Bikes For Girls
“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.”
“Bicycling…is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds."
Louis J Halle ‘Spring in Washington’, 1947/1957
When You Donate to our Bike Program:
We identify girls in need-by working with the local Vietnamese Red Cross office to identify girls who are living at or below poverty level and who are at risk of dropping out of school, or who are in need of transportation to get to school.
We purchase our bikes from, small family-run bike shops. We purchase, simple, comfortable bikes that have an extra cushioned seat over the rear fender to be able to carry things, including other kids on the back. These bikes have an extra set of foot rests over the back wheel, so that an additional child can ride safely on the back. All of our bikes are pink in color for us to be able to identify them easily, and for the girls to be able to better protect them from being taken.
In 2015, we finally found a safe bike helmet being made in Vietnam, similar to what is used in Western countries. Each girl now receives a helmet and is trained on the proper fit and wear of the helmet during the bike giving ceremonies.
We keep our bike givings small (20-25 bikes at a time) so that we can meet each of the girls. The girls come together at their schools and we provide them with a new bike, helmet, bicycle pump, and extra tire tubes.
Please consider supporting a girl by buying her a new bike and Helmet:
$57.00 for a new bike
$10.00 for a new helmet
$3.00 for a bike pump
Thank You!
In Vietnam walking and biking are the main ways students get to school. By having a bicycle a girl can save 3 hours each day for every 10 miles she travels. Compared to walking, bicycles are a simple answer to improving access to education, they can directly influence whether or not a student (often girls) stays in school or drops out.
