After a long break, the staff of the KiBiSS (Kinder-Bildung-Sprache-Sozialisation) project in the Saarpfalz district have once again offered a cycling course for women. Heiner Schultz, a road safety adviser from the police, was recruited to run the practical and professional course over four mornings. The course was organised in cooperation with the youth traffic school on their premises in Homburg. Six women took the opportunity to fulfil a long-held wish to learn how to ride a bike in a safe environment.
The women with no previous knowledge were mainly interested in going on trips with their children, shopping or travelling to work by bike. In their various countries of origin, cycling either played no role, women were not allowed to learn it or they simply lacked the opportunity to do so.
There was a lot of nervousness among the participants before the start. Some spoke of the fear of falling and injuring themselves. Heiner Schultz very quickly succeeded in boosting their confidence. With empathy, encouragement and various exercises, he introduced the women to cycling. They began with balance exercises on scooters and bikes without pedals. Everyone showed motivation, ambition and courage. On the second day, some of the women began practising on bikes with pedals. They were gripped with enthusiasm when the first one rode several metres on her own. Courage and self-confidence grew from day to day. In the end, five women were able to ride a bike on their own and spoke of "pure goosebumps" and a "great feeling". They thanked Heiner Schultz warmly for the individual training and the encouraging impulses.
During the course, KiBiSS employees Ines Wahle and Nicole Berger looked after the nine children taking part, all aged between one and twelve. The time flew by with age-appropriate toys, varied exercise games and shared meal breaks. Go-karting and scootering were particularly fun. One child even learnt to ride a bike in just a few hours. At the end of the day, the mums were full of praise for the great childcare and the relief it provided. Heiner Schultz emphasised that it is definitely more difficult to teach adults how to ride a bike than children, as adults are more afraid of falling, among other things.
At the end of the course, he presented each of the women with a bicycle, which had been donated to him by members of the public. He had previously had the bikes refurbished by CJD Homburg/Saar gGmbH so that the women could use the skills they had learnt on their own bikes in future. The joy was immense. The KiBiSS project is now planning further joint activities.
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo was also impressed by the rapid realisation of the goal of learning to ride a bike. "The cycle learning course is a valuable offer for integration in everyday social life and increases the mobile independence of women. I would like to thank Ines Wahle, Nicole Berger and Heiner Schultz for their commitment and for organising and running this special course, and I look forward to it taking place again next year. It is also a remarkable gesture when citizens of the district make their bikes available for this event," said the District Administrator.