Biking in Mexico: Recreational Activities for People with Disabilities

A non-profit in Guadalajara is giving blind people an opportunity to experience recreational sports by biking in Mexico. Every Sunday, El Paseo a Ciegas organizes bicycle rides for blind riders, who are cycled around by volunteers on tandem bikes. The goal is to provide blind people with the chance to enjoy the outdoors.

The program is one of the few in Mexico that provides recreational activities for people with disabilities. "For blind people, there are no places for recreation, there are always a lot of rules and discrimination. We believe it is important for them to have a way to enjoy themselves safely and to participate in this sport," El Paseo a Ciegas founder said.

So far, more than 120 people have participated in the program, which started four weeks ago. El Paseo a Ciegas also encourages public awareness by asking people to try pedaling with eyes closed.

Funding for the program is available through Guadalajara municipal government's Via RecreActiva program, which promotes non-motorized modes of transportation on more than 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of streets and avenues.

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Clinton, Slim Launch Soccer Initiative for Mexican Youth

Sports have a powerful influence on young people all over the world. That is equally true when thinking about popular sports in Mexico. That is why former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Mexican telecommunications executive Carlos Slim have launched a project using soccer to encourage 900 Mexican youth, teenagers and young adults, to return to school. The Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative will use soccer, one of the most popular sports in Mexico, to launch a new program in the Mexican border state of Chihuahua. The project will adapt lessons and intellectual skills developed through sports into marketable job skills for youth ages 16 to 24. The program is also intended to increase physical activity and promote healthy living habits among Mexican youth.

Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI) is an innovative partnership among the William J. Clinton Foundation, the private sector, governments, local communities, and other NGOs that seek to narrow the wealth gap in the developing world by empowering the poor through effective, results-oriented economic and social development projects.

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