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Bicycle Collective

A program that allows kids to earn their own bicycles by building them.

by

Alison Lafazan

|

A Place Where Kids Can Wrench Their Way To Success

Bike-Collective
Badal Mouhoumed repair his bike at the Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective. Photo by Alison Lafazan

“I learn how to communicate with people, be kind to other people and I learn here, more English than in school,” says Badal Mouhoumed, a refuge from Republic of Djibouti, Africa, about the Bicycle Collective.

Mouhoumed, a seventeen year old High School student, immigrated to Salt Lake City over two years ago with his mother and four siblings for a better life. “Where I come from, no good education, you cannot go to college. It cost a lot of money to go to High School,” says Mouhoumed.

“I was in a program that use to help me with my homework. I just heard about it. ‘Do you want to do a bike, they teach a class?’ Then I was taking the class six weeks, then I graduated, I finish and they give me bike,” says Mouhoumed of the “Earn-A-Bike” program at the Bicycle Collective.

bike collective
Volunteer Dave Gaseau salvages parts from a wheel. Photo by Mike Jones

The “Earn-a-Bike” program is one of the Bicycle Collective’s more popular programs. It is a six week introductory bike mechanics course offered for free to anyone ages 8-18. “Giving a kid a bike is nice, but giving a kid a bike that they earned is much nicer because the kid has an investment in their bike. You’re not just giving them a toy, you’re giving them a tool to participate more in their world,” says David Eyer Davis, Executive Director, Bicycle Collective.

Mouhoumed’s bike gives him transportation to school and his part time jobs at the Bicycle Collective and the Golden Corral. He enjoys riding his bike for fun in the summertime. He is also an avid soccer player. “I started playing soccer when I was three years old,” adds Mouhoumed.

“After High School I apply for a scholarship for Engineering. I can build a new bike, come out with new ideas, that’s why I want to study,” says Mouhoumed.

Bicycle Collective

2312 S. West Temple

Salt Lake City, Utah 84115

801-FAT-BIKE

bicyclecollective.org

Additional locations in Provo, Ogden, University of Utah and Westminster College.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alison Lafazan

Alison has been writing human interest stories and highlighting local businesses for Utah Stories since she graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Communications in 2014. She has also contributed a few photographs to accompany her stories. Wanting to learn about Utah’s local businesses and activities is what led Alison to start reading Utah Stories and eventually writing for them. She transferred to Salt Lake City from Houston, Texas with her job with a major airline. She is reluctant to call Utah home even though she has lived here for more than 30 years. Alison was born in Texas, but has also lived in Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and Idaho. She’s still trying to figure out where to call home, but she likes the west the best. Working for an airline gives her the opportunity to pursue her passion for traveling. If she’s not working or traveling, she is hanging out with her husband.

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