The project was born six years ago when Danish manager and consultant Ole Kassow noticed an old man sitting on the bench in front of his house every morning on his way to work. Therefore, she started talking to him, while he told her how much he wanted to see his native house in the nearby village, but he could no longer walk well.
That's why Ole borrowed a cargo tricycle and took the 97 year old man for a ride. When he saw how happy it was, Ole started going out with the seniors more often. The reward was always a beaming smile on his face. The seniors returned from the trip happy, talkative and sociable, breaking out of their daily routine. They no longer feel left out and ignored socially. Enthusiastically, Ole wrote to Copenhagen city officials asking if they would finance a tricycle for a nursing home. The city purchased five tricycles for five nursing homes.
Since then, the CWA project has spread throughout the world, now in 37 countries. It is run in Canada, Norway, United States, Philippines, Pakistan, Iceland, Hawaii, New Zealand, Peru, etc. – a total of 1,100 locations. There are 1,500 tricycles operated by more than 10,000 trained pilots. This is honest volunteer work offered by people of all ages to the elderly or physically disabled. Home staff report that illnesses and arguments are reduced, the community is better served by remembrance.
In the Czech Republic, there is still not much awareness about cyclotherapy
There are no bicycle rickshaws available in the Czech Republic yet, but the first towns (Otrokovice, Kadaň and Ústí nad Labem) have been contacted, who are enthusiastic about bicycle therapy and have already ordered bicycles for their homes for the elderly. One of the bikes costs 150,000 crowns and can currently only be purchased abroad.
“Our wish is that the idea of cyclotherapy can be taken to other nursing homes throughout our country and that we can raise money to buy one tricycle, which will serve as a sample for testing,” he explained. Leoš Hrádek, one of the promoters of cyclotherapy here and also a participant in the tough transcontinental race from Geraardsbergen in Belgium to Meteora in Greece.
You can also send money to a transparent account at Fiobank: 2101471919/2010.
“We will use all the money we collect exclusively for the purchase of tricycles,” emphasized the founder of cyclotherapy in our country, Oldřich Čepelka.
“We believe that when the first electric tricycle appears in our country, it will generate interest and more will be added,” he added.
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