Cycles for Sri Lanka

Stroud Rotary has joined with the Rotary Club Euskirchen in Germany and Rotary Club of Panadur to bring cycles to Sri Lanka. Stroud Rotary has helped with the logistics of importing the cycles as we have experience with the complications of importing as a charity to Sri Lanka having sucessfully completed sending 100,000 pairs of spectales to Sri Lanka.

Rotarians from Euskirchen and Sri Lanka enable young people and low-income families in Sri Lanka to get to school and work. They are looking for used, roadworthy bicycles. Also any monetary donations for this worthy course are most welcome.

"In Sri Lanka, the economic situation caused by the local politics, Covid pandemic  and the rising energy costs is catastrophic. Often there is neither petrol nor gas for the population.  The nation-wide fuel shortage is often forcing people to cook with wood fire and severely affecting travel and public transport; making it limited and unreliable.

This in turn is having detrimental effects on childrens’ education; with knock-on effects causing the schools to shut down, as well as commuting obstructions for students and teachers. Many workers permanently lack the possibility to reach their place of work and earn a living," says Kalika Wagner-Gillen, who comes from Sri Lanka and can assess the situation on the ground very well. For public transport that is at times temporarily available, the costs for journeys to work or school have more than tripled, which is hardly affordable for many low-income people.

To alleviate this urgent transport problem in Sri Lanka, the Rotary Club of Euskirchen, is currently working in cooperation with local charitable Organisations and the local Rotary Club of Panadura (Sananth de Silva) in Sri Lanka. RC Euskirchen have collecetd used bicycles, and have transported them to Sri Lanka for the first time and RC Pandur make them available to needy people there free of charge. The bicycles will enable young people from low-income families to get to school and workers on low incomes to get to work. Social selection takes place on site based on verifiable criteria.

"This is currently the best and actually the only option, as buying bicycles locally is not possible. No bicycles are produced in Sri Lanka and there is currently no import of new bicycles," informs, Dr. Thomas Weinberger, current president of the Rotary Club Euskirchen. 

Anyone who would like to donate a used, functional bicycle for this important cause and is located in the area of Euskirchen can contact the Wagner-Gillen family, who is managing the project for the Rotary Club of Euskirchen, at bikesforSL@gmail.com or by telephone on ++49 22 53 54 39 43. 

In addition to used, roadworthy bicycles, donations are needed to transport the bicycles to Sri Lanka. The estimated cost is 3500 Euro for a 20ft container that can carry up to 250 bikes. The distribution in Sri Lanka as well as port and customs fees are covered by the two participating Rotary Clubs. 

If you would like to donate money for the transport of the bikes, please find the bank details below. It estinated that one bike costs £15 to tansport.

Contributions in the UK are collected through the Rotary Club of Stroud Trust Fund.

Rotary Club of Stroud Trust Fund
Sort Code:  30-98-29
Account Number: 00562245
IBAN: GB17 LOYD 3098 2900 5622 45
BIC: LOYDGB21056
Purpose: Bikes for Sri Lanka