We need volunteers to help us load up close to 500 donated bicycles with many spare parts, going to the City Cycle project in Diepsloot South Africa. Bikes Not Bombs was asked to set up this project in partnership with Global Community Initiatives South Africa, and we first hit the ground in January 2005 with a container of donated bikes and Alex Twombly as trainer. Omar Bhimji arrived months later to set up Earn-A-Bike youth programs modeled on BNB's classes in Boston. The City Cycle shop provides jobs, affordable transportation, and quality youth programs in Diepsloot, one of the poorest neighborhoods of South Africa, hit hard by the AIDS crisis.

In 2007, Mzosli Mbikwana (a Board member of the project since inception) has replaced Collins Sekele as the project manager. In anticipation of this shipment of bikes, Mzosli writes that they have worked through the previous two shipments of bikes from BNB, and have supplemented these by purchasing some new bikes from China and assembling them for sale. He says that the used bikes from the US sell much better than the new bike from China because people recognize that the used bikes are higher quality and stronger, and the new bikes are costly to the shop because they often have broken parts within the first month which is covered by the City Cycle warranty. Mzosli also writes that the Earn-A-Bike youth programs are on hold, and will resume immediately once they receive our shipment which will supply the bikes for youth to rebuild in the class.

Come for whatever part of this time works for you - RSVP helpful but not necessary. We'll take a break around 1pm for lunch (pizza provided) and a talk about the project.

DIRECTIONS
This event does NOT happen at Bikes Not Bombs. We will be loading from a big parking lot at 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, 2 blocks from the StonyBrook T stop on the Orange Line. Coming from the NEW BNB at 284 Amory Street, turn right on Amory (which puts you travelling away from the Green St T stop, towards the StoneyBrook T stop). Turn right on Boylston Street (where the StoneyBrook T stop is on your left) and then turn right into a large parking lot which is part of the Brewery Complex. You'll see our 40 ft. shipping container parked in this lot, just off the street.