With My Own Two Wheels....

I went w/ a friend to the campus of UC Berkeley tonight for the first time to see a screening of the film 'With My Own Two Wheels'.  I heard about it through a sponsor, World Bicycle Relief (the organization that I am joining in Zambia in October 2011).

Here is a snippet from the press release:

With My Own Two Wheels premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday, February 2nd at 7PM at the Lobero Theater.  This documentary weaves together the stories of five individuals across the globe into a single narrative about the bicycle as a vehicle for change. The documentary was shot on location in Zambia, Ghana, India, Guatemala and California and was produced in collaboration with bicycle driven development organizations including World Bike Relief and Santa Barbara’s own Bici Centro.  With My Own Two Wheels has also been nominated for The Fund for Santa Barbara’s Social Justice Award for Documentary Film. This award is given annually during the Santa Barbara International
Film Festival to a film that makes a particularly valuable contribution to advancing social justice.
The crew of With My Own Two Wheels, all Santa Barbara natives, grew up on their bicycles and
experienced first hand the magic of two wheels. They see their film as a way to give back by helping
spread the power of two wheels to those who need it the most.


I liked all 5 of the people portrayed in the film....all were from different countries in different situations.  My favorite, though, was probably Fred.....an HIV/AIDS caregiver in Zambia.  Fred was inspired to give care to those struggling with HIV/AIDS because he had had a brother that had suffered with it, and he was inspired to act.  Here is a brief summary about Fred:

As a volunteer caregiver for HIV/AIDS patients in rural Zambia, Fred struggled to make his rounds by foot. Many of his patients lived 15-20 kilometers apart, and he was expected to visit them 2-3 times per week. Now, thanks to a bicycle from World Bicycle Relief, he is not only able to make these rounds, but also visit twice as many patients in a given week.  http://www.withmyowntwowheels.org/fred/

Here is a photo of Fred, riding his bike to visit a patient in the community:

It was truly an inspiring film, and we met so many people who were doing things here in their own communities, as well as abroad, doing things (little and big) to help those less fortunate.

If you are inspired, you can click here to find out ways that you can raise awareness (and/or funds) and just general ways you can get involved:  http://www.withmyowntwowheels.org/next-pedalstroke/

Click here to get in touch with the producers to help organize a screening in your area:  http://www.withmyowntwowheels.org/contact/

Lastly, if you want to donate a bike to help a Zambian student and other members of their community, click here:  http://www.kintera.org/site/c.qlI3IdNVJwE/b.6375299/k.6BE6/2010_Annual_Appeal.htm
One bike costs $134.00 and it will be given to a student who has been selected by their school based on the distance of their commute, amongst other factors. Students will be able to keep their bicycles so long as they attend school. After graduation, the bicycles will be recycled by the school and passed on to incoming students.  To read more about the campaign, click here:  http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/stories_and_news/annual_appeal.php


That's it for now......I'm off to bed.  More next time!


Be the change you wish to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi