Stories of Impact

Ruslan’s Story: Fixing Bikes, Spreading Joy

March 14, 2024

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Ruslan is from Odessa, Ukraine. He volunteers as a bike mechanic with The Good Bike Project in Dublin. The project was set up by bike shop owner, Paul and with the help of Ruslan and other volunteers, they have refurbished and donated almost 3000 bikes for refugees in the last two years. 

“I remember getting my very first bike when I was 7. I wanted one so much, and I still remember the feeling of finally getting a bike. I was so happy. I think about that feeling when we’re fixing up these bikes to give to children who had to leave all their toys behind in Ukraine.

​When the war started, I was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I’m a seaman. My family came here to Ireland. And when I spoke to my mom just after she arrived, she told me she’d already received a bike. I asked, ‘how is that possible you’re just there one week?’. And she told me ‘There is a good guy, his name is Paul, and he gave it to us.’ I just thought it was so cool.

​In the past, I used to race bikes and assemble bikes. So, when I had a few weeks off, and I came to Dublin to meet my mom and brother, I went to Paul and asked him if I could help with the bikes and he said, ‘Ok, see you Monday’.

I really like being in Dublin, it’s very similar to Odessa. And I really love working with Paul. I just want to be able to help while I’m here in Ireland. I want to do something good, that makes people happy.

I was helping him for a month. Last year, then went back to work at sea for six months, and now while I’m back again, I’m here to help. Every day, we send bikes around Ireland, we have DPD helping with deliveries. When people receive the bikes, they’re emotional. Good emotions! Everyone who receives them is so thankful and happy. It means they can cycle to school or to work, if people are living in rural villages. Everyone who gets a bike gets a helmet too – safety first!
 
People send us photos with their bikes, it’s a lot of kids, or mothers and just to see their smiles, it’s really cool. When I was child, every day after school I was assembling bikes. I would spend all day in the bike shop looking for parts, watching how they were fixing the bikes – so it’s nice to be able to put my skills to good use.
 
Paul set up a great programme with the inmates in Mountjoy, they are also helping us to assemble bikes for Ukrainians. They’re doing really well. We give them old bikes, dirty, rusty, and they make them like new. Paul has been giving them lessons, and I bring up a lot of parts, depending on what they need.
 
I really like being in Dublin, it’s very similar to Odessa. And I really love working with Paul. I just want to be able to help while I’m here in Ireland. I want to do something good, that makes people happy.”

 

Part of our Ukrainian Stories collaboration with WeAct, originally published on their website.

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