The D.R.E.A.M. Ride

rolling for
humanitarian aid

Two years ago, Eamon Aloyo spent three months in Meru, Kenya, working on a small development project. THE main problem was, not surprisingly, poverty. But poverty takes many forms, and one of the largest problems Eamon found was insufficient funding for the good work NGOs do.

Also, there was a lack of educational opportunities for Kenyan secondary school students who could not afford the $450 yearly tuition. Despite nearly 100% primary school enrollment (because tuition is now free), more than 50% of Kenyan students later drop out school. Eamon was still completely amazed by their determination.

So last year, Eamon decided to raise awareness and funds for development by rolling. He co-organized a cross-country bike ride that raised money for development based NGOs. They rolled from from Seattle to Boston and donated over $64,000. Check out their website, yesride.org.

This summer Eamon and others will organize a similar bike ride from Boston to Montreal to New York City between 3 and 17 August 2007. Their goal is to raise money for and awareness of three strategic issues:

• Women's Rights and Empowerment
• Health Care
• Education

They've chosen six NGOs that work in these areas, including the CARE for women's issues, Partners In Health, Doctors Without Borders, and Emory Vaccine Center for Health Care, and the Canaan Foundation as well as the International Peace Initiatives for Education.

Each rider is required to raise $2000. Like last year, neither Eamon nor the other organizers will make any money from the ride so a large proportion of this money can go to Africa. Walter Scheirer, another organizer, volunteered to build the website pro-bono. So they would greatly appreciate your financial support. They would also be grateful if you would email others you think might be interested in participating in the ride. You can donate directly online or send a check to the address listed at their site.

Eamon is hoping to return to East Africa this summer to do more direct development work. You can find out more information about the ride from their website.