Help People Help People (or HP2 = Help People squared).
The universe works in mysterious ways.
Where should I start? I am now, Aug. 13th, 2014, in South Korea trying to start this HP2 thing. After nearly two years on the road I had to interrupt my round the world bike trip in Poland in the fall of 2013. I spent the winter in Berlin and then came to South Korea, thinking I could find a job here, save some money and continue biking. Unfortunately I was not able to find a regular job so I am now poised to resume my nomadic translator lifestyle with even less funds than a year ago!
I am returning to Europe at the end of September 2014, and will go first to Berlin, where I left my bike last year. From there I hope to go through Poland, through the Balkans, all the way down to Greece and Turkey. Of course, my ultimate goal is still to bike around the world via India, South East Asia, China, to Japan and from there fly to the USA, but that will take a few years. You can see my biking journals here (the most recent one is "zigzag"): http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/zigzag
Six or even as recently as 2 months ago I thought I couldn't continue biking. What has changed? On the one hand, the prospect of a long translation job that would allow me to keep going for a few months, and, on the other hand, the conviction that it's not good for me to wait any longer. I am adopting a kind of a "Just do it!" attitude. I also hope to do personal and institutional fundraising through the internet in the coming weeks. My own "kickstarter" campaign, including some crowd-funding websites.
Help me if you can!
You can send me donations through the PayPay addresses below. I will maintain a strict and transparent control of each donation received and post my expenses along the way.
PayPal (USD): igiduran at hotmail dot com
PayPal (EUR): igiduran at gmail dot com
I plan to make contributions to humanitarian causes, NGOs (Amnesty International, Red Cross, and the like), or even private individuals in need when I see there is a way to document their feedback and progress. In www.iduran.com I will detail the donor (unless you wish to remain anonymous), the amount of the donation, date, etc., and the charity or organization that receive the bulk of the donations. A small percentage (10% of each donation, up to maximum of 300 USD for all donations in any given month) will go to fund my own expenses (food, internet, camping or hostel fees, etc.).
I will also try to drum up business (translations, proofreading, language lessons via Skype, etc.) along the way, wherever I stop for lunch or a rest.
I've also thought of selling small souvenirs or trinkets from the different countries I go through, things I pick up for free or from other people who want to donate something for sale instead of money. That little gift (a necklace, a ring, a lighter, a pocket knife, etc.) will have a price and an email address so the person who donated it initially can be contacted by the buyer and they can establish communication on a certain subject. For example, it may be a necklace coming from Poland sold to a person in Hungary, the proceeds of which go to some NGO in Italy. Additionally, the donor and buyer might decide to establish a correspondence through HelpPeople2 and actually meet someday in one or the other country. I can also be a "postman" for some people. If when leaving Krakow, for example, I am certain that I will be going through Budapest, maybe the donor knows someone in Budapest, wants me to be hosted by their acquaintance there and wishes me to carry a little present for them as a means of introduction.
With these contributions and interactions, you will be helping me (and others) help others, and we will be promoting biking as a means of travel, physical fitness, transportation, and communication.
The universe works in mysterious ways.
Where should I start? I am now, Aug. 13th, 2014, in South Korea trying to start this HP2 thing. After nearly two years on the road I had to interrupt my round the world bike trip in Poland in the fall of 2013. I spent the winter in Berlin and then came to South Korea, thinking I could find a job here, save some money and continue biking. Unfortunately I was not able to find a regular job so I am now poised to resume my nomadic translator lifestyle with even less funds than a year ago!
I am returning to Europe at the end of September 2014, and will go first to Berlin, where I left my bike last year. From there I hope to go through Poland, through the Balkans, all the way down to Greece and Turkey. Of course, my ultimate goal is still to bike around the world via India, South East Asia, China, to Japan and from there fly to the USA, but that will take a few years. You can see my biking journals here (the most recent one is "zigzag"): http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/zigzag
Six or even as recently as 2 months ago I thought I couldn't continue biking. What has changed? On the one hand, the prospect of a long translation job that would allow me to keep going for a few months, and, on the other hand, the conviction that it's not good for me to wait any longer. I am adopting a kind of a "Just do it!" attitude. I also hope to do personal and institutional fundraising through the internet in the coming weeks. My own "kickstarter" campaign, including some crowd-funding websites.
Help me if you can!
You can send me donations through the PayPay addresses below. I will maintain a strict and transparent control of each donation received and post my expenses along the way.
PayPal (USD): igiduran at hotmail dot com
PayPal (EUR): igiduran at gmail dot com
I plan to make contributions to humanitarian causes, NGOs (Amnesty International, Red Cross, and the like), or even private individuals in need when I see there is a way to document their feedback and progress. In www.iduran.com I will detail the donor (unless you wish to remain anonymous), the amount of the donation, date, etc., and the charity or organization that receive the bulk of the donations. A small percentage (10% of each donation, up to maximum of 300 USD for all donations in any given month) will go to fund my own expenses (food, internet, camping or hostel fees, etc.).
I will also try to drum up business (translations, proofreading, language lessons via Skype, etc.) along the way, wherever I stop for lunch or a rest.
I've also thought of selling small souvenirs or trinkets from the different countries I go through, things I pick up for free or from other people who want to donate something for sale instead of money. That little gift (a necklace, a ring, a lighter, a pocket knife, etc.) will have a price and an email address so the person who donated it initially can be contacted by the buyer and they can establish communication on a certain subject. For example, it may be a necklace coming from Poland sold to a person in Hungary, the proceeds of which go to some NGO in Italy. Additionally, the donor and buyer might decide to establish a correspondence through HelpPeople2 and actually meet someday in one or the other country. I can also be a "postman" for some people. If when leaving Krakow, for example, I am certain that I will be going through Budapest, maybe the donor knows someone in Budapest, wants me to be hosted by their acquaintance there and wishes me to carry a little present for them as a means of introduction.
With these contributions and interactions, you will be helping me (and others) help others, and we will be promoting biking as a means of travel, physical fitness, transportation, and communication.
