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Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, and in partnership with various Guatemalan NGO's [COPREDE, COKADI, TPS and PRODESSA, Asociacion Campesina] and FarmFolk/CityFolk of BC, PEDAL coordinated this appropriate technology project in highland Guatemala from Jan 1998- Apr. 2001. Since then Maya Pedal, a new organization in Guatemala with a board of directors comprised of Mayan staff and volunteers from our local partner organizations has taken on the coordinating role for the project. PEDAL has remained involved as a partner in the project in various capacities: project liaison with CIDA, volunteer/intern coordinator, and by promoting awareness of the project.
Originally we carried used bicycles and parts overland from OCB in Vancouver to San Andres Itzapa, Guatemala, this method proved unsustainable due in part to the level of official corruption in Mexico and the bureaucracy at the Guatemalan border. The project now reuses discarded bicycles and parts sent to Guatemala in 40' containers by Bikes not Bombs out of Boston, MA.
About 75% of these bikes are rebuilt for sale out of a shop run by Maya Pedal, and the other 25% are used in their workshop to build pedal-powered devices (pedal-powered grain mills, water-pumps, coffee de-pulpers, roof-tile makers, macadamia nut-hullers, blenders, generators, bike trailers etc.). The sales of the bikes help subsidize pedal devices that are distributed to community groups comprised mostly of indigenous women. The devices are integrated into micro-agricultural operations that provide the women with more food for their families or earn them money by selling their goods in local markets.
Each device is a tool, rather than a project unto itself. Thus to achieve success with the placement of the devices Maya Pedal works with their local partner NGO's, who have experience in supporting the other facets of any given project. As an example a women's group may form to cooperate in the running of a project to raise chickens for sale at a local market. With a bicimolino (pedal-powered grain mill) they can process their homegrown corn and other locally available ingredients into feed mix for their chickens. In this way they lower their feed costs, eliminate the need to purchase industrial feed mixes (often containing unwanted dyes and other potentially harmful chemical concentrates) and become more self-sufficient in the process. The local partner NGO will offer training in animal husbandry to the group so they can keep their chickens healthy and productive with the right combination of locally available ingredients. The devices tend to improve the productivity of the task being done by 5 times. As an added bonus most people break into wide grins and belly laughs when they use the technology
As of summer 2004 the project is making great strides towards financial self-sufficiency. Maya Pedal staff, PEDAL interns and volunteers have worked hard to improve the durability of the designs and they have expanded their exposure in Guatemala. They have developed a relationship with another NGO, Accion Contra El Hambre, willing to purchase devices from Maya Pedal at a market rate (unsubsidized) and in quantity. In recent market visits in the local region they have experienced steady sales and have secured contracts to build devices for sale to private buyers. In the near future Maya Pedal has recently moved into a larger space. They have been able to expand their production capacity and their reach into other regions of Guatemala.
Although Maya Pedal is expanding its commercial production and market, there remain many communities unable to afford the full cost of a device. In these cases we are working with Maya Pedal to subsidize group projects in regions where the technology will make a considerable difference, and the resources are minimal. As our CIDA funding is at an end for this project we need your help to do this work. Please donate to PEDAL.
Richard's Maya Pedal Journal Nov. 2002 to Feb.2003
Excerpt...
The work is getting more exciting, Carlos M is upstairs creating a corn degrainer attachment to accompany an existing grain mill for one of our favorite groups, Cruz Nueva of San Martin. Tomorrow Kyla, Chris and Marianne head up to meet the group, install the devices and invite them to a planned group meeting. Through this meeting we hope for different groups who`ve been working with pedal grain-mills for some years to learn from one another. What device applications they've tried, what feed mixes work, how their groups are structured and work, etc.