Friday, March 13, 2009

Looking for ideas

Spring is the main time chapters chapters collect and ship containers of bicycles to Africa. Chapters everywhere are doing an incredible job raising the monies, bikes always seem to come out of the woodwork, but this year it is getting harder to find partners To match our chapters with in country shipping funds. Once the container reaches a port in Africa, it is then hauled by truck to it's final destination. These costs can sometimes equal the cost of getting the container to Africa from North America.

As the Bicycles for Humanity movement grows, this problem will grow unless we find a creative way to solve in country shipping and support in Africa. We are looking at many models and ideas and if anyone has an idea, we are all ears, please let me know.

Thanks


Pat

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish

Bicycles for Humanity is a movement that empowers many in Africa with the simple gift of mobility. I am also a huge Steve Jobs and Apple fan and have been for over 25 years and will always be. I faithfully read every day, every word written about Steve Jobs and Apple and I always will. Like everyone, I pray that Steve has a quick recovery and and is with us for a long time to come.

I'm writing to share with you how Steve has impacted Bicycles for Humanity and how we believe that Apple and it's team have learned the same lesson. On our home page, you will see a link to the speech Steve made at Stanford. Do what you love, stay hungry, stay foolish and don't get bogged by dogma and other people's dreams.

Bicycles for Humanity, has no organization, it has no budget, is not a registered non profit and it simply keeps growing globally and it always will. Our movement like the team in Apple are unlocked, enthusiastic, energized and all are moving towards the lofty goals or aspirations that Steve has set. Apple is not one Steve jobs, but hundreds and hundreds of Steve Jobs, all with their own unique style, skill set and passions and all simply believe in what is possible.

All to often, we think it is one individual, one leader who has it all, who can move mountains and if that person is not at the help, it's over, the end is near and they will never attain the greatness again. To understand Steve and Apple, one only has to read, listen to or watch his speech from Stanford, one cannot connect the dots looking forward only backwards. As a small voice, not even in the tech space, but in the simple space of helping others through the gift of mobility a bicycle can bring, I have had that rare chance to watch what Steve believes so passionately.

Steve gave us the answer at Stanford, I have read it a hundred times and I suggest that everyone who talks about Apple, Steve and the team at Apple read this simple yet powerful speech. Apple has made the transition from an old school company driven by a few to a new age company driven by thousands who like i simply believe that what Steve stands for is something we should all aspire to and our organizations if we are lucky enough.

I wish Steve all the best, today , tomorrow and forever. Apple is so much more than Steve, it's a thousand Steve's all with their own special skills and style, but the core belief is in everyone. Bicycles for Humanity is just a movement, it is simply a global group that believe and aspire to be the best we can be and we do it because we love it. If it was not for Steve Jobs Stanford speech and what he believes, we would never have seen the light. if we see it and we are just sending bicycles to Africa, how many others see it, inside Apple, my guess is thousands and thousands and if we thought Apple was ahead of the pack now, I can't wait to see what happens next.

Steve, thank you for being you, you inspire millions of us and we wish you and your family all the best.

Pat

Saturday, January 17, 2009

From all within the Bicycles for Humanity Movement, Thank You

In life, it is so rare to be able to see an idea take root, grow and flourish that helps literally thousands and thousands of people every day. To all who have supported Bicycles for Humanity and the people of Namibia with the gift of mobility, everyone within the B4H movement thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Bicycle Empowerment Centres, BEC's are now in place across much of Namibia with many more being added this year. In total over 12 containers of bicycles were delivered in 2008 and in 2009 our hope is that this number will double. In addition to Namibia our dream is to build a Bicycle Empowerment Network in Uganda and from there to other countries in desperate need of mobility.

Bicycles for Humanity is an entrepreneurial, grassroots driven model with accountability and humanity as the foundation. It is not a non profit, it has no staff or overhead of any kind and it never ever will, yet it just keeps growing. It is simply an efficient model of caring, entrepreneurial minded people here and in Africa working together. In today's connected Web 2.0 world, individuals and communities can come together globally to work as a team to help solve the problems caused by a lack of mobility.

What Inspires You is simply what Bicycles for Humanity is about and inspiration in action, inspires others. A donated bicycle or helmet, a volunteer helping load a container, teaching students about the need for mobility in Africa, sharing stories with others to help others , visiting BEC programs in Namibia or just dreaming of what is possible all contribute to the movement and to helping those in need tell their story.

We encourage you to visit our site, www.bicycles-for-humanity.org , we encourage you to tell others of the movement here and in Africa and if you know groups in Africa in need of the gift of mobility, we encourage you to start a Bicycles for Humanity Chapter and support those communities.

We have one focus, mobility through the use of a bike.
We have one objective, to help the people of Africa help themselves.
We believe that all of us working together can make a difference.

From all within the global Bicycles for Humanity Movement, we thank you.

Humanity Rocks