Nevis youth in front of their bike workshop made from a shipping container, more recently painted a bright red!

Donford Wilkinson and Godfrey Todd, both trainer-teachers at Bikes Not Bombs Nevis/Saint Kitts program, will speak at the Bikes Not Bombs Hub on Wednesday April 1st at 7:00pm on some of the issues facing youth that are of great concern to the Caribbean island of Nevis. A Nevis Earn-A-Bike program, developed on the BNB model in Boston, is offering out-of-school-time activities to engage youth in skills development and healthy lifestyles. Carl Kurz, Bikes Not Bombs founder and International Programs Director will also present a photo overview of Bikes not Bombs’ programs in Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi and Central America. It is really exciting to have these international partners here in person to connect with us in solidarity, and we want YOU to come be a part of it!


PROJECT BACKGROUND
In early 2007, BNB sent two trainers and a shipping container full of 536 bikes and tools to the island of Nevis, a place that, not unlike our own neighborhood, is struggling with increasing violence. Nevis holds an annual triathalon for tourists, now there is a program to engage the island’s youth in cycling too.

Today, Bikes Not Bombs Nevis serves eight neighborhood groups out of the freshly painted shipping container-turned-bike-workshop. Earn-A-Bike has become very popular on Nevis and the demand is such that a 2nd workshop is being planned with support from the Nevis Island Administration. Don and Godfrey will use their training to help expand the program.

The Nevis project serves as one excellent model for community youth engagement. Carl Kurz will point out development models in use at other BNB international projects that bring together various sectors of civil society to sustain bicycle based micro-enterprises, provide needed mobility and effect long-term, transformational change

Nevis Earn-A-Bike (EAB) instructors Donford Wilkinson (left) and Godfrey Todd (far right) are in town for a three week immersion at BNB Boston, and they will present to you and the BNB community on April 1st. Soon after they leave, Boston’s EAB Coordinator Elijah Evans will visit BNB Nevis. This exciting exchange is sponsored by John Rowse of the Boston Building Materials Coop in memory of longtime BNB supporter Don Malloy.