Article Contributed on: 3/17/2008 12:42:52 PM
Bikes and accessories donated by readers of YourHub.com for the Uganda Cycling Club were loaded into a 40-foot shipping container along with medical supplies at the Project C.U.R.E. warehouse in Centennial in early March. The container is going to a children's hospital in Mbale, about 100 miles north of the capital city of Kampala.
Steve Lowry of Littleton had visited Uganda in April of last year as part of a water and sanitation project for Water For People - a Denver-based humanitarian organization. His visit to Uganda had been made possible in part by donations by YourHub.com readers. Steve is a recreational cyclist here in CO and was impressed with how local people in Uganda were using heavy Chinese and Indian manufactured bikes (Flying Pigeons and Hercules models, respectively) for transporting large loads of goods, drinking water and passengers in the rural areas. When he was driving back to Kampala towards the end of his visit he was surprised to see a solo person on a lightweight US-brand racing bike in full racing gear pounding along the highway while avoiding potholes, broken down vehicles, stray dogs, and vendors hawking goods along the roadside.
As luck would have it, when Steve checked into his modest hotel that night near the Makarere University there was a seminar of cycling in progress in the meeting area. The seminar attendees were mostly student members of the Diva Cycling Club. This is a new organization of very enthusiastic young men, and women, who are striving to represent Uganda in cycling races in Africa, and someday Europe. However, the condition of their equipment did not match up to their enthusiasm.
Since returning, Steve has been seeking donations of jerseys, tubes, tires, bikes and other accessories suitable for the team. The response has been gratifying, allowing him to send several boxes of gear to the Club. There are now Ugandan cyclists enjoying jerseys with Colorado motifs, new tires that reduce flats, helmets for safety and more comfortable shorts!
The recent shipment to Mbale includes 5 road bikes and is expected to arrive in mid-April. The recent tensions in Kenya affect the land portion of the shipping route so there is more than the usual uncertainty about the delivery date.
The Club is participating in March in the Tour de Rwanda, a week-long cycling competition loosely modeled after the Tour de France. Project Rwanda is a program set up by Tom Ritchie, a well known US professional mountain biker to support the national racing team as well as designing bikes to help local farmers get their produce to market more quickly.
The presence of cycling teams in these areas that have been through such horrific events in their recent past is a tribute to the power of sport in bringing people together as part of the healing process. Steve would like you to know that the support from Your Hub readers does make a difference.
Steve has been covering most of the mailing and shipping costs himself and would like to continue the program. Donations of road bikes and accessories are always welcome. Monetary donations to offset the shipping costs are also welcome. Steve can be contacted at stevelowry@yahoo.com.
Steve would also like to thank Arapahoe Cyclery in the Broadridge Plaza shopping center for their donations and discounts on accessories and shipping boxes.
Water For People is a Denver-based organization currently working in 5 countries. Founded 15 years ago, the organization provides funds and training for water, sanitation and health & hygiene projects to improve the health and livelihood of village dwellers. For more information, visit www.waterforpeople.org.
Project C.U.R.E. is the registered trademark of the Benevolent Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, humanitarian relief organization that collects donated medical supplies and equipment and delivers them to developing countries. Founded in 1987 to help meet the endless need for medical supplies and services in developing countries, Project C.U.R.E. is headquartered in Denver, Colo. For more information, visit www.projectcure.org or contact Jenny Starkey, Communications Manager, at (720) 490-4001.