THE FOUNDING STORY
Our lives are shaped by defining moments - short encounters that change our direction, our purpose, in an instant. I had one such moment, 12 years ago, while in the remote community of Penas Blancas, in the northern jungles of Nicaragua. On our 3rd day in the village, we visited a local school. It was Saturday and the school was not open but this small community was proud of the brick and mud-floor, one-room schoolhouse and they wanted me to see it.
The little girl that I met next changed my life forever. I would guess she was no more than 10 years old, in the village for the day collecting supplies to bring back to her family home. She too was excited to show me her school. When I asked her where she lived and how long it took her to get to school she pointed to the hills that lay far beyond the village and said,
"Dos horas, mas o menos." - two hours more or less
"Each way?", I asked.
"Si", she replied, "cada via".
Since that day, what seems a lifetime ago, I have visited many communities like Penas Blancas. I know now what I didn't then - this little girl's story is not unique. Millions of children spend hours a day walking to and from school, determined to get an education.
And it's not just children, and it's not just school. Around the world people are not afforded access to the everyday services and resources you and I take for granted. A bike can reduce the time required to get to school for a child in Nicaragua ensuring they never miss a day, but it can also transport a patient to a hospital in time to save a life, a social worker to a village to educate the community on sanitation, or provide a child with the childhood they deserve.
Much hard work has taken place over the 12 years since I met that little girl, since we decided to embark on this journey to change the world one bike at a time, but we're just getting started.
- Mike Brcic- Co-founder, Board Chair