Village Bicycle Project
On May 10, 2005, the UUCP hosted a presentation and celebration of the Village Bicycle Project. At the end of May the founder of VBP, Dave Peckham, left for Ghana to deliver bikes and tools and help oversee the VBP’s bicycle maintenance workshops. On June 14, 2005, Dave emailed us this news from Ghana.
Finally, after years of delay, the web site is happening. My faves are People and Bikes and Old bikes. I guess I have to say its permanently under construction, as there is still much to be done, always. Hope I’ll get in the habit of using the blog.
I’m in Ghana now, since May 30, catching up with the project on the ground. We just got back from Songornya, a small community where we did three maintenance workshops and 60 people got discounted bikes. Another twenty people came for the Advanced class and picked up more than 100 half-priced tools.
Along with the 60 bikes, Songornya has 15 new pumps, 17 bottles of oil, 8 wrench sets etc. The implications for the sustainable maintenance of their bikes is profound!
We’ve done 11 of our one-day maintenance workshops so far this year, and pending serious requests add up to 40 more before December, (we’ve never done more than 12 in one year.) George and the team are happy with the workshops; when I asked if he would be willing to do 16 more in the next six weeks, he replied modestly, “that won’t be a problem.” The only obstacle appears to be funding. It will cost about $3000 we don’t yet have.
Joining us for the Songornya workshops was the film team from
The tools program is also growing. Samson and I hope to put together our second 4000 piece order from Taiwan, branching into including some certain parts that aren’t readily available here.
And speaking of video, back home in Moscow, Idaho, Marsha Que Sera Productions Marsha Que Sera Productions recently released a short video (11 minute) of the project that I showed at a fun raiser event at the Unitarian Church. Videographer Marsha Schoeffler got me relaxed and talking, saying a lot of what I’d want to say to a big group of people but am usually too full of stage fright. Hey I’m bike development guy, not an entertainer!
In April a group of high school students in Westbury, New York under the direction of their Environmental Club advisor Steve Finkelstein rounded up, flattened and loaded 406 bikes for Ghana, which should be arriving later this month. Wish they’d send digital photos and stories, but we’ll be happy with just the bikes!
On my way home from Africa I’ll be presenting at
Thanks as always for your support!
Finally, after years of delay, the web site is happening. My faves are People and Bikes and Old bikes. I guess I have to say its permanently under construction, as there is still much to be done, always. Hope I’ll get in the habit of using the blog.
I’m in Ghana now, since May 30, catching up with the project on the ground. We just got back from Songornya, a small community where we did three maintenance workshops and 60 people got discounted bikes. Another twenty people came for the Advanced class and picked up more than 100 half-priced tools.
Along with the 60 bikes, Songornya has 15 new pumps, 17 bottles of oil, 8 wrench sets etc. The implications for the sustainable maintenance of their bikes is profound!
We’ve done 11 of our one-day maintenance workshops so far this year, and pending serious requests add up to 40 more before December, (we’ve never done more than 12 in one year.) George and the team are happy with the workshops; when I asked if he would be willing to do 16 more in the next six weeks, he replied modestly, “that won’t be a problem.” The only obstacle appears to be funding. It will cost about $3000 we don’t yet have.
Joining us for the Songornya workshops was the film team from
The tools program is also growing. Samson and I hope to put together our second 4000 piece order from Taiwan, branching into including some certain parts that aren’t readily available here.
And speaking of video, back home in Moscow, Idaho, Marsha Que Sera Productions Marsha Que Sera Productions recently released a short video (11 minute) of the project that I showed at a fun raiser event at the Unitarian Church. Videographer Marsha Schoeffler got me relaxed and talking, saying a lot of what I’d want to say to a big group of people but am usually too full of stage fright. Hey I’m bike development guy, not an entertainer!
In April a group of high school students in Westbury, New York under the direction of their Environmental Club advisor Steve Finkelstein rounded up, flattened and loaded 406 bikes for Ghana, which should be arriving later this month. Wish they’d send digital photos and stories, but we’ll be happy with just the bikes!
On my way home from Africa I’ll be presenting at
Thanks as always for your support!
posted by BL. Starts at 1:00 PM
