globalbike going to ethiopia

After spending almost 18 months working in Zambia - globalbike is adding a new country - Ethiopia. The work we are proposing in Ethiopia will be a little different and will open new avenues for the work. We will again be partnering with Project Concern International - but will focus our bikes on older women who are working with orphans and vulnerable children. In addition, these women are also part of a self-help group where they lend money to each other to generate income. globalbike is encouraging the group to develop ideas about how bikes can be used to generate income. Imagine for a second - a bike as transportation, medical and emotional support, and a tool to eliminate poverty - this work is exciting. Check out one of the self help groups waiting on bikes. The bikes we will be using are $160 US - and just now you can donate online through the paypal link on the left.

Peace.

the kid in the red jumpsuit

This weekend I presented at Talk20 in Spartanburg. I shared a story that was very special about why I am so passionate about globalbike. I met the kid in the red jumpsuit 11 years ago in the Hartsell orphanage in Mutare, Zimbabwe. I was 21 years old. I was immediately drawn to this kid when we arrived at the orphanage and we played together all day, even took a nap in the sun together. The picture shown here was taken on that afternoon. When I was leaving we were asking the workers at the orphanage about the kids. Most of them had been left there, all of them were HIV positive. As a 21 year old college student I hadn't really ever thought about kids and death in the same sentence. It was a complete shock to me. That day I made a promise to me and the kid in the red jumpsuit. I promised that given the opportunity - I would work to make live better in Africa. For me globalbike is working to fulfill this promise.

heroes

the next few posts will be about the true heroes. those folks using globalbikes to care for those who need it the most.


tomaida ailesi banda has been a community care worker for 12 years. she was introduced to the work by a catholic nun. the volunteer work she was doing with the nun made her feel the need to help tuberculosis and hiv/aids patients within the community. she also works with patients who are homeless. she uses her globalbike to travel between 1km to 15km. the areas she works in are considered low costs. my friend yvonne mulenga who works at pci says this about low costs areas:

"Households in Zambia are clustered into low cost, medium cost and high cost
areas/communities. The characteristics of low cost households are; no
electricity, source of drinking water is open public well or communal tap,
sanitation facilities are mainly pit latrines and the flooring material is
usually made of earth/mud. Basically these are poor households and at the bottom of the social stratum. They cannot afford to send children to school and mainly
send them to community ‘free’ schools."

what is globalbike?

Started by six friends, globalbike is a Spartanburg based project with the sole mission of providing community workers in the developing world with locally made bicycles. globalbike works with established international aid organizations that maintain local partnerships. These organizations provide accountability, credibility and the ability quickly get bikes to those who need them most.

to check out an article from the spartanburg herald journal about globalbike, click here.

getting started...

this is my first experience with a blog so we will see how it goes. the idea behind two wheels... is to provide another place to tell the globalbike story.

globalbike is a spartanburg, sc based project that purchases bikes for community care workers in developing countries. these bikes are made in the country they are being used. globalbike currently has 22 bikes in operation in Zambia.

these bikes are allowing community care workers to see more patients - carry more supplies - and most importantly do their volunteer work more effectively.

more later...