When Jeremy asked me to write an article about how the bicycles have changed my life, the first thing was to think of my financial standing, before the bicycle project and now.

Then I sat down and reviewed my whole life, my family, my community and the people behind the whole project; Voluntours; People and Places; Recycle UK and most importantly Nigel Pegler and Mike Hsieh.

Being a village Pastor with no stipend from the church and very limited prospects for formal employment, my life had in a sense reached its zenith concerning a better life. I was preaching and ministering as a set group of people week in and week out, without actually reaching out to the rest of my community.

Then I had bicycles in my little fruit a vegetables shop. People started visiting me frequently and I was talking on a daily basis to a wide range of people and learning of their fears, anxieties and their achievements. I started appreciating my communities resolve, their problems and needs. I was able also learn of their spiritual needs.

The bicycles made it possible for me to reach out to the people who matter most, the youth of my community. Every day we talk about what can be done to their lot. We talk about cycling and what new challenges can be tried. This of course gives me a chance and opportunity to can help them spiritually and also learn of their problems and immediate needs.

The bicycles have brought our community together like never before and have given our youth a challenge in life. They also would like to emulate heroes as seen on TV of bike races.

We actually had 5 youngsters competing for the first time in their lives and indeed in the region, in an official Mountain Bike race.

Financially the bicycle project has really uplifted my family’s living standard. I can sleep better at night knowing that I at least can also provide for my family.

Whereby my family and community were restricted into traveling in the early mornings to the nearest town for basic groceries and essentials. Because of the lack of transport during the day, people can now use their bikes during the day to visit or do their shopping.

A lot of people have started small business of buying vegetables and bread from the nearest township early in the morning, the doing house deliveries in the village. It has become a popular business because it is more convenient for the elderly in our village.

My personal life has become rich in seeing my community’s and immediate family’s lives becoming easier and more tolerable just by the more fact of being able to travel when and where they need to at will.

I have presently been able to employ two people, (Solly and Marcus) on a permanent basis helping me with repairs and advising people on their newly acquired modes of transport from the UK. Both of these guys have long been out of work and this has helped them reorganize their lives and have learned new skills in turn.

We also have two more guys Nathi and Aaron, who also help out on casual basis. They mostly come out on weekends, helping the youngsters who want to train on our cycling track, that was also built by volunteers.

Funny enough, before Nigel came into my life with his bicycles, the only thing I know about bicycles was to ride them. My knowledge of bicycle’s parts was almost none existent. Nigel had do commission a bicycle drawing with all the parts named to help me out.

The manuals that we got from Recycle UK have been of tremendous help in turning me and my team into real bicycle mechanics. Although we still need a lot of training to can be called bicycle mechanics, in our village we are pro’s. It proves this saying right: “In the land of the blind, one eye is King”. We have had to dismantle and rebuild a few bikes and wheels in our quest to learn more and to test our newly acquired skills.

Recycle UK have really changed our lives for the better. I am presently thinking of getting toolkits to give to my  present two mechanics to open up their own workshops, which will then leave me with two vacancies that can let train two more guys to be mechanics. In this way we will be empowering more people to stand on their own.

As you can see, Recycle UK have reached out beyond their shores to create employment in forgotten villages. Recycle UK have made a people neglected mobile and proud owners of affordable, reliable and easy to maintain mode of transport.

God willing, I would like to build a lasting relationship with recycle UK and I wish to commend them for the good work they are doing helping out people in poor communities and countries to better their lives.

It is very inspiring to see people from so far out reaching out to other human beings, regardless of their colour and country. God bless every single Soul in the UK that have given a bike to make life easier in far out countries of the world. The management and staff, associates and every single individual that helps in the whole intricate business of gathering, collecting, packing, shipping and all other duties involved in the shipment of bicycles to different countries, may all have the favour of God Almighty and may they and their families have fruitful years on this planet.

And for People and Places, please keep up the good work of actually making people in the UK  aware of the plight of many other people the world over.

I wish I was able to relate some of the stories of people, whose lives have been changed by just owning a bicycle. My life? I am living testimony of the goodwill of Recycle UK and the godly people of the UK who have willingly given their bikes to help others. I can now boast of happy and full day busy working and doing what I love most, ministering to anyone who cares to listen, on a broader platform and informal way than before.

Thank you Recycle UK God Bless.

Pastor Peter Mabasa

[16 May 2009]