Bicycle donation
I owned this bike for many years. Loved the sweeping horizontal curves. Loved the color. It is very sturdily built. It was great to own when I lived in a very small town without steep hills. I was young, naive, and in an abusive relationship at the time I owned the bike, which I used to act out truncated escapes.
When I had time between work, school, and the hours of intimidation and tension awaiting me at home, I'd ride the bike out beyond the edges of town to farm areas. Birds and cows were usually the only other living beings. When I stopped to rest, sometimes a few of the cows would wander up to the fences and stare across the gap between the fences and ditches at me expectantly. Did I want something from them? Did I have any food? I'd call out a greeting to them and cycle onward, wondering how I could attain a safer life.
After getting free of the abusive relationship and moving to a different region known for its dramatic topography and rolling hills, I found that I used the blue bike less frequently. I'd spent some time in the Netherlands and was keen on the idea of a more bike-inclusive lifestyle but topography made this a daydream.
I couldn't give the blue bike away yet. My family raised me with a fear of waste and a devotion to thrift. Our approach to religion included "good stewardship", sensible and mindful use of resources. I took care of the blue bike, replaced its tires, oiled its chain, but I didn't use it to go to places other than friends' houses or a nearby community center. I didn't know anyone who wanted an old, heavy bike. Struggling up hills or trying to coast down hills with only foot brakes felt dangerous. Sometimes I carried the bike around by car, parked the car, and rode the bike, which seemed silly because the point of having the bike was to avoid use of a car.
Upon learning that I was training for a triathlon this year, a generous neighbor kindly gave me a new mountain bike with more than one gear -- the first of its type that I'd ever owned. She also gave me several related items still in their original packaging: a helmet (which didn't fit so I will make a gift or donation to someone else in turn), rear carrying rack, fenders, bell, and more. A colleague of hers had received all of this brand new bike gear as a gift, but she decided that she didn't want any of it, so she offered it to my neighbor, who offered it to me. I was surprised but happy to gratefully accept the bike and all of the associated gear. We frugally minded types don't mind breaking out the wrenches and screwdrivers to put on bike racks, fenders, etc.
This weekend I donated the lovely blue bike to a nonprofit organization linked to the Global Alliance for Community Empowerment (GACE), which works to advance fair trade, education, sustainable living, and gender equality (having been on the receiving end of gender inequality in the form of hurting hands, I was glad to read about this aspect of the project).
Alaffia works with GACE to collect and repair donated bikes so that disadvantaged students in Togo can go to school. I hope that the blue bike will made a student's journey to school quick and efficient, and I hope that s/he uses it on evenings and weekends to fully participate in community life. The bike's turquoise curves may move along roads and streets in Togo, carrying someone to work, school, the market, religious services, to gatherings with family and friends, to help a neighbor. GACE/Alaffia assists United States residents as well: http://www.alaffia.com/blog/?p=1390 .
This bike helped me begin to move forward psychologically. I hope that the bike will make someone else's daily life a little bit easier, as it did mine.
When I had time between work, school, and the hours of intimidation and tension awaiting me at home, I'd ride the bike out beyond the edges of town to farm areas. Birds and cows were usually the only other living beings. When I stopped to rest, sometimes a few of the cows would wander up to the fences and stare across the gap between the fences and ditches at me expectantly. Did I want something from them? Did I have any food? I'd call out a greeting to them and cycle onward, wondering how I could attain a safer life.
After getting free of the abusive relationship and moving to a different region known for its dramatic topography and rolling hills, I found that I used the blue bike less frequently. I'd spent some time in the Netherlands and was keen on the idea of a more bike-inclusive lifestyle but topography made this a daydream.
I couldn't give the blue bike away yet. My family raised me with a fear of waste and a devotion to thrift. Our approach to religion included "good stewardship", sensible and mindful use of resources. I took care of the blue bike, replaced its tires, oiled its chain, but I didn't use it to go to places other than friends' houses or a nearby community center. I didn't know anyone who wanted an old, heavy bike. Struggling up hills or trying to coast down hills with only foot brakes felt dangerous. Sometimes I carried the bike around by car, parked the car, and rode the bike, which seemed silly because the point of having the bike was to avoid use of a car.
Upon learning that I was training for a triathlon this year, a generous neighbor kindly gave me a new mountain bike with more than one gear -- the first of its type that I'd ever owned. She also gave me several related items still in their original packaging: a helmet (which didn't fit so I will make a gift or donation to someone else in turn), rear carrying rack, fenders, bell, and more. A colleague of hers had received all of this brand new bike gear as a gift, but she decided that she didn't want any of it, so she offered it to my neighbor, who offered it to me. I was surprised but happy to gratefully accept the bike and all of the associated gear. We frugally minded types don't mind breaking out the wrenches and screwdrivers to put on bike racks, fenders, etc.
This weekend I donated the lovely blue bike to a nonprofit organization linked to the Global Alliance for Community Empowerment (GACE), which works to advance fair trade, education, sustainable living, and gender equality (having been on the receiving end of gender inequality in the form of hurting hands, I was glad to read about this aspect of the project).
Alaffia works with GACE to collect and repair donated bikes so that disadvantaged students in Togo can go to school. I hope that the blue bike will made a student's journey to school quick and efficient, and I hope that s/he uses it on evenings and weekends to fully participate in community life. The bike's turquoise curves may move along roads and streets in Togo, carrying someone to work, school, the market, religious services, to gatherings with family and friends, to help a neighbor. GACE/Alaffia assists United States residents as well: http://www.alaffia.com/blog/?p=1390 .
This bike helped me begin to move forward psychologically. I hope that the bike will make someone else's daily life a little bit easier, as it did mine.