Community Garden
Matt Harrison, Megan Butcher, Shannon Beahen
When I was a kid, I used to think my bike had a soul. Inevitably I outgrew my bikes. This in turn caused a theological dilemma: What to do with the old bike? What would happen to its soul? I couldn't very well throw it out, so, I came up with a solution. Like a priest performing my own sort of animist rite, I would transfer the soul from my old bike to my new bike. After that, I didn't care what happened to my old bike.All this illustrates is that often we can't let go of our "things" because we are sentimental - we don't like seeing things that gave us pleasure end up in a trash heap.
But thanks to Seb Oran and Sandra Gattola, we no longer have to transfer souls or hoard bikes in our sheds to save our objects from the junkyard. Now we can give away our bikes knowing that they're making a real difference in the future of Africa.
A few years ago, Oran read an article about how African children have to walk many kilometres to school every day. When they arrived, they were too exhausted to learn. "But it's not just kids," Oran points out, "it's mothers and aid workers too." Mothers, she says, often have to walk vast distances to fetch water, collect food and get medical attention for their families.
Aid organizations, such as the ones that look after Africa's millions of AIDS orphans, can't reach all the people they'd like to because often they lack proper transportation.
But bicycles can help change that.
Bicycles for Humanity is a Canadian organization that, thanks
to Oran and Gattola, now has an Ottawa chapter. Since the spring, the two women have begun spreading the word about the program and collecting funds to use to ship bikes overseas to Namibia. 
In September, Bicycles for Humanity plans on holding a big event to collect used and unwanted bikes from across Ottawa. The funds they collect (they already have 30 per cent of their goal) will pay for a shipping container to ship the bikes overseas (each container can hold up to 400 bikes). But it doesn't end there. Once in Africa, the container used to ship the bikes is transformed into a bike shop where the organization's partner, BEN Namibia, will teach the locals how to ride and maintain the bikes.
"We're not just giving charity, we're giving something to improve their lives," Oran adds.
For more information on how to donate money or bikes (or both!), visit Bicycles for Humanity's website: www.bicycles-for-humanity.org/Ottawa; they are looking for mountain bikes, hybrid bikes (street bikes) and youth bikes in working order. No racing bikes (ten-speeds) or children's bikes please. (MH)
Jeremy Dias expects Mayor O'Brien to keep his promises. Nearly a year ago, members of the GLBTTQ community invited three mayoral candidates to a debate on queer issues. Bob Chiarelli and Alex Munter debated each other, but Larry O'Brien cancelled at the last minute. In pre-election days, Dias says he felt he was on the receiving end of what he delicately refers to as the "anti-gay f-word." After O'Brien was elected, Dias tried again. "When I met O'Brien at his inauguration, he promised he would meet with our community," Dias tells XPress.
Since then, Dias, director of Jer's Vision, has been working to make the meeting happen, but has found himself shuffled from person to person and ignored.
Last Thursday, however, his work almost paid off. Representatives from several local queer organizations met with Mike Patton (O'Brien's communication officer) and Walter Robinson (his chief of staff) to discuss issues such as youth bullying, the queer community centre and the rainbow village.
"It went surprisingly well," Dias says. "Both parties came to the meeting a bit frustrated, but towards the end we sort of grooved into each other. It's only a first step. There are still major things to be done.
"More than the issues," Dias continues, "it comes down to face time [...] He's got to meet us and know us and look us in the eyes, so that when he passes stuff [that might] harm our community, he knows us as people, not one-dimensional activists."
According to Patton, the mayor tries to redirect issues for efficiency's sake. "If we can solve a half-dozen problems before anyone even sits down with the mayor, so much the better."
For Dias, that isn't the point. "We understand that the correct person to talk to isn't always the mayor. But we need to know he understands us and is on our side when our issues come up." (MB)
Over two years ago, Brad Campeau began World Beats and Eats, a monthly event to showcase international food and music while supporting the arts and donating proceeds to an ever-changing list of beneficiaries. This Saturday (June 30) is the launch party for his brand new biz B.goods, a mobile wholesale bakery with some retail offerings of what he describes as "baking developed for specialized diets and catering to decadent desires." You want tasty gluten-, dairy- or egg-free goodies that don't taste like sand? Here's the man to go to (or if you're lucky he'll come to you). In a manner that local art and music lovers have come to expect from Campeau, the launch party will be held at La Petite Mort Gallery's artsy digs (306 Cumberland) and will feature the live experimental Latin sounds of N.Y. six-piece Forro In The Dark. (SB)
| Nothing new here but a great initiative none the less |
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These kinds of initiatives have been going on for a very long time. The Salvation Army and Neighbourhood Services have been in the Recycle, re-use business for many many years.
Bicycles for Humanity? A great idea. Maybe someone should call the police department and have them pass over the bicycles left over after their annual auction of seized and abandoned equipment?
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Mark Cayer
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You have to make it your own...only then will you be able to ride the wind...Kids could do that through their innocence...do it for the fun of it. Not because you can make money, stay in shape or "Be Cool"...
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Ger Madden
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It is a good way to help the locals, Africans do walk long distances to get to school, fetch water and do what we take for granted. The bicycles could be quite welcome or they may not be used because walking is also part of the culture, at least in certain countries.
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Martin Dansky
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Wonderful to see this type of initiative. Bikes can be a very positive addition to a family or child without the means to purchase one. Great to see this type of project being done !
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Joe Shebib
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I have to say i was tickled pink when I heard about these orginazations and what they are doing for the world. To think that for every bike I owned, crashed, dropped in a lake there is someone else out there thousands of miles away that could of made use to it, instead of putting a sticker on it and waiting for the garbage truck to pick it up. I think what they are doing is great and I hope they meet there goals.
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Frederick Warriner
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{3 votes}
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I agree with the authors of this article, I sure wish there was some place I could have sent my children's bikes to help others less priviledged.
But, why stop there?? There are so many articles that we no longer want that I am sure could be used by others. Instead of just donating used toys at Christmas time, wouldn't it be great if we had several organizations that we could do this throughout the year. I wouldn't mind helping with an organization like this one.
I think we should all take a minute and thank and praise the organizers of 'Bicycles for Humanity'. They deserve a big hand!!!!
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Sue Dodds
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{2 votes}
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