Diepsloot part 2

I think I last left you with Chondra - this beautiful little boy, just so you are reminded, here are his photos again.

He still hadn't talked to me just yet, but would just look at me

with his beautiful eyes, point to a part of the bike and smile...

He wanted to wear my helmet

With some friends

The boy in the back with the hand guestures - I asked

him what it meant, he said it meant hope/peace.
We first met this little boy when Thomas had arranged for us to go out on a bike ride throughout the townships.  I have to again admit that this made me a bit nervous.  Here I am - a suburban white boy from a privileged life going for a ride on a bike that might as well cost as much as a house throughout the township of Diepsloot.  Sorry.

Thomas and a few of the leaders from the Diepsloot community and children that have been riding the road bikes provided by Safelite invited us to join them on a ride.  We all suited up - Mike & Betsy (who both did the Vegas tri and the London tri) and me and Brian (who go on rides all the time at home - and yes, Brian, you are much faster that I am if you read this).  We hopped on the the very nice road bikes (thus the house comment) and headed out into the township. 

Here are some photos that Musa took for us from a car/truck (didn't they have these in the US in the 70s?) as we followed:

Thomas in front

Here is Chondra - we kept talking through each part of the bike as he talked. 

He would point to the seat, I would say "seat", he would point to the frame, I would say "frame",

he would smile and look at me but not say a word.  Only later - when I bribed him with a cookie

did I hear his voice and his name

As we headed out

Riding in the township

Riding in the township

This is Mike, I'm not sure what he is doing, but this is Mike

We had to stop - as one bike got a flat riding down the side of

a VERY busy road.  I think Brian described the traffic as the
most terrifying ride of his life.

We did make it out of the incredible congestion of the township (there are people everywhere you look) and on to the country roads where these boys and girls have trained with Thomas (sorry for picture overload, but the young man who lead our team in the photos above was the runner last year - and the FASTEST overall in the Belron London Tri and the young women in the photo below represented MaAfrika Tikkun at the tri in London (wonderful to see them again):

Once out on the country roads the beauty of the country set in.  It is not that unlike the rural fields of Ohio - farm fields in the distance, fresh clean air.  We had a wonderful ride.  I greatly appreciated Thomas's efforts to pull it together as he wanted to demonstrate for us the value that he has seen through the Safelite Cycling program.  They have logged miles / miles on the bikes and have even competed recently in a 94.7km race (for a local radio station).  This is something that even 3 years ago would have been unheard of. 

With the terrain of the local roads - we do need to find a way to get them some hybrid / mountain bikes to train on in addition to the road bikes.  Here is the storage unit that they have where they care for the bikes:

There are quite a few hanging brackets to fill with hybrid / mountain bikes. 

As with Orange Farm - I entered the facility with a ball in my stomach.  It is smack dab in the middle of an environment that even after seeing it - I can't understand what it would be like to live there.  By the end of our stay, the last thing I wanted to do was leave.  To be there - with these beautiful children who seem so full of promise and hope (which in my heart I hope their future holds) - was where I wanted to be.