It's fantastic what you've done! I'm proud of you for taking action when you saw a need. You are a good example to follow. I know you're story will inspire other kids too!
You are correct when you say it inspires others -- our community has kids who can't wait to help with the project and call him about bikes all the time. If we can teach kids to reach out who knows what might happen! Winston is someone who sees the world in a different light and loves to help others.
I thought you'd be interested in checking out this other entry around biking: http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/4148
I think that they could really benefit from setting up some kind of bike donation system to give to local kids. Maybe you two can talk!
Wheels to Africa (W2A) is innovative in tapping the enthusiasm of a young man for helping others, to inspire the public to donate bikes, and potentially to raise awareness of poverty issues among other young people.
However, contrary to the application's statement, W2A is not the first to collect and donate used bikes to Africa. Nor has W2A itself actually shipped/donated any bikes to Africa. It has merely helped collect bikes for Africa--assisting an established non-profit program, Bikes for the World, to collect a modest number of bikes.
BIKES FOR THE WORLD (www.bikesfortheworld.org) is currently collecting and donating 10,000 used bikes annually, approximately half to Africa and half to the Caribbean Basin and Central America, to help recipients work, attend school, or obtain health services. It has been doing this since 2005 (and other groups have been doing it for a decade before that).
W2A's role in assisting Bikes for the World has been helpful but modest--on ONE day in 2007 it helped collect between 600 and 700 bikes--a fraction of Bikes for the World's 2007 total. Bikes for the World staff & volunteers oversaw the collections, provided receipts to donors, transported the bikes to storage, sorted and stored the bikes, and ultimately shipped the bikes to partner non-profits in Africa--which Bikes for the World screened and sorted.
Bikes for the World came away from this collaboration dissatisfied with actions by W2A in the course of this 2007 collaboration. Bikes for the World asked W2A to sign a written agreement stipulating how financial management and publicity would be done in any future collaboration, to guarantee public accountability of use of funds and accurate publicity and description of the partnership. W2A declined to make any written commitment, nor offer any counter-proposal. As a result, Bikes for the World and W2A are not working togther in 2008.
Comments
Hey Winston!
Its great to see your entry in the competition. Keep up the great work!
Dana
Your grandmother would be proud of your work and that you have honored her memory.
Dixie Duncan - Winston's Mom
Winston's enthusiasm and energy for this worthwhile project impresses me and makes me so proud of him!
It's fantastic what you've done! I'm proud of you for taking action when you saw a need. You are a good example to follow. I know you're story will inspire other kids too!
You are correct when you say it inspires others -- our community has kids who can't wait to help with the project and call him about bikes all the time. If we can teach kids to reach out who knows what might happen! Winston is someone who sees the world in a different light and loves to help others.
Thanks for your kind comments.
Dixie Duncan
Winston's mom
Hi Winston,
I thought you'd be interested in checking out this other entry around biking: http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/4148
I think that they could really benefit from setting up some kind of bike donation system to give to local kids. Maybe you two can talk!
You rock
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Wheels to Africa (W2A) is innovative in tapping the enthusiasm of a young man for helping others, to inspire the public to donate bikes, and potentially to raise awareness of poverty issues among other young people.
However, contrary to the application's statement, W2A is not the first to collect and donate used bikes to Africa. Nor has W2A itself actually shipped/donated any bikes to Africa. It has merely helped collect bikes for Africa--assisting an established non-profit program, Bikes for the World, to collect a modest number of bikes.
BIKES FOR THE WORLD (www.bikesfortheworld.org) is currently collecting and donating 10,000 used bikes annually, approximately half to Africa and half to the Caribbean Basin and Central America, to help recipients work, attend school, or obtain health services. It has been doing this since 2005 (and other groups have been doing it for a decade before that).
W2A's role in assisting Bikes for the World has been helpful but modest--on ONE day in 2007 it helped collect between 600 and 700 bikes--a fraction of Bikes for the World's 2007 total. Bikes for the World staff & volunteers oversaw the collections, provided receipts to donors, transported the bikes to storage, sorted and stored the bikes, and ultimately shipped the bikes to partner non-profits in Africa--which Bikes for the World screened and sorted.
Bikes for the World came away from this collaboration dissatisfied with actions by W2A in the course of this 2007 collaboration. Bikes for the World asked W2A to sign a written agreement stipulating how financial management and publicity would be done in any future collaboration, to guarantee public accountability of use of funds and accurate publicity and description of the partnership. W2A declined to make any written commitment, nor offer any counter-proposal. As a result, Bikes for the World and W2A are not working togther in 2008.
Post new comment