Doing „something good“

Everybody in the western world is well aware of the poverty, injustice and daily tragedies in this world. As we are bombarded with apocalyptical news many people feel a sense of resignation and helplessness – it seems too much is going on in this world that would deserve immediate and urgent attention, yet the resources for an adequate response will never suffice. I decided not to despair and accept and embrace the fact that I can only do little – but I want to do something.

Already during my international business studies and the subsequent professional life, I had the opportunity to live abroad. Consciously, I decided to spend time in countries of the developing world to get a realistic impression of the life and cultural wealth you find outside the occidental world. There I learnt through a number of powerful experiences how even little acts of kindness can make a big difference in another person’s life. I will never forget the eyes of a little boy in Brazil who drummed on empty trash cans to make a living, when I bought him a real drum.

As a Bike Ambassador, I would like to show not only the beautiful sites and highlights of this bike tour, but also be a voice for the people who just do not have the same chances and opportunities as I’ve enjoy in my life. I guess there are different names to this: Giving something back, altruism, charity… I just want to do something good and make a difference – a small personal contribution to a hopefully better world.

And if I can only make a positive difference in the life of one person during this trip it will have been worthwhile.

  Why the Ho-Chi-Minh City Child Fondation (HCWF)?

When I selected one central project to support with this bike trip it was clear to me that it had to be something that helped the most vulnerable of the many in need – children. I also wanted to support a project which I could personally get involved in.  The Ho Chi Minh City Child Foundation is not only on my cycling route which will enable me to visit the children I am pedalling for, but the Foundation also agreed to develop an interactive format of communication with me which will allow the children themselves to take part in my fund raising effort.

A final reason for choosing HCWF is that it shows parallels to a project that I have been closely involved in during my civil service in an underprivileged Paris suburb (civil service is a replacement for military service for Germans and can also be spent abroad). I was there for 18 months as an educator and mentor for children and young adults who had come into conflict with the law. This was largely due to the social circumstances they were faced with and the very limited opportunities they were offered. It was the aim of the institution I worked for to prevent the youngsters from choosing a life of crime and violence and to offer them a second chance.

Though coaching the children was always challenging and sometimes frustrating I do not want to miss the experience and insight gained during this time in Paris. I felt that I learnt many valuable lessons for life myself by experiencing the perspective of the grossly underprivileged who had been made “social outcasts”. It instilled a great sense of fairness and justice in me which I learned are commodities that are especially hard to come by for the ones who need them most. I have great respect for people who dedicate their lives to helping others as the founders of the Parisian project did and I admire the way they always tried hard to make the most of the often very limited resources they have.

The Ho Chi Minh City Child Foundation (HCWF) is doing fantastic work and is – due to much stretched state support – relying more than comparable organisations in the Western World on donations.

As I am mostly on my bicycle I cannot get closely involved in the management of the project and the coordination of the fundraising. After much research and personal consultation at the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) the decision for the needed project management felt on terres des hommes Germany, which is a reputable charity organisation and therefore honoured with a Donation seal by the DZI. Terres des homes will coordinate the donations and send the funds directly to the Ho Chi Minh City Child Foundation (HCWF).

Why by bike?

Anyone who has ever done a long bike tour will know that each day of your journey you are confronted with many different and interesting situations and impressions – from crossing a border to needing to find something to eat in a rural outpost. Wherever you go you will get to know people from all sorts of backgrounds and communication in a  different languages (especially sign language) can be both challenging and amusing.

On your bike you are close to nature with all its diversity and beauty without harming it and you travel at a speed that is slow enough to appreciate your surroundings, but are still fast enough to see in a relative short timeframe how landscapes can change – from plains to mountains, from city to countryside. 

It is precisely these experiences that I want to share as a Bike Ambassador which I hope will encourage others to do something similar with the aim of giving a small positive and sportive contribution to globalisation.

But to be honest this is of course also a personal challenge I set for myself: to independently handle extreme situations, to deal with the certain “loneliness of the long-distance rider” and to live the dream of freedom plays an important role in my motivation.