A few years ago MTB legend, Hall of Famer and all-round awesome guy Hans Rey started a charity called Wheels 4 Life.
From Wheels4Life.org:
Wheels4Life is a non-profit charity (501c(3)), that provides free bicycles for people in need of transportation in Third World countries. We partner with local individuals, organizations and other groups to help us identify persons who sincerely need a bike to be able to go to school or to work. Often these people live in very primitive and remote areas with no access or means to public transportation. The closest school, doctor or work-place might be 10 or 20 miles away. Having a bike can make all the difference in somebody’s life and can give them a chance to break out of the vicious poverty cycle. The gift of mobility, in form of a bicycles, can do miracles.
We recently received an email from from Hans, he was forwarding a poem that he received from someone that got a bike from Wheels4Life.org, and we just had to pass it along. Please explore the web site, and if you can afford even one dollar, make a donation. Full disclosure- a portion of of each dirty-jane.com purchase is donated to Wheels4Life.org.
A poem written by a young man that received a Wheels 4 Life bicycle
THE BIKE: TWO WHEELS MANY USES!!
I knew a bike before but I never knew it does great things,
My father rode it but never told me it’s a great means of transport
The bike took my father to work and we had our school fees
The bike brought my father back home, and we had it for domestic use
Mr. Bike, where did you come from?
I need to know your ancestors Mr. bike,
Be you Male or female, you are a commendable machine!
You have two wheels but so many uses!
During harvesting you bring our food home.
Every morning you take me to school and bring me back home in time after school
You make no noise, you make no pollution
You are environmental friendly
You consume no fuel and yet you are fast enough!
Oh you bike how useful you are!
When we harvested our maize, you took it to the market,
When I sold it I got money for my school needs,
When we are sick at home, you take us to hospital
When we have no water, you take us to the well
With two wheels I thought you had two uses
You bike, are you female or male?
Mothers do a lot of work, so I can call you a mother
But fathers are physically strong; I need to call you a father
Oh you bike what should I say you are?
I will treasure you mother bike because you have changed our life in the family
I will promote you bike because every one can afford you
I will protect you because you have no harm to nature
You men and women of the earth take to bikes
A bike can change one’s life, a bike can reduce peoples’ poverty levels.
A bike can do more than what one can think of, a bike is cheap to maintain.
A bike is friendly to even the poorest of the poor,
You bike you are a real knight in shining armor for those that might have lost hope!
