
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 2,049 bikes sent to Ghana, in 5 shipments
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 27 workshops held
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 338 discounted bikes distributed
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> 424 repair trainees
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> $3,900 bicycle repair tools test-marketed
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Workshop sponsors village
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Tri-State Distributors, Moscow ID Adaklu June 2002
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Moscow Rotary Club Abura July 2002
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Moscow Food Co-op Liati Nov. 25,26 2002
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>> Friends of Gabon upcoming
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>_____________________________________________________
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>List services made available by First Step Internet,
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>http://www.fsr.net
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Help STOP SPAM with <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMFEN/2016">the new MSN 8 </a> and get 2 months FREE*</html>