Two thousand bicycles from the bicycle depot in the Westelijk Havengebied are donated by the municipality of Amsterdam to medical staff and volunteers in Ukraine. The Sailing of Freedom Foundation had the city council accept the donation requested and brings the bikes to the country himself.
Aid workers sometimes have to travel miles to do their work in the country and often there is no fuel available. A bicycle can then be the solution to bring medical aid or food to people in need.
Sailing of Freedom, was founded by Veronika Mutsei, an Amsterdam born in Kiev. She has traveled to Ukraine with assistive devices before and was regularly asked for bicycles. “They are not there at all in certain areas. They have been stolen or destroyed by bombs,” Mutsei explains to the NOS.
No expensive or electric bikes
Mutsei emphasizes that she does not need expensive or electric bicycles, but solid bicycles that can take a beating. The bikes are painted in the colors of the Ukrainian flag before going to the country. Children’s bicycles are also included: “The children are slowly getting their lives back, even though the war is not over yet.”
In addition to the two thousand bicycles that go to Ukraine, bicycles are also donated to the Amsterdam reception locations where Ukrainian refugees reside. in The college hopes that the refugees in the city will become more self-reliant.
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