From a Rockville Student to a Student in Bohol

King Farm

This year Bikes for the World reconditioned and donated 33 bikes to the TERRIFIC citizens of Rockville on May 18, 2014.

New helmets, donated by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service, and BfW bicycles were awarded to 33 children ages 5-12 who participated in the Rockville Recreation and Parks Department’s “Terrific Bikes” program.

 

Kommy, 2014 Terrific bike earner

Bikes for the World collects unwanted bikes in the community and fixes them up at our King Farm warehouse. Some of these bikes are then given back to the community through the city's earn-a-bike program.  The majority of our bikes are donated to a dozen partner programs around the globe.

 

Children earned the bikes by completing at least six responsible acts, such as perfect school attendance for one month or volunteering at a charitable organization for an hour. Many did much more, including one 9-year-old who earned a bike for his younger brother so he could learn to ride.

Gabrielle, 2013 Terrific bike earner AND donor

Every year we find stories such as these where a young bike earner turns around and gives that bike to someone else. The last two years, in fact, several students brought us their old bikes that they had outgrown to donate to our program.

In 2013 we told you about Gabrielle, who earned a bike even though she had just received a new one for her birthday. She wanted to help another young person find the joys of riding a bike. This year we have an update on that bike Gabrielle donated.

Crea Ocdenaria

Crea Ocdenaria is a Junior at Pagnitoan National High School in Maribojoc, Bohol Philippines. Thanks to Gabrielle's efforts, Crea is now one of about 50 new bike beneficiaries in our latest school project in the Philippines.

Crea lives in the Barangay of Dipatlong which is about 3 kilometers from school. That's almost a four mile round trip walking everyday. Crea was chosen for the bike program based on her family's distance from school as well, as their financial situation. Her father, Edwin, is a laborer and earns about $100 a month for their family. Crea's mom, Marita is a housewife. Crea has three siblings, one brother and two sisters.

 

Pagnitoan HS beneficiaries practice riding skills

The bike Gabielle donated, a blue and silver Power Climber, is now helping Crea get to and from school faster, allowing her more time to study and help her mother with the house and her siblings. Crea is an honor student with a 90.6 average.

Many students are in danger of dropping out of school because of their lengthy commutes. Bicycles are helping entire families by keeping kids in school and getting them home faster to help with errands or family chores.

Pagnitoan National High School is the second school to take part in the Bikes for Education program established by Bikes for the Philippines and supported by Bikes for the World. Our newest beneficiaries just received their bikes after about a six month delay. The devastation last fall caused by the earthquake damaged much of Maribojoc, including the school (you can still see the rubble of a school building behind the bike beneficiaries in the photo above).

 

Bohol Beneficiary Update

Bikes for the Philippines (BfP) is expanding its Bikes for Education project to include a second school district, in Maribojoc, on the island of Bohol. After about a six month delay the training of the beneficiaries will begin next week.

In November 2012, Bikes for the World sent a second container of donated bikes to Manila to support adding this second school district, Pagnituan National High School. The pilot effort, in neighboring Baclayon, has been a huge success. When the program started in 2011-2012 the drop out rate for Baclayon was 4.5%; today that rate is 1.67%. Nationally the rate for the 2011-2012 school year was 7.8%.

Our donated bikes were met in Manila by a large volunteer network mobilized by Bikes for the Philippines. The central warehouse allows bikes to be refurbished by these volunteers before they are shipped to the smaller island of Bohol.

In September 2013, the Philippine Navy delivered 190 refurbished bicycles and spare parts to two projects, a smaller school effort on the island of Cebu and the larger school district, Pagnituan National High School in Bohol. The Bohol bikes were to be stored in Baclayon at Peacock Garden Resort where the bikes were secure and under cover, but not completely out of the weather pattern soon to come.

On October 15, 2013, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the region, rocking Maribojoc which was situated right on top of the North Bohol Fault Line, where the earthquake originated. Access to Maribojoc was immediately cut off from the capital when the main bridge leading into the village collapsed. Supplies would be ferried into town by tiny shipping boats.

All schools in the district suffered tremendous structural damage. Outdoor classrooms were set up under makeshift tents and villagers were living in shelters or compromised structures. Three weeks later the Super Typhoon Haiyan hit. The eye of the storm swung north of Bohol, devastating the island of Leyte. Much of Bohol's water and electric were generated from this island and wiped out in the typhoon.

With the kids unable to attend school and the community shaken from two major natural disasters back to back, it was clear the bike program would need to be suspended for the time being. BfP shifted efforts to rebuilding Maribojoc and began delivering things like rice and books to the struggling community.

April 2014. Currently, BfP  is poised to begin training beneficiaries  first thing next month (April). After spending some time in the elements, our bikes sitting at Peacock Gardens could use a little TLC maintenance, which will be completed by two students beneficiaries from our pilot program in Baclayon.

Jake Palijado

The Mayor of Maribojoc and the Department of Education worked together to designate two classrooms in Pagnituan that will serve as a warehouse and makeshift repair shop. Once they graduate next month, Jake Palijado and Hermongenes Pocot will assess and repair the bikes to be loaned to the next round of beneficiaries in Maribojoc. These two graduates will also serve as mentors and role models to the new beneficiaries in Pagnituan.

Meanwhile, Bikes for the Philippines is already looking at where the next container of bikes will be placed. Marikina, a school district on the island of Luzon (where Manila is located) and another on the island of Cebu are currently being evaluated. Storage, volunteer hands, and transportation continue to be a consideration especially given the complications that arose in Bohol during the latest round of storms, not to mention the ship transport and the exposure to salt water and sea air the bikes experienced.

Bohol Strong

On October 15th, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake rocked the Philippine island of Bohol. Bohol is part of the island group in the Philippines known as the Visayas. Our partner, Bikes for the Philippines began its bikes for education program on this island and was due to deliver a second shipment of bikes to a new project in Maribojoc, Bohol.

Maribojoc is just one of about a dozen towns in Bohol that were badly affected by this quake. Many of the towns in desperate need of supplies are located along the western coast of Bohol. Our first bike project was launched in Baclayon which is southeast of the main city, Tagbliaran. Many of the reports we are receiving via facebook are from folks in this area that are trying to reach the more remote residents of Bohol who are struggling to receive the basic supplies they need, like rice and water.

80-90% of the houses in Maribojoc were destroyed either in the initial earthquake or in resulting aftershocks, which are still occurring two weeks later. A number of key bridges were also damaged in the October 15th earthquake. Some bridges were submerged and others so compromised only light vehicles (2 wheels) are allowed over them.

Most residents were left without water, electricity, and an ample supply of food. In the days following, Boholanos struggled to deliver supplies to those  cut off from neighboring towns, often resorting to using small boats to reach them.

Most houses in these remote areas of Bohol are made of concrete blocks and bamboo, neither of which are any match against the strong force of the earthquake that was initially centered in Maribojoc. Those living in houses that were still standing often still moved outside away from the structures that could be unsafe in the coming aftershocks.

Filipinos, especially from the lower island group of Mindanao, are all too familiar with natural disasters and live in fear of tsunamis given their proximity to the water. Many people ran for higher ground during this latest earthquake scare, which may have saved their lives as so many homes were destroyed. One family had gone to market when the quake hit and came home to find their home demolished.

 Elvie, who welcomed us to Baclayon National High School (BNHS) during our visit there last year, is the principal at BNHS, but lives in Maribojoc. She lost her home in this month's earthquake.

The house seen here is located in Catigbian. The owner is related to one of the main facilitators of our bikes for education program, Ma Lou. Ma Lou and her husband Rhowix escaped uninjured and with little to no damage to their own house in Tagbliaran City. They still spent a few nights outside in a tent afraid of damage that could still occur afterwards. Many aftershocks can often be more damaging than the original tremor.

 The biggest issue has been reaching some of the more remote areas of this region to ensure everyone has food and water. We have also received word that many of the much needed supplies are being sold at incredibly high prices given the demand and complexity of replenishing the supply.

Many people associated with Bikes for the Philippines including the director Joel Uichico, the owners of Peacock Garden, who helped pay for the initial shipment of bikes, and Nestor Petelos, president of Bohol Local Development Foundation (BLDF) and who we can't say enough about, have come together to collect and distribute supplies to their neighbors affected by the quake.

Nestor, who has dedicated his life to fighting poverty, lost his father right before the quake hit. Amid his own personal tragedy we saw a grave need swelling around him and sprung into action. He immediately organized his own relief mission and set out on motorbike and in some cases foot to reach residents cut off from main roads. Some of these people reported only seeing media crews who came through to report the widespread damage, no relief missions.

Nestor found communities pulling together helping each other out waiting patiently for supplies of rice and water, which they brought. They are now shifting gears to try to rebuild their precious towns. Some homeowners lost everything except what they were wearing and are struggling to find relief loans since they don't physically have a title in hand for their destroyed homes.

 Many historic churches were damaged after the initial tremor, including the centerpiece of Baclayon, Baclayon Church. The tower you can see here in the background during the first delivery of bikes two years ago collapsed.

The fate of these historic landmarks brought media attention to Bohol. The well known Chocolate Hills split in half, exposing the mystery beneath them. But it is the spirit of this island, the strength of its people, and the commitment to rebuild that is the true story of Bohol.

Our bike program is on hold, while efforts to bring this island back to what it was continues. School will resume in the upcoming weeks and eventually our bikes arriving in Maribojoc will continue to be distributed among the students who may need them now more than ever.

Special thanks to everyone reporting from Bohol on Facebook, where we borrowed images and stories for this posting. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

How Can I Help?

What's the connection between Lincoln, Nebraska and Baclayon National High School in Bohol, Philippines? The answer is next month's Featured Volunteer!

Meet Carlton Styron. Back in December of 2012 Carlton sent us an email:

Hello, My Name is Carlton Styron and I reside in Lincoln, Nebraska. As I will be moving soon to the Philippines, I had the notion to find a worthy and helpful cause to participate in while there, and found your website. I am a huge bike lover and mechanic. Do you need help with anything in the Philippines?

 It was that simple question in nothing more than an introductory email to Bikes for the World that got the wheel turning. We put Carlton in touch with Bikes for the Philippines Director Joel Uichico who was at that moment awaiting the arrival of a second container of bikes from Bikes for the World.

Once bikes arrive in Manila, Joel faces the daunting task of not just unloading five hundred plus bikes, but reassembling and fixing almost all of them. Donated bikes are discarded for a reason, most often, they need repaired. Here's where Carlton comes in.

Recently, a dedicated crew of Pinoy volunteers gathered together to turn these bikes from Bikes for the World back into valuable, usable bikes that will help keep kids in school in remote areas of the Philippines. These bikes were donated by individuals in the Northern Virginia area as well as from the national retail chain DICK'S Sporting Goods.

Carlton was one of the many volunteers who assessed and fixed  the bikes that would be donated to the students in Bohol and Cebu. He quickly noticed the need for spare parts, new and used, when trying to give these old bikes a new life. 

"First we go through all the bikes, set the handle bars, install the pedals and do minor repairs. An assessment is taken of each bike to know of any other problems, then the more experienced mechanics take care of the rest. It works smooth as silk," Carlton Styron

This blue bike you see him with here came to us through a special donor from New Jersey who goes by the name Plong-Plong. Plong is originally from the neighboring town where our bikes were first donated. He knows the terrain well that these students navigate just to get to school. He contacted Bikes for the World desperately wanting to help. The handful of bikes he donated are among this shipment being sent to the second school district in Bohol.

Recently Carlton had the opportunity to travel to the island of Bohol and meet the kids he was helping in that warehouse in Manila. Putting a face to a frame really puts this kind of work in perspective.

Leila Ungab is one of the new beneficiaries in the Bikes for the Philippines education program. Carlton is the mechanic who revived her donated bike that will help get her to and from school quickly and safely.

While in Baclayon, Carlton met with the teachers behind the success of this program. He saw first-hand how valuable these bikes are to the student residents who need them to get to school on time. He also got share some of his bike knowledge with the young budding mechanics. All students who receive a bike are required to know certain maintenance techniques to keep the bike in good standing.

Carlton Styron is an individual example of the global reach of this program. Carlton's wife was from the Philippines and he wanted to experience Philippine life. He also loved bikes and wanted to give something back during his stay. He reached out to Bikes for the World to make a difference in his new home in the Philippines before he even left Nebraska. We introduced him to the perfect meld: Bikes for the Philippines.

When Carlton began with this organization what he found  was a well organized program with an amazing leader. "Joel is the perfect person to head this up. He has a big heart for the children," Carlton recently reported to us via email. What he also found, was a rewarding volunteer experience that was making a difference in a community half a world away from his previous home.

You can help support this Bikes for Education initiative by supporting Bikes for the World right here at home. You can donate a bike, your time, or financially to help bring a bike to someone who will use it to make a positive impact on his or her life. Bike accessories and new and used parts are a big part of what keeps this program sustainable. Your donation will help us provide used bikes, training, or tools to mechanics in need. DONATE TODAY.

A Different Kind of Charity Ride

Yvette Hess with FreeBike co-founder Johan Bender

Bikes for the World has a new partner in Southern California. It's a unique partner for BfW since it's sort of a bike rental company for college students. But not really. First of all, it's FREE. And these students aren't your average bike riders.

The FreeBike Project offers free wheels to students, traveling 'billboards' for local businesses, and a 'vehicle' for change to students abroad. Let me break that down.

The pilot project began on the campus of the University of Southern California. Co-founders Johan Bender and Kim Sanderhoff thought up this unique bike leasing project that pairs students with businesses. Students get the use of a bike for the semester and businesses get seen around town, on facebook, twitter, pinterest...you're getting the idea.

Here's the bike. Looks a bit like it might have come from the streets of Copenhagen? Well, they do know bikes there. And Bender and Sanderhoff have Denmark roots and designed the bike themselves.

Each bike comes with a marketing placard in the main triangle of the bike. Businesses who sign on with FreeBike Project may get 3 or 300 bikes depending on their size. (They don't have any 300 sized clients...yet). The marketing campaign lasts the entire semester where the bike may be seen in person on campus, cruising nearby streets, or in student fired social media blasts.

Seen on USC campus with Johan and Kim

Students sign up, pay a 'holding fee' or 'security deposit', and get a bike to use all semester. The guys offer free maintenance and tons of incentives for posting the coolest pictures with the bikes.

It gives students a pair of wheels to get around campus and a unique way of supporting their favorite businesses. It also gives them a creative outlet to explore and define the future of online marketing...to a desired demographic the 18-25 age range. It's a great idea, right?

But wait! There's MORE. At the end of the semester they return the bike, get their money back, AND in turn send a bike to our Bikes for the Philippines project. That's exactly right, each FreeBike rider represents a new student rider in Bohol. How cool is that? Students love it, on both sides of the globe.

The FreeBike Project donates the cost of shipping one bike to Bikes for the World earmarked for Bikes for the Philippines for every single rider they have. At the end of this semester, that was 90 riders. And the riders (and businesses) take pride in the (little) effort it took to provide this ride to a student overseas, giving him or her the means to stay enrolled in school and graduate. Ride to class...change a life. That was easy.

Go Joe!

The Bikes for the Philippines' Bikes for Education project is one of our favorite projects we donate bikes to and not just because we've been there, met the beneficiaries, and even rode to and from school with them. This program, which was started about a year ago, provides bicycles to students who live over 3 km from school in an effort to keep them enrolled in school and eventually graduating. The students are taught how to ride, basic mechanic skills, and overall bike safety as part of the school curriculum.  THIS is why we love this project!

Courtesy: The Coffee

We were excited to learn that Bikes for the Philippines had successfully documented the first installment of bikes that were distributed in Baclayon, where we visited. They were ready for container TWO! This shipment of bikes, using the same model, would be used in the village of Maribojoc, very near Baclayon, again on the island of Bohol. Students will be hand selected and interviewed before entering the program. As with the pilot project, students will be allowed to use the bikes to get to and from school only, earning them upon graduation.

Andrew Glover with Plong-Plong in NJ

Back at home we had been collecting bikes, some specifically for this project. Jo Grant, who approached BfW for bikes for BfP had a collection in Boston earlier this year. Joel Esguerra, working with Gensler, has done a ton of fundraising for this project, as well has holding a collection this summer.

Plong-Plong, seen here in his BfW Tshirt, donated several bikes he collected in his NJ neighborhood for BfW. Because Plong-Plong is from Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines (the city between the two Bikes for Education projects) we made an exception and set those bikes aside for the Philippines shipment.

Bolandrina family

Fast forward to November. Joe Bolandrina and family, Grethel, Lilly, and Max! packed up the car and drove from Massachusetts all the way to our Lorton VA storage site to help us load this next container for the Philippines. Grethel had moved from the Philippines in the 80s and Joe had helped out at that collection outside Boston in the spring. They fell in love with the program and had to help!

And help they did. We got over 500 bikes in this container, which is now on its way to the Philippines. This family of four must have rolled 2/3 of the bikes in there themselves. Lilly and Max were troopers. Max struggled with quite a few bikes that towered over his head, but never gave up. And Lilly documented the whole trip for a school project. In fact we already had a donation from their school come in after a student carried home a flyer in his backpack about our project.

Lilly Bolandrina loading a bike from Massachusetts

"I'm Lilly Bolandrina. I helped Bikes for the Philippines donate bikes for kids and adults in the Philippines. I did this because my dad wanted us to come and see what it is like to go to Virginia and watch him help Keith ( the person who does Bikes for the World) donate these bikes. Bikes for the World helps Bikes for the Philippines. Instead of just watching my dad help I helped as well. I wheeled bikes from the abandoned prison gym to the container that gets shipped to the Philippines. It was very hard because most bikes were very heavy and the wheels would not turn on some.It was really cool to see all the different sized bikes and a couple of tricycles. Some of the bikes also were missing parts so they looked funny. We helped for four hours until we had to leave.

Lilly and Max sealing the container

Then tomorrow we came back again to finish loading the container with bikes. We crammed 501 or 502 bikes into the container . Most of the bikes were mountain bikes and baby bikes. Still, there were some road bikes and quite a lot of young children bikes. On the second day of filling the container we only had to work for two hours. I got to give the very last bike to go inside the container. Then my little brother and I put the little I.D. tag on the container to show that it hasn't been opened yet."

Thank you Lilly, Max, Grethel, and Joe! The next step is traveling to Maribojoc to meet the bike beneficiaries and ride with them. I'm pretty sure I saw Joe marking a bike to be set aside for him to borrow while he is there! It would be a treat to track Plong-Plong's (a long time friend of Joe's) donations as well as bikes the Bolandrina's donated.

Check out Joe's enthusiasm as he donates his older son's first Gary Fisher:

Bikes For Education

SHERWIN and RON NARBAY

For Ron and Sherwin a bicycle could be the difference between graduating and not finishing school at all. In fact, many students in Baclayon, a remote community on the island of Bohol Philippines, travel many miles every day just to get to and from school. With only one high school in the village, students are often forced to travel more miles once they move up in school. This burdens not only the student but the entire family as less time can be devoted to necessary household chores.

The road to the Narbay's

Ron and Sherwin leave their house at 5am every morning in hopes of arriving to school on time after walking the two hour commute. The rough roads of Baclayon are long and rocky. After the rain, the roads become dangerously slippery. Some students do not even have shoes and most cannot afford transportation IF it even approaches their homes.

Both Ron and Sherwin have fallen on the slippery terrain after running in an attempt to make it to school on time. Students are not allowed to enter the classroom if they are late. They must wait until the afternoon session, causing them to miss half the school day.

Rowena Narbay, mother of Sherwin and Ron

The boys admit it would be easier many days to just not go to school. But they also know that the small sacrifices are worth the end result. Their parents did not finish school and struggle to find work to make ends meet. When Sherwin asked his mom for a bicycle to make the trip to school easier, she reluctantly had to tell him they could not afford it.

After a long day at school and a two hour commute home, students are exhausted and often racing daylight. Sometimes they don't even have enough time to finish their homework after completing the household chores at night. Teachers have also found students tired and distracted in the classrooms.

Since Bikes for the Philippines partnered with Bikes for the World students who live over 3km from school became eligible to receive a loaned bicycle through the program. Students who had once dropped out completely came back to school through this program and at least one of them has graduated back into the mainstream education system. Teachers tell stories of students who are more focused and on time for school. Parents are proud to have their children enrolled and thriving in school. There's plenty of time of chores and homework and most importantly, hope for the future.

Ron and Sherwin tell their story to Ako Ang Simula, a local television program:
(with English subtitles)

The Little Bike That Could

JOAN IGCAS

Do you remember your first bike? Joan Igcas does. In fact it's only been about a year since she first learned how to ride it. You'd never guess it if you rode next to her. The roads she travels on her mile commute to school are steep and muddy...to say they are a challenge to navigate on a bicycle is an understatement. And she handles them like a pro.

Joan was one of about 80 students in Baclayon on the island of Bohol, Philippines to receive a bicycle through the program Bikes for the Philippines. Like many of her classmates, Joan had no idea how to ride a bike. She told us she was nervous and found it to be tiring:

As part of the school curriculum, the bike beneficiaries of this program are taught how to ride, proper handling skills, bike safety, and bike maintenance. Students are required to wear helmets and may only use the loaned bicycles to get to and from school.

Once they graduate, the bike is turned over to them and they may use it to continue their studies, get to and from work, or however they wish. The goal of the program is to keep kids enrolled in school. The bi-product has been creating hopes and dreams in young people who once had neither.

This program has been so successful in Baclayon, Bikes for the Philippines is now preparing to have a second container of bikes shipped through Bikes for the World to a new project in Maribojoc, a nearby community also on the island of Bohol.

You can follow their progress on facebook. To support the program, donations are accepted through Bikes for the World by indicating PHILIPPINES in the Designation Code Box on the donation form.
DONATE HERE

It Not Only Takes a Village But Also Changes One

Beneficiaries mentor each other

To single out one individual beneficiary of the Bikes for the Philippines program would be missing the bigger picture of how this program is changing not just one life but an entire community. This project may have been born from the idea of one man but its success is due in large part because of the passion of many. And it’s not just about giving bikes to students to get to school but rather creating hopes and dreams where there once were none.

Typical household of beneficiary

Bikes for Education, the Baclayon branch of BfP, was created quite simply to keep kids in school. Great care was taken to identify students who lived 3km or more from their schools and were in danger of dropping out. In addition to these students, previous students who had already dropped out were approached and offered the use of a donated bicycle for reenrolling in school.

Many families are grateful to Bikes for the Philippines and Bikes for the World for loaning their children bikes to get to and from school. The parents are thankful to have their kids home more to help with household chores. The teachers are seeing improvements in test scores by having the students arrive on time to class.

Girls learning how to change a flat tire

Bikes for Education is now part of the curriculum in the school system. Students are required, as part of the program, to learn basic bike maintenance including cleaning the bike and changing a flat tire. They are also taught bike safety and handling and must pass a written exam before receiving the bike.

Because the program was implemented in waves starting with the adult education program and working its way down through the grade system, older students were given the opportunity to mentor the younger students teaching them valuable lessons in teamwork and leadership.

Although students must sign a contract stating that the bikes may only be used to get to and from school, beneficiaries often take part in community rides on the weekends. This bonding experience allows older students to continue mentoring the younger students in bike handling and maintenance as is necessary.

Bol-anon Cyclists, a local bike club of adult cyclists, also often participates in these community rides with the students. The students gain confidence not only in their riding but also in life as they bond with this group of cyclists.

Beneficiaries taking donated shoes to orphange

Some of the Community rides are just outings in and among the rural roads of their small community of Baclayon. Others serve a bigger purpose. Bike beneficiaries have delivered food, donated TOMS shoes, and even donated kiddie bikes from BfP to the local orphanage.

The donation of these bikes and the meticulous implementation of this program have brought a new world to these students. So many doors have been opened, friendships made, and networks established.

Beneficiaries take part in Earth Hour

Another event the beneficiaries took part in last March was Earth Hour in the Philippines. Hundreds of millions of people, businesses, and governments globally unite each year to support the biggest environmental event known as Earth Hour.

The Philippines has earned bragging rights for being the biggest participant in this event four years running.  A record-breaking 1671 Filipino towns, cities, provinces, and municipalities turned off their lights for 60 minutes.

Kids in the Bikes for Education program are learning more in school, getting lessons in life, and becoming more aware of global issues around them thanks to BfP. 

Beneficiaries visit City Hall

Even the local Government is starting to get involved. With the influx of bikes to the barangay and puroks (like our cities and towns), the Local Government Unit (LGU) has started introducing bike laws and regulations to help keep everyone safe.

Alongside the Bol-anon Cyclists and BfP Director Joel Uichico and school officials, the bike beneficiaries rode to City Hall and sat in on the Bike Ordinance meeting. This is truly a community effort at work.

Beneficiaries at Rock111

As students finish school and earn their degrees, they are also awarded the bicycle that got them to that goal to use however they wish. Some graduates will go onto college but more will enter the workplace. The bicycle will continue to be of great benefit getting them to and from work just as it had to and from school.

Through the generosity and connections of BfP some graduates have already received career training doing such things as baking, hospitality, food preparation, and farming. Bike beneficiaries have been placed in these internship type programs upon completion of high school due to their involvement with Bikes for the Philippines.

Where There Is A Wheel, There IS A Way

The first BfP beneficiaries graduate!

Congratulations to the Fourth Year Students of Baclayon National High School. As students here in DC are wrapping things up for the summer, the first graduates from the Bikes for the Philippines program are already in work training programs.

The Philippine Navy helps deliver bikes

In 2011, Bikes for the World donated 556 used bicycles collected in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, to the Bikes for Education program of Bikes for the Philippines (BfP), a newly formed effort in the community of Baclayon, on the Filipino island of Bohol. The bikes were provided to enhance and preserve access to education for young people from low-income communities and living at a distance from school, who were at risk of dropping out—or who may have already abandoned school.

Back in 2004, Joel Uichico, a local businessman, noticed the children of Baclayon walking barefoot along rocky terrain just to get to school. He found that some of these children were walking up to 5km one way and some were dropping out of school because of the hardship this long trek was putting on the family. Something had to be done.

Because of the roads, cost of public transportation, and even the weather, he knew the only solution to this problem was getting these kids bicycles. He just wasn't sure how to go about doing that. He contacted his cousin Jo Grant located in the United States for help. Grant connected Joel with Bikes for the World and a new partnership was born.

Courtesy Lucy Neher

Here in the States we don't often think about the importance a bicycle has on a family. We often use them for recreation rather than transportation or work. Overseas a bicycle creates a means of life and often increases the amount of money coming into a household.

This past year in Takoma Park, however, Lucy Neher the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the City of Takoma Park brought a bigger awareness to riding a bike to school. This first ever Bike to School Day brought 130 students and 30 parents out on their bikes May 9th. But think if you HAD to do this EVERY day monsoon or shine!

Joel Uichico BfP Director rides home with the kids

That's exactly what the kids of Baclayon have to do. The roads are steep, muddy, rocky, and often wet. In some cases students were walking an hour or more in order to get to school. They are often late and unable to enter the classrooms until the afternoon session begins. They were missing valuable lessons, tired, and distracted in the classroom.

Once the Bikes for Education program started teachers, principals, and guidance counselors saw an immediate shift in performance. Students were on time and eager to come to school.

BfW Outreach Coordinator Yvette Hess

I rode the same roads these kids ride every day. They are no joke! For those of you in the DC area who mountain bike, some of these routes to school compare with the trails at Gambrill in Frederick. I was there in February, which is the 'dry' season and it rained every night. Every day we got up and rode muddy, mucky roads.

The kids all receive helmets and training, both book and hands on. There were times I questioned whether bikes were really better than walking on some of these roads. But then we would hit a two yard wide muck puddle and I knew I wouldn't want to walk through that in shoes or flip flops.

 Odoni Pestelos with Bicycle Escape water bottle

But the kids were amazing on their bikes. I was very impressed with their handling skills and the way they read and negotiated the rocks. Some of the newer riders walked the steep, rocky parts.

One thing I did notice was the need for gear. Yes, we will take your unwanted shorts and jerseys and see that they are delivered to our partners overseas. Tires, brakes, cables...these were all put under immense stress in these conditions and the kids are going to need replacement parts to keep these bikes running. We try to send parts along with the shipments, but we need funds to do this. You can donate to this specific program HERE or by indicating it under the Designation Code on our website donation form.

Even water bottles. Every now and again a bottle is left on a bike and sent overseas.  I was tickled when I was lost, (yes, I was separated from the group and wandering around with just a few guys in the remote mountains of Bohol) looked up, and saw this guy drinking out of a local (to me) water bottle! I was thrilled to see Ako Ang Simula (a Philippine TV show) with host Karen Davila, sponsor a drive to raise money to get all these kids water bottles.

Take a look at the program shown on ABS-CBN. Karen Davila introduces us to the program, the kids, and the revolution that is happening thanks to the bikes donated by Bikes for the World.