Sept 17, Sept 22

a few more pics: www.flickr.com/photos/bnbghana

Sept 17

The training is going so well. We've moved through rotational systems, the drive train, and shifting systems, and are now on brakes. We'll finish brakes on Thursday, Friday will be a review, Monday will be another bike bulk sale (to small bike retailers in Koforidua), and Tuesday will be exams, certificates, and naturally, a party. I'm then taking a few days to chill out, contemplate the trainee selection and the way forward, and work on the numbers of the new and realistic business plan financials. The following Monday, we will resume with the reduced number of trainees for the intensive portion of the training, advanced mechanics and preparing to open the business.

I've identified six trainees who have demonstrated aptitude for bicycle mechanics, reliability and willingness to take initiative and responsibility, and the intellectual skills necessary to eventually steer the course of the business, professionally and accountably. Four men and two women. It seems prudent to hire the minimum number of employees necessary to accomplish the expected workload - if business picks up, more people can always be trained and hired. We expect to have two sales staff - one woman and one man, and the other four mechanics.

Our financial responsibility - we have hope - we can do it - but the landlord needs to be our friend. We've paid a third of the ten years up-front payment for rent, and we are hoping to raise another third in the next week as we bulk-sell bikes. We have two stores that have become the workshop and storage area, and we are waiting for the key to the third streetside retail store - which is totally righteous and connects through a secret back door into the dirt lot in front of the workshop, and has streetside mural potential. If we secure the key to that store, it'll be ours, and the business location will be set and growth will be inevitable - we've got a growing reputation in Koforidua already of being the best, and we haven't even begun retail sales. The landlord is a long-time supporter of Emmanuel, and wants to see us succeed. He is a very kind man, but is all business and wants his money. I think that if we complete payment for the two stores, he will give us the key for the third and will accept gradual payment.
The trainees down to six:

Torsutsey: public relations virtuoso, smart guy, bead seller, ~38 years

Maude: graduate of secretarial school, brilliant person, diplomatic leader, unemployed, ~ 28 years

Sule: outspoken advocate of social justice, likes hip-hop and positive vibrations, works at the Shell station, - 34 years

Adjen: invincible physically challenged cyclist, wheelchair basketball striker, excellent mechanic, unemployed tv and radio repairer, - 23 years

Miriam: woman of many hairstyles and fashions, amazing positive attitude, reliable person, conscientious mechanic, - 25 years

Julius: has the confidence of a greek god, kente cloth weaver, farmer, inventor, ~37 years

This morning as I rode into town, I heard a teenage boy state about me as I passed "freedom of mobility" - thinking on it all day -

Sept 22

OK y'all, feeling good - the sale was today. We sold about 120 bikes and made a good chunk of cash, but I was hoping for a bit more. We didn't sell any 26" mountain bikes cause Emmanuel borrowed them for his potential race in Accra for physically challenged athletes. Those bikes will come back by the end of the week, and then we'll sell a bunch hopefully meeting our financial mark. Feeling fine - just printed out certificates for the 12 who completed the 3-week course. Tomorrow is practical and oral exams and the party - we've got a good vibe together. Truth is, I'm totally impressed by some of the trainees. Maude is completely awesome, and with her crutches and charm, she managed to control 30 macho bike sellers and coordinate the core process of the sale. I was general support, making sure the landlord's brothers' cars weren't damaged, making sure the clinic people were not too disturbed by the loud arguing, intervening in minor altercations and repermanding big muscle men to keep their voices down. Miriam was the money person, and exhibited excellent resilience to male pressure. Julius and Torsutsey were on security - checking receipts and bikes before the bike sellers could leave the lot, Adjen was on digital camera duty, and Sule was crowd control. A great success. Gradually building their capacity and personal investment. They've progressed so much in the past month. I'm confident we'll get the the point of self-sufficiency.

Will post pics from the sale within the week.

Hope you are well-

8 sept 08

Last, I left you with more to come soon, but soon became more busy, making concrete developments to the workshop and the training. We’ve begun! Its excellent. Sometimes, I think that the trainees don’t quite get the concepts, and I explain and demonstrate them in so many ways, offer lots of practical learning time, but sometimes, like today, they get it. I gave them all 100% today.

Check out pics: www.flickr.com/photos/bnbghana

To move chronologically, here’s an excerpt from a recent email of mine to Carl:

We started the training officially today. Awesome. I absolutely love this work. We delayed cause we needed to get the concrete laid and the roof built. Very successful - its a great place to sit and work outside. I've been busy, but the quality of life is high. I leave the house (emmanuels place) by 7am and return around 10 pm each day. I spend most days in the workshop organizing and working on bikes. Lately, I've been working on a couple bikes for peace corps volunteers who are buying them for 100 cedis ($) each - to raise a bit of cash for the training. I will work on the numbers this week, but we will definitely need to sell more of our current stock of bikes to complete the training and the workshop developments.

So many good relationships I'm building. There is a great gentle welder near the workshop named manpower, he's an older guy in his forties of fifties but he welds so well - when he's done, its no longer two pieces, its one piece. He's nice too, and accepts any payment for his services - I'm trying to research and guage appropriate payments. Will work with him to weld the wheel hooks and frame them along the ceiling and to build some prototype bike trailers.

There is a peace corps gal who is very excellent - in her 30's, who lives a 3 hour bike ride from us and worked with craig kalfee to build a bamboo bike in her village (she works with bauxite bead-making and supports a coop there). She rode into Koforidua a few days ago, saw the workshop, fell in love with me and Adjen, because of our bikeness, and wants to hang out more and make more bicycle connections. A possible collaborator in some capacity, and a cool woman.

Adjen rode the 50k on his own this past sunday because i traveled to visit a friend. I'm super proud of him. He said that he went halfway, and then was going to turn around, but then decided to do the full distance.

Last wednesday, we had a meeting with the trainees to prepare for the training - we talked about the schedule, the employee selection, and anticipated outcomes of the training. Firstly, the training is competitive, and everyone agrees on this. Between 6 and 8 people will get jobs, but if there are only 4 qualified people, they will get jobs, and we will invite others to the opportunity. (I'm positive though that we're gonna get at least 6 committed and competent mechanics.) We are meeting for training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 9-3 each day. The first 3 weeks of the training will be a basic course that will be valuable to all trainees, and each who passes will get a certificate. Then we will make a selection down to between 6 and 8 trainees, the others we will let go, and they will have received a valuable course in mechanics that they can apply in their lives. Those selected will continue on to do more advanced and intensive practical work for the 5-week remainder of the training, making 2 months. I think it appropriate though, to extend the training one month into the open for business phase (that will be limited "open" hours, with other time used to process the experience of running a business and fine-tune it.) At that point, if everyone proves themselves as competent and reliable, they will formally be given jobs. The intensive practical part of the training will include some business and accounting training. I will look into the best way to provide this, and will visit the government business resource we previously discussed.

Today, we did the basics of bicycle parts and tools, and fixing flats. It was a good first day. We had 9 of the 12 present, 2 with good excuses, and one who lives far out and doesn't have a phone. The 2 with good excuses are Sule and Daniel, Sule who works 24 hour shifts at the shell station every other day (but who is awesome and an outspoken advocate for social justice - the other day, a mentally disabled person was beaten with iron rods because he hangs out, sleeps and defecates on the same corner each day - he was unconscious for a few hours from the beating - Sule was at the shell station and stopped working to publicly challenge this and to call the police - his manager was telling him to compose himself - Sule is a solid and reliable person that already knows much of mechanics - he can only attend half the training, but i'll work with him to catch-up on anything he misses), Daniel who also lives far out and will come tomorrow and stay with a friend in Kof. I feel very good about how we started, and now need to plan a good curriculum - i've been engaged in so much lately, so currently I'm improvising, but will arrange a syllabus and use it as a guide. (excerpt finished…)


We continued the training on Tuesday with a review of bike part and tool vocab and function, wheel sizes anad tire compatibility. We removed and re-installed wheel, tire, tube. Thursday was an intro to rotational systems – basic theory of cup and cone, bearings and grease, fixed and adjustable sides, perfect adjustment and “as good as possible” adjustment – we then overhauled hubs in partners. We continued on Friday with more hub overhauls – each working individually with a wheel. We discussed at length the theory of locknuts and cones, and it was not easily absorbed, as I had observed during the practicals. I asked those who got it to explain it to the others in Twi and to discuss the concepts at length – it seemed to have worked, but we will go back and test it again. Today, everyone got 100% on bottom bracket adjustments. Everyone was in good spirits because the Koforidua wheelchair basketball team – both the mens and womens teams whupped Accra on Satuday – trainees sporting battle wounds – now they are the best team in Ghana.

We will cover all of the basics in three weeks, allowing everyone to benefit from a comprehensive course before we make a selection down to about 6, and do intensive practical training including mechanics, shop organization and systems, business admin and accounting, in preparation for the grand opening in November.

More news to tell, but you have to wait, cause I’m tired, and I’m going to chop and sleep. Will write again this week – enjoy the pics -