Break the Cycle begins

The Break The Cycle event begins this week with young people cycling long trips to raise awareness on the struggle of the poor. The trips are put on by Global Agents of Change. We mentioned this event a few times during the winter, when Global AFC wAS looking for cyclists.

A cyclist for one of the North American trips was profiled in a story for the Georgina Advocate. Writer L.H. Tiffany Hsieh introduces us to Jenika Wong.

Jenika Wong doesn't classify herself as an avid cyclist. Once she tried to bike on Hwy. 7 and was flagged down by the police and told never to do that again.

"I was pretty turned off from cycling in Markham after that, because of safety," said the 22-year-old Unionville resident, who is currently studying international development and philosophy at the University of Toronto Scarborough campus.

But on Saturday, Ms Wong was leading the second annual Break the Cycle pledge ride in Toronto to raise funds for a microcredit initiative spearheaded by Global Agents for Change (Global AFC), a youth-led charitable organization that supports sustainable solutions to global poverty.

And in July and August, the Global AFC ride leader will cycle 4,000 km between Amsterdam and Istanbul with 24 other young riders, mostly from the Toronto and Vancouver areas, to raise $100,000 for microcredit collectively.

"If successful, it will be the largest youth-run microcredit fund in the world," said Ms Wong, whose personal goal is to raise $4,000."