Report 600 days of travelling

1st June 2011, Tehran, Iran
Report 600 days of the sporty-humanitarian project
“From Vietnam to Italy by bicycle for the disabled”
October 2009 – June 2011

Challenge

Organised by Travel for Aid, the sporty enterprise is taking Matteo Tricarico to cover by bicycle the distance of 30.000 kilometres from Vietnam to Italy.
The humanitarian side of the journey aims to raise public awareness on disabled children’s education by meeting in special schools and institutes along the way.

Itinerary

The journey started from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on October the 9th 2009, heading first to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh (October 2009), and then to Bangkok (October 2009).
The itinerary continued back through Cambodia (November 2009) and Laos, up to its capital Vientiane (December 2009), followed by North of Thailand (January 2010) and Myanmar (February 2010), to reach India (March, April 2010) with a flight from Yangon to Kolkata.
The trip continued through Bangladesh (May, June 2010) and Nepal for six months (July-December 2010) punctuated by an interlude of one month (November 2010) in Taiwan reached flying.
After Nepal, it followed North of India via New Delhi, Mumbai and Goa (January-March 2011) from where, because of Pakistan’s refusal to grant a visa to enter the country, the project has reached the United Arab Emirates by plane and the south of Iran by ferry (April-May 2011).
Armenia and Georgia (June 2011) will be the next two countries, followed by Turkey (July-August 2011) and Greece (September 2011).
The arrival in Italy is scheduled for early October 2011.
The total distance covered cycling has exceeded 20,000 kilometres.

Patronages and Letters of Support
The following public and private institutions and organisations gave their patronage and moral support to the project:

Regione Puglia (Apulia Regional Admistration);
Comune di Manfredonia (Manfredonia City Hall);
FCI (Italian Professional Cyclist Federation);
CONI (Italian Olympic Committee);
AVIS (Italian Association of Blood Donors);
Italian Naval Association;
UISP (Italian National Sport Association).

Letters of support have also been received by:

Commission of the European Union, delegation in Cambodia
Cultural Association Arcadia Nova;
Italian embassy in Hanoi;
ASD (Disabled people sport association);
Circolo Unione di Manfredonia (Cultural Association city of Manfredonia).

Partners
The number of non-governmental organizations and charities that joined the project, grow further in recent months to reach 13 partners today.

Cristina Noble foundation;
Lao Disabled People’s Association;
Disabled People Sport Association – DELFINO
CIAI (Italian Centre for Children’s Aid);
AIFO (Italian Association Friends of Raoul Follereau);
The Leprocy Mission International;
Rishilpi charity for Rural Community Advancement (Bangladesh);
ADDA (Disabled Rehabilitation & Research Association) (Bangladesh);
Volunteer Society Nepal (Nepal);
Harmony House Association Taiwan (Taiwan);
Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust (India);
Akshay Pratishthan Trust (India);
Samerth Trust (India);
Baavar Disabled Association (Iran).

Humanitarian Aim

The humanitarian objective, to raise public awareness on disabled children’s condition in crossed countries, was achieved with the collaboration of the partner associations that opened their schools and rehabilitation centres to Matteo’s visits.
This original philanthropic purpose was enlarged to not-physical but social and economic forms of disabilities, including geography exclusion (such as students’ hostels for the children of migrant populations in the Indian state of Gujarat) or the victims of incurable infectious diseases such as AIDS/HIV (like the orphanages for HIV-positive children in Taiwan).
A few hundreds comments, expressing support for the project, were received after the publication through Travel for Aid media channels of videos, photos and written descriptions of the visited rehabilitation centres and institutions, showing that the message has reached a sensitive share of public following the project.

The project, in addition to touch schools and centres for disabled children, has reached hospitals, orphanages for children with AIDS/HIV and rural schools:

1. 9 October 2009, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) – Orphanage for blind infants and primary school for disadvantaged children, managed by Cristina Noble foundation.
2. 21 and 22 October 2009, Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – Orphanage for abandoned disabled infants and primary school for disadvantaged children, managed by CIAI.
3. 30 October 2009, Battambong (Cambodia) – Centre of shelter for children and teenagers victim of landmine accidents, who are studying at local high schools and universities. Supported by the local Catholic Church.
4. 27 and 28 November 2009, Siem Reap (Cambodia) – Art and vocational training school for disadvantaged children, financed by CIAI.
5. 8 December 2009, Khiet Ngong (Laos) – Primary school of the village supported by WWF.
6. 30 December 2009, Vientiane (Laos) – Vocational training centre and handicraft laboratory for women with disabilities, in collaboration with Lao Disabled People’s Association.
7. 11 February 2010, Pathein (Myanmar) – Elementary school and rehabilitation institute for unpaired children coming from rural areas, managed by The Leprosy Mission International.
8. 18 February 2010, Yangon (Myanmar) – The institute works as a primary school for children and teenagers with minor disabilities, managed by The Leprosy Mission International.
9. 23 March 2010, Daisunpet (India) – The centre, run by the local Women association, offers vocational training courses for physically disabled teenagers.
10. 8 April 2010, Pondicherry (India) – Rehabilitation centre and vocational training school for over 100 children and teenagers who also work in laboratories producing rice-paper and wooden items. Financially supported by CIAI.
11. 13 April 2010, Bangalore (India) – Orphanage and adoption centre for babies with disabilities. The institute is also a primary school for its young guests. Financially supported by CIAI.
12. 10 May 2010, Khulna (Bangladesh) – Hospital for leprosy and tuberculosis patients that offers also a rehabilitation and community prevention programme. The hospital is managed by the PIME sisters and supported by AIFO.
13. 12 May 2010, Khulna (Bangladesh) – State public high school for blind and deaf students equipped with technologies to overcome their disabilities.
14. 12 May 2010, Khulna (Bangladesh) – Private consortium of rehabilitation centres and schools for disabled children set up by local families. These small centres are not supported by any NGOs and they are contactable through the Travel For Aid.
15. 14 May 2010, Satkhira (Bangladesh) – Large rural community advancement project including a rehabilitation centre and school for children and disabled teenagers. Managed by the Rishilpi charity.
16. 16 May 2010, Bongshipur (Bangladesh) – Rural rehabilitation centre and school for children and disabled teenagers. Financially supported and managed by DRRA.
17. 17 May 2010, Bongshipur (Bangladesh) – Rural school, with board and lodging facility, for girls of Munda ethnic community escaped to early marriages. Managed and financed by Xaverian fathers.
18. 25 June 2010, Dhaka (Bangladesh) – Rehabilitation centre run by Tejgaon church. Managed and financed by Catholic church.
19. 25 July 2010, Kathmandu (Nepal) – The special education and rehabilitation centre for disabled children is a private organisation dedicated to delivering quality education and rehabilitation services. The centre provides an unique education and therapy opportunity for students below 16 years old.
20. 02 August 2010, Bhainsepatti (Nepal) – The Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre is the only one in Nepal providing a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to spinally injured patients so that they may become physically, mentally, socially and economically independent.
21. November 2010, Taipei (Taiwan) – Harmony Home Association Taiwan operates several orphanages on the island of Taiwan and China for children with HIV-AIDS HIV infection. The association also administers clinics for adults with HIV in terminal and vegetative state.
22. 1-2 February 2011, New Delhi (India) – Akshay Pratishthan is a school and vocational centre with more than 400 children from disadvantaged families, half of them with physical disabilities.
23. 4-5 February 2011, New Delhi (India) – Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust is a school for children from families at the margins of society, psychomotor rehabilitation centre and specialized hospital for handicapped patients. The centre also includes workshops for vocational training.
24. 18-19 February 2011, state of Gujarat (India) – Samerth Trust manages projects, funded by CIAI, and aimed at the children of migrant populations that are housed in hostels where, in addition to food and housing, they attend the local school and receive lessons in personal hygiene and learn to live in society.
25. 21-23 February 2011, Lodai (India) – The nuns of Prem Nivas convent run a school with 600 students from surrounding rural areas, with 150 staying in the hostel supported by CIAI and coming from migrant communities and poor families. 20% of guests are girls.
26. 27 May 2011, Tehran (Iran) – Baavar Disabled People Association organized a demonstration, where hundreds of people with disabilities in wheelchairs paraded through the streets of Tehran to rise awareness and to attract citizens and local authorities attention to the problems created to their mobility by architectural barriers.

Volunteer Service
In addition to visiting facilities for disabled children, Matteo worked as volunteer engaging himself in activities in the following schools, orphanages and participating in an awareness and information campaign on HIV/AIDS:

20 Days as a teacher of English and computer at the Munda ethnic centre for girls escaped to early marriage, run by the Xaverian Missionary Fathers in Bongshipur in southern Bangladesh.
Three weeks teaching in the village of Charikot at the foot of Mount Everest in Nepal.
A month at the orphanages for AIDS/HIV children managed by Harmony Home Association in Taipei and Cau Chung, Taiwan.
A month participating to an awareness and information campaign on HIV/AID problem in various schools, universities and military establishments in Taiwan.

Media Coverage
Over the past ten months the number of media that talked about the project increased exponentially compared to the first ten months, mainly in the countries crossed. Since launching the project in September 2009, the following articles appeared:

80 articles on Italian and international online newsparers and blogs, in Italian, English, Chinese, Hindustani, Telugu, Oriya, Tamil, Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Arabic languages;
Articles published on printed newspapers and magazines: 10 Italian, 3 Bangladeshi, 12 Indian, 1 Thai, 1 Nepalese, 4 Taiwanese, 1 Emirati;
Reportages broadcasted by TV channels: 2 Indian, 1 Bangladeshi, 4 Taiwanese, interview with live Talk Show Studio 1 in Dubai;
Local radios reported on the trip: 3 Italian, 1 Nepalese, 1 Taiwanese;
There have been four online forums that have discussed the project;
Videos of the trip were embeded by 30 international websites.

The project is also regularly followed by the online newspapers: http://www.iopedalo.it, http://www.ediciclo.it, http://www.monkeyrockworld.com and http://www.italoeuropeo.com, which are permanet cooperation and publish Chronicles and the Diary both in Italian and English.

The project has its own Facebook group with about 250 active members.

The Matteo’s Facebook profile, now completely dedicated to the project, has reached 500 members.

The official blog http://www.travelforaid.com

The official website, http://www.travelforaid.com, is in Italian and English. It received 30,000 unique visitors since its opening in September 2009, stabilizing at an average of 1,800 monthly visits in the last quarter.
In addition to these, monthly about 3000 readers of the above mentioned websites permanent collaborations, follow the journey.
In this calculation, those who are reading Chronicles and the Diary from the notes published on Facebook are not considered.
Since July 2010, the website has been included in Wikio Top Blogs Travel section, positioned around the 50th place of the best Italian blogs.
On the website are posted 50 videos, 400 photos, Chronicles as well as regular news on the trip progress.
From 1 January 2011 the Chronicle is also in English, “Daily Chronicle or so …”.

See updated Press Clippings

Fund-raising and Sponsorship

The association Travel For Aid has the tools to receive online donations with Paypal and major credit cards, or through bank transfer on its account with Monte dei Paschi di Siena.
The association opened the membership for the year 2011 with a symbolic fee of 10 Euro.

The project has received the following sponsorship in kind:

Chenla Resort, Phu Quoc island in Vietnam – Travel health insurance;
Amari Atrium Hotel, Bangkok – 5 nights with meals;
Bikezone, cycling shop in Bangkok – various equipment and 40% discount on the purchase of the bicycle;
Colour house Prints, Siem Reap, Cambodia – free printed stickers for the bicycle;
Kingfisher Lodge, Pakse, Laos – 4 nights with meals;
Micheline Italy – 2 tires and 6 inner-tubes;
Iopedalo.it online cycling magazine – cycling clothing;
Realtuscany.com – domain’s website Travel for Aid;
Osteria L’Acquacheta in Montepulciano, Italy – 2 tires.

Financial situation

Donations received from individuals, including registration fees, amount to 600 Euro.
Donations from public bodies and NGOs amount to 700 Euro.
The expenses so far are of approximately 15,000 Euro divided as follows:

Organiser and personal note

TRAVEL FOR AID is a non-profit, apolitical and non-religious humanitarian association.
It aims to spread culture to its members and the general public by organizing charity and sport events or any other activity to attract people’s attention to the problems of those who, by birth or by tragic accident, live with a physical or mental disability.
Furthermore, the association intends to stimulate its members’ and the general public’ creativity with conferences, debates and stages aiming at offering alternative possibilities to vulnerable social groups living at the margin of society.
Matteo Tricarico is external projects coordinator. He was born in Italy on June 18th 1969. He graduated in Political Science at the University of Sienna with periods of studies in England and France. He started his professional career in the European public sector in Brussels before being relocated to the United Kingdom. In 2000, he left Europe for Egypt and Sudan where he dwelt for three years running a tourist promotion agency. Six years ago, he moved to Indochina where he still lives between Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos working as travel agent and tourist guide. He is not married and does not have children.
In the last few years, Matteo cycled extensively throughout Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. His last trip of 5000 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City to Bali by bicycle ended in June 2009.

Contact for further information

Association TRAVEL FOR AID,
Corso Manfredi, 48 Manfredonia 71043 (FG) Italy
Codice Fiscale: 92041760718
E-mail: travelforaid@gmail.com
Webpage: www.travelforaid.com

Dott. Matteo Tricarico,
Skype: matteo.abdhala
E-mail: mt@matteot.com