Bicycles donate people from Zara to African children, which make it easier for them to get to school. This makes it easier for them to travel. Since 2012, when the Kola for Africa project originated, volunteers in yellow vest have handed over six thousand bicycles from the Czech Republic to their local schools. More than 800 rounds have already been selected, most of which have been fed by volunteer firefighters. "We have already contributed about seven hundred wheels to the project. Whenever we collect fifty pieces, we take them to the central warehouse. We plan to take another batch in October, "said the commander of the fire brigade, Zeeman.
Filipe Vanier is also collecting bicycles. "People have brought me about a hundred bikes, collecting them since last year. I would like to send them at least two hundred, so I just store them," Filipe Vanier said. In addition to the wheels, the organizers still collect charity or reflective vests; do not even refuse broken wheels, which can be broken down into parts. "Wheels that are in poor condition go into scrap or sell at the bazaar. Delayed money can then be used to cover the cost of travel to Africa," Zeeman said.
The five-year Kola for Africa project aims to make it easier for children in the country to go to schools that are often too far away from their homes. "To African schools involved in the project, we first send a mechanic to teach local careers how to handle the wheels, and the children have at their disposal functional machines for as long as possible. Afterwards, we are solemnly handed over to schools, giving donations to local people, not believing that foreigners can be so generous to them," Petra added for the charity organization Kola.
However, volunteers do not stop working; they regularly check their bicycles, tutor new mechanics, or replace worn out tools with new ones. The project does not only help children, it engages people in both Africa and the Czech Republic and creates new jobs for the long-term unemployed, and people can work in charity after serving a punishment.
The bikes will end their selection at the end of September. "So far, we have thirteen, we have local residents, too. We pick every Friday from the thirteenth to the fifteenth hour, send them to the central warehouse in Ostrava at the end of September, where the wheels will be repaired and ready for transport to Africa," said Veronica. Wheels are loaded into containers in the Ostrava warehouse and transported to the Gambia, trucks are brought to Guntur, where they are checked and distributed to partner schools with safety vest together, and then ceremoniously handed over to children. Africa ships donate twice a year, the autumn container leaves for two weeks.
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