Projects


Projects

Bikes Across Borders currently supplies bicycles to four separate material aid caravans as well as supplying tools and parts to a number of newly formed bicycle cooperatives.  Our bicycle shop and community center in Austin, TX, being in close proximity to the Mexican border, has been  ideal for hosting caravans headed south to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.  Material aid caravans that we host and support include the following: Bikes to Chiapas, Bikes Not Bombs in the Yucatan, and the Ejido/biological preservation Project and Pastors for Peace winter caravan to Chiapas/Central America and summer delegation to Cuba.

Cuba –  In Cuba, BAB has sent three bike convoys to Cuba with Pastors for Peace. Shipments include bikes and tool sets to reach urban agriculture projects, theatre groups, and the National Bicycle Club offering cycle tours for school children.  Pastors for Peace friendship caravan to Cuba is every July.

Chiapas –  In Chiapas, Mexico we have sent four shipments of bikes, components, and tools in collaboration with Bikes for Chiapas and Pastors for Peace, seeding community bike shops in the Autonomous Region of Chiapas and providing bicycles to outreach education promoters that have limited access to transportation. The Chiapas trip is twice a year in December with Pastors for Peace and July with Bikes for Chiapas. 

Ejidos – Closer to the border, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, BAB has made three trips and our winter 2005 trip marks the fourth year that BAB members will deliver bikes to groups devoted to establishing cooperative bike shops on a community owned farm (ejido) and a biodiversity preservation park. To date BAB has delivered more than 100 bikes to groups in Tamaulias. Both of these new projects have requested more resources for their bike programs. 

Border – On the border we made three delegations to deliver bikes and tools to the CFO (Committee for Border Workers). This is were BAB began. In the past year we have begun meeting with groups in El Paso in hopes of helping them establish community bike shops and bicycle resources in their communities which could collaborate with community groups on the other side of the border in Ciudad Juarez.