Francis Owino: Fixing Bikes, Creating Jobs

Francis Owino rides his bike six miles to work every day, saving himself an hour by avoiding traffic.  He is the father of 7 children and helps support three nieces and nephews. Francis is making sure all ten kids are in school and getting an education by paying their school fees.

Francis grew up on the western end of Kenya, moved to Nairobi, and eventually started his own business in Kibera. His mother sold fish to support her family and ensure her kids got a good education, something Francis is passing on to the next generation. Francis graduated primary school and went on to polytechnic school where he studied his passion, tailoring.

After graduation, Francis moved to Nairobi to chase his dreams and make a better living. However, he was only able to find a job selling used clothing. Francis focused on making hats but only made about three cents per hat. Undeterred but needing a better job, he ended up moving to Makina, Kibera to help a friend repair bikes.

His friend taught him the complex skills involved in bike mechanics. After about six months, Francis went out to start his own bike shop. He began fixing bikes and selling used tubes and tires, which was about all he could afford to buy at the time. For 20 years Francis struggled to survive, taking out loans to help buy bikes to repair and sell.

This past year, Francis met Wheels of Africa and life took a turn for the better. He is now able to buy more bikes at a cheaper price, turning a bigger profit for his shop. He employs three full time mechanics on a regular basis and up to eight part timers on the weekends when the shop is extremely busy.

"Meeting Wheels of Africa has been a total lifestyle change for me," says Francis. He no longer needs to take loans and has money to rent a stable shop that creates jobs for people in Makina. In addition to the lower prices offered at Wheels of Africa, the bikes are of a higher quality than he can get elsewhere. This draws a crowd, keeping Francis's shop busy, and customers happy.

Many of the bikes sold in Francis's bike shop are used for transportation in Kibera. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi and the largest urban slum in Africa. One fifth of Nairobi's population lives within the slum of Kibera. As roads are built in a effort to clean up the slum, bikes are becoming an important transportation tool.

Francis also works to teach kids and beginners how to ride a bike. "Mungu Aibariki (God Bless) Wheels of Africa," beams Francis.

Post contributed in part by Dorcas and Patrick of Wheels of Africa.

Featured Volunteer: Nathan Cross

This guy. This guy is a valuable part of the Bikes for the World team. Meet Nathan Cross, debonair cyclist, committed volunteer, mechanic, and accomplished component recycler. Nathan strips parts off bikes that are shipped to our overseas partner mechanics. Those mechanics are using those valuable parts to put your old bikes back together, fixing them up to become valuable modes of transportation for work, school, and medical purposes.

The bottom line is you donated your bike to us for a reason. Often, that reason is the bike needs a tune up or sometimes major repairs. While our recipient partners would probably love to open a container and have all the bikes inside be in perfect working order, that's just never the case.

And that's not a bad thing. Many of the groups we partner with in Africa and Central America have sustainable programs in place that help employ local workers and empower businesses. Our donated bikes are distributed throughout many communities by our partners and put into the hands of local shop owners who were often trained by the same organizations. Our partners find entrepreneurs in remote villages and offer bike mechanic skills training to help them start thriving businesses.

 Over the past year Bikes for the World has made a huge effort to get more and more spare parts to these small remote bike shops to help those mechanics repair your old bikes and keep them in good working order.

Guys like Nathan help us make that possible. Several times a month he'll ride in on his bike from work to help us attack the mountain of junk bikes we have in the back corner. A 'junk bike' may be a frame that is bent or broken that still has good quality used parts on it. Rather than take that to the recycling center as is, we want to salvage as many workable parts as possible to be included in our containers donated overseas.

Nathan says he has no formal training, just tinkering with his own bikes from the time he was a kid. He's an avid cyclist who was looking to volunteer in Arlington. He wanted to make a difference and he was looking for a hands-on, physical activity and found us. Lucky us!

"I really enjoy the time spent in the warehouse, it feels great to be doing something I love and helping people in other parts of the world. Seeing the photos of shipping containers being opened by excited recipients is especially gratifying," says Nathan. He's proud of the work he is doing and it shows. And we all love to see the results of that work once those rescued components arrive overseas.

Edgardo- El Salvador

On the other side, meet Edgardo. Edgardo is learning to do what Nathan does, in reverse. When our bikes arrive overseas they need to be reassembled and tuned up. Many or our recipient partners either work with local bike shop owners or run programs on site employing mechanics who refurbish your old donated bikes.

For Edgardo this process has more than one component. He is part of CESTA in El Salvador, one of our dozen regular partners. CESTA works with at risk youth to help guide them to better futures and keep them safe from dangerous gangs.

Edgardo uses his bicycle to get to the shop and to school. At the shop he is learning valuable skills like how to tune a bicycle and do minor repairs. He also enjoys participating in the conflict resolution programs CESTA offers in addition to the hands on bike workshop.

Mirriam Odura: An Outspokin' Woman

"My name is Mirriam Odura. I am a mechanic."

Mirriam is 33 years old. She is a mother, daughter, singer, athlete, advocate, role model, mechanic, business owner...simply put, Mirriam is a champion. She is also physically challenged. She is changing attitudes about what being 'dis'-abled means.

"She doesn't seem to be handicapped," says Mirriam's father. She has always wanted to explore, has always been adventurous. He said, "I cannot discourage her from anything." When she puts her mind to something she goes after it.

And that's just what she did in her career. When Bikes Not Bombs began the idea of a cooperative bike shop in Koforidua they reached out to disabled Ghanaians looking for a staff to not only run the shop, but own it. Mirriam approached BNB's David Branigan and said, "I want to be part of this program." And Ability Bikes was born.

Mirriam joined David and a team of aspiring mechanics to learn more about bikes and running a local bike shop. When David asked her to true a wheel she initially bent the rim. It was a complete failure. All the guys laughed at her. But then she tried again and nailed it. She was a natural.

After that, those same male mechanics came to Mirriam and asked her to help them true their rims. She said, "You are sitting there laughing at me. You want me to help you? I won't do that!" But she did. And now when a customer comes in needing a wheel repair or rebuild, the guys all point to Mirriam. She is the best wheel builder in Koforidua. She just happens to be a woman. And 'dis'-abled. Whatever that means. It certainly doesn't stop her.

African men come in the shop with a wheel or a bike looking for a mechanic. The last thing they expect is to find that in a woman. They may be skeptical when meet her, but the bottom line is she can do something they can't do themselves. They all leave with a well tuned bicycle and a different attitude.

Being part of Ability Bikes has given Mirriam a respectable job and an important place in the community. She now has valuable skills that are very needed and respected in her community. She is inspiring to youth and adults. She represents physically challenged Ghanaians as a strong advocate. Even non-physically challenged women look up to her when it comes to learning a skill and being courageous in life. She is proud of her work. She is happy. In this male dominated field, Mirriam is a true champion.

Bikes for the World is shipping our fourth container to this project in October 2015. Mirriam may be fixing your old wobbly wheel in 2016! You can learn more about Mirriam in the video below.

Featured Volunteer: Johnson Lambert LLP

Johnson Lambert LLP

This month we recognize a team of 'volunteers' unlike any other. Johnson Lambert LLP is an accounting firm that has not only gotten their hands dirty in our warehouse but also dug deep in our office sorting through papers and figures to keep us on financial track.

This team at Johnson Lambert LLP, with help from their Fairfax VA and Raleigh NC offices, prepared on a pro bono basis, the Bikes for the World audit and IRS 990 report 2012-2014. More than simply making sure that our donors' resources have been properly stewarded - the team's assistance has enabled us to improve our operational efficiency and effectiveness through better financial management and compliance with federal and local jurisdiction.

Our relationship with the Johnson Lambert team goes back to 2012, when one of the company's younger employees, Emily Powell, began volunteering on her own with BfW. Enthused by our mission, Emily brought our team-building activities to the attention of the company's management when it was considering corporate volunteer opportunities. In June of that year, Emily brought a Johnson Lambert team of more than 20 individuals  to our warehouse in Lorton, where they prepped bikes and loaded a container for Costa Rica.

In September, Emily's senior colleague, Partner Audrey Newton, contacted BfW to explore the possibility of offering pro bono audit and related services. Within a few months arrangements were in place for a Johnson Lambert team to provide a full financial and operations audit, along with preparations of the IRS form 990 for 2012.

The first year's work took place beginning in July 2013 and extended into the fall. This was before BfW moved into our Arlington office and the JL team descended on Keith's dining room table and took over a quarter of his downstairs. Now in 2015, we are established in an office and with the improvements made to our record keeping, many at the recommendation of JL, the process has gone much more quickly and efficiently.

We are extremely grateful to Johnson Lambert LLP for its support, and in particular to Managing Partner Debbie Lambert and the team members who lent their support and expertise to this effort. Doing pro bono work is a very generous gesture on the part of the company, and is not without considerable costs. To be able to offer these services, the company schedules them during the summer months traditionally the least-pressured season. And while assigning a senior Partner as overall responsible manager, the company also uses the work for staff professional development, as a training and skill-building exercise for younger employees.

Spotlight on Alajuela Costa Rica

Continuing with our series on Costa Rica, we visit the province of Alajuela. Alajuela is situated in the north central portion of Costa Rica. Although this province lacks the beautiful coastline that typically draws tourists to the country, it still boasts a visually stunning landscape

Within the boundaries of Alajuela one can find stunning waterfalls, a topiary wonderland in Francisco Alvarado park, a colorful array of flora and fauna, and lush rain forests. Perhaps the biggest attraction is one of  Costa Rica's largest active volcanoes, Arenal, which watches over the province.

Nestled within the rolling countryside of this flourishing area is the heart of Costa Rican rural life. Steep, winding roads steer away from traffic and crowded cities such as San José, immersing one into some of the country's richest farmland. Soil rich from the volcanic ash surrounding the area brings thriving crops of oranges, pineapple, yucca, and sugar cane.

Tourists can buy rambutan from small roadside vendors without leaving the car or by visiting the larger commercial marketplaces in more populated areas. These markets bustle with local farmers and vendors selling their products brought from farther away homes and farms. Fruits, veggies, even fine leather products like belts and saddles are sold in these community markets.

Benigno Melendez

Through our partner FINCA Costa Rica/MiBici, Bikes for the World donates bikes to the small communities that make up Alajuela. Each container shipped often serves multiple communities. Bikes and parts are divided up among the groups and transported back to their members.

These bikes provide much needed, affordable transportation to farmers and merchants who need to travel many miles to reach the bigger markets to sell their home-grown products. Our bikes save them time and money by getting them to market faster and with more product to sell.

Upala

The canton of Upala has a busy commercial marketplace where small local farmers can make a decent living selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Bicycles are the most important mode of transportation in the remote villages within Upala. Benigno (above) uses his bike to travel to market four times faster and with the added basket on the back can haul four times as much produce to sell, which benefits his family greatly.

Bikes are also used by many of the children going to school in Upala. Eight-year-old Kevin (right) just received his bike in June. His mom, Yorleny travels to school with him every day. A trip that used to take over a half hour now takes only 10 minutes.

San Carlos

San Carlos stretches from the epicenter of San José to the border of Nicaragua. It is the largest canton in Alajuela. Volcán Arenal is located here and with it comes the rich soil fueled by volcanic ash, making it a fruitful agricultural center. Coffee and tubers, like cassava, are widely produced here.

In addition to helping members complete errands faster and assisting vendors with added carrying capacity, our bikes are helping students commute to school faster and stay in school. In one particular village only 35 members have acquired a college degree. They are expecting the percentage of graduates to decrease in upcoming years due to the high drop out rate in elementary and secondary schools. Many families cite high transportation costs as the reason for pulling kids out of school. Bringing bikes to these villages is increasingly important to help families and communities continue to thrive.

Spotlight Guanacaste

Spotlight Talamanca

Featured Volunteer: Robert Evans

This month we are honoring the effort of Robert Evans, and checking back over the Featured Volunteers we had to check twice. How could we have overlooked Bob Evans, one of our most dedicated and hard working volunteers ever?

Truth be told, it wasn't neglect; Bob moved away several years ago. When his wife was relocated to Toronto for work of course Bob went with her. But we didn't lose Bob.

So back in 2012, just at a time when BfW was looking to expand, Bob said, what about doing something in Canada, eh? And just last month he assisted a Lions Club who loaded their first container of bikes for our South African partner, Bicycling Empowerment Network.

Rewind to 2010. Bob had just moved to DC and as an avid biker we was well aware of the value of a bike. A neighbor was looking to get rid of a bike and he found Bikes for the World. He went out to a collection in Virginia, starting talking to our volunteers, and he was hooked!

Lucky us. Bob became a regular out at King Farm. Back then Nick Colombo ran our volunteer night and with all the kids in Montgomery County racking up service learning hours for school, he had his hands full. Turns out Bob is great with kids. Lucky us.

Actually, Bob is just a great mentor, period. Whether he is teaching someone how to prep a bike for shipping, how to safely move a bike, or how to load a container he is thorough and thoughtful.

Bob was with us when we received our first trucks from Dick's Sporting Goods. He helped us overcome the obstacles of unloading at Lorton, where we didn't have a formal loading dock. He braved the cold (we didn't know then he'd be a Canadian soon) at King Farm for January loadings. He was also available to help mentor youth at collections that popped up and left us scrambling for help.

The thing that makes Bob so great though, is simply his passion. Bob loves bikes and he loves sharing that with others. He found BfW was the perfect place to do that and he starting hanging with us ever since. Even at a distance he continues to spread our mission.

"I love teaching kids about bikes, I love meeting the folks that donate bikes and reminding them what a great thing they are doing by donating their bike and some cash, I love everyone that helps just because they are people that put their backs into what their heart tells them to do," Bob Evans.

Director Keith Oberg is glad to have Bob still working with us, "Bob is energetic, knowledgeable, diplomatic, personable, and a perfect roving ambassador for BfW internationally as well as domestically."

Cycle Recycle Canada

Tiverton, Canada. Bikes for the World has been shipping bikes internationally since we began in 2005. July, however, marks a first:  even the loading itself was done outside the US!

Our latest container destined for Bicycling Empowerment Network South Africa (BEN SA) shipped from Canada last week. A group of Lions Club members based in Tiverton, spearheaded this effort collecting donated bikes around the region and pulling together teamwork from half a dozen Lions Clubs.

Cycle Recycle was the brainchild of outgoing Governor Hank VanMoorsel who created the project last year in hopes of shipping a container of bikes to Africa. When he contacted Bikes for the World for advice, we offered up more than that. We gave him Bob.

Bob Evans was a valuable part of Bikes for the World until he relocated to Canada. He was very knowledgeable of our program, where to find bikes, how to pack containers, basically all aspects of our operation. He was a 'go-to' guy whenever we needed a good mentor for volunteers. He would be a perfect fit for this group...and he was nearby!

Clearly Bob is a great mentor, just check the results. He walked this Canadian group through our bike processing procedure that enables us to pack bikes tightly in the container avoiding damage by preventing them from shifting during transport. It also allows us to load more bikes into the truck making the shipment even more valuable to our partners.

The Lions Club packed 497 bikes into this trailer in just under 5 hours. The group opted for a 'live load' meaning they had one day to complete it, at a savings of half the cost. Given their distance inland it made more sense to beat the heat and get it done as quickly as possible.

Nate and Dave in BfW warehouse in VA

Arlington, Virginia, USA. Just as we do in Virginia, this Canadian donated container included bikes, parts, and tires. Equally important as the bikes themselves, spare parts will help mechanics get the donated bikes back in working order once they arrive in South Africa.

In our warehouse in Virginia, our volunteer mechanics strip usable parts off our marginal frames so that we can include them in the nooks and crannies the bikes form in the container once they are packed tight. With these spare parts, mechanics overseas can repair the bikes and keep them rolling for years to come.

Morgan is a mechanic in Cape Town

Masiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa. The model of BEN South Africa is to train locals in business and mechanics so that they can set up their own remote bike shops that will serve their communities and provide for their families. In their 'spare time' BEN SA works closely with youth to ensure they are familiar with safe riding skills and with adults to encourage more bike use around Cape Town.

"Morgan" Solomon Chikumba is a mechanic that came through the BEN training program. He now owns his own shop called a BEC, Bicycle Empowerment Centre, in Masiphumelele (meaning we will succeed). He will make use of those spare parts to fix donated bikes for his neighbors who use them for work. Morgan, himself, now uses his bike for work and errands, saving a ton of money on taxi service.

When asked what he learned from BEN Morgan replied, "I learn a lot especially communication and understanding to the customers." He goes on to say the relationship between BEN and the BECs is like a family and its existence is an important part of their community.

In the photo above Morgan explains the brakes and gears to a customer, something every bike owner wants: a good mechanic that listens to our concerns and helps us understand how to care for our bikes. Success indeed.