Two Wheels, One Love Campaign
Goal: Raise $15,000
To sponsor 200 children from 5 schools in Saint Mary, Jamaica for the 36 week Two Wheels, One Love Program.
Teaching children the value of cooperation, communication, love and forgiveness through sport.
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Our goal is to raise $15,000.
To sponsor 200 children from 5 schools in Saint Mary, Jamaica for the 36 week Two Wheels, One Love Program.
Teaching children the value of cooperation, communication, love and forgiveness through sport.
📷
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Community Description:
Jamaica is a land of contrast and contradiction. On one hand is the idyllic island paradise. Pristine beaches, clear blue water, warm and hospitable people who have a relaxed relationship with time. This is the version of Jamaica that draws millions of tourist per year and makes Jamaicans some of the proudest people on the planet. Its also the version of Jamaica that placed it 11th in the latest Happy Planet Index.
On the other hand, there is the Jamaica crushed by debt, poverty, unemployment and violence. So much violence. In 2015 there were 1,192 murders (45 per 100,000 persons) placing it sixth on the World Bank’s list of the most violent places on earth. Lottery scamming, gangs and countless other factors contribute to the alarming levels of violence in the country.
The community of Oracabessa is a perfect example of this tension between the two ‘real Jamaicas’. Situated 20 minutes east of Ocho Rios in the parish of St. Mary on Jamaica’s north coast, Oracabessa is a picturesque town of roughly 10,000 persons and a rich cultural tradition. This stands in stark contrast to rising levels of violence – especially among youth.
The Oracabessa Foundation
Believes that sport can be used as a tool to address issues of violence (and other community development issues).
Two Wheels, One Love Program
Is designed to teach primary age children (ages 10-13) how to ride BMX while also instilling principles of love and forgiveness. We are hoping to provide area youth with the skills they need to at least ‘take a step back’ when confronted with situations that could escalate into violence.
Project Description and Objectives
The Oracabessa Foundation believes strongly in the power of sport to address some of society’s most pressing social issues (in this case violence) and achieve social change. We also believe that integrating sport-based interventions into school programming – or at the very least reaching youngsters while they are a captive audience on the school grounds – is the most effective way to achieve these ends. Combining the lure of bicycles with life skills training provides a powerful intervention.
The Two Wheels, One Love BMX Learn-To-Ride Program (TWOL) has two main objectives:
Development OF Sport: Teaching children how to safely ride bicycle and compete in BMX
Development THROUGH Sport: Teaching children the value of love and forgiveness in their daily and sporting lives.
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In order to meet these objectives we’ve developed a curriculum which integrates the technical bicycle riding components with the life skills components. Each curriculum is divided into 6 levels with 6 lessons in each level.
Cycling Component
Life Skills Component
Level 1 (6 lessons)
Core Cycling Techniques
Courage
Level 2 (6 lessons)
Bike Handling Techniques
Friendliness
Level 3 (6 lessons)
Group Riding Techniques
Caring & Kindness
Level 4 (6 lessons)
Core BMX Techniques (off track)
Respect
Level 5 (6 lessons)
Core BMX Techniques (on track)
Responsibility
Level 6 (6 lessons)
Advanced BMX Techniques (on track
Love & Forgiveness
The Oracabessa Foundation has already completed one full cycle of the TWOL initiative with over 200 children.
Although the final evaluation of that first installment is currently underway, we can say with absolute certainty:
1) The kids LOVE it
2) Parents of children who were not able to participate in the first installment are begging us to do it again so their children can be involved
3) Teachers and Principals LOVE it. More importantly, they can speak directly to the change they’ve seen in students who participated in the programme and they want us to continue.
Please join Positive Legacy and the Oracabessa Foundation in our project to bring the 36 week Two Wheels, One Love program to 200 children from 5 schools in Saint Mary, Jamaica.
Sponsorship Breakdown:
$25 sponsors one child for 12 sessions!
$50 sponsors one child for 24 sessions!
$75 sponsors one child for the entire 36 sessions!
$100 sponsors one child for 36 sessions and their coach as well!
$150 sponsors two children for the entire 36 sessions!
