This posting is for the skeptics and anyone who wonders what real impact volunteering can make to people in the community.

We recently started a bicycle programme in a rural community. One of the aims is to get the community cycling instead of walking and using bicycles to run small businesses to sustain themselves. The nearest small shopping centre is about a 45 minute walk. The closest shopping mall is about a 30 minute drive by taxi (which costs money).

While driving in the community I saw a cyclist with a bicycle trailer hitched to his bike carrying supplies and poles! Only when I stopped the cyclist did I realize that I knew him. It was a moving experience to see first hand what can be achieved. David is one of the people benefiting from our project - he uses the first ever trailer built by our volunteer.

David lives with his father and together they support 11 people in the household. David's father is on pension and gets about R500.00 per month. David is HIV Positive. He uses the bike and trailer to buy and sell goods locally. He tells me that he cycles to Mabopane station (about 30 km) every day and into the nearest town to buy things to sell. Recently he was also able to collect an old TV-set that he has been waiting months for but was not able to pay for someone to transport it in their car. 

Can you imagine the satisfaction I had picturing David riding down the main road carrying a TV on his bike-trailer! And this bicycle project was started by one volunteer with a passion for bikes!