Agent of Change Rides to Loan

The road trip has always been a catalyst for change. From On the Road and Easy Rider to Thelma & Louise and Little Miss Sunshine, being on the road merges self-discovery with the pursuit of something greater than one's self. So it was with Shawn Smith, a 27-year-old former banker, who used the idea of a bike ride from Vancouver BC to Tijuana Mexico as the spark to found Global Agents for Change - a Canadian group dedicated to "sustainable solutions to global poverty while inspiring youth to create a better world."

Shawn's got a head for numbers and a passion for social causes. In a natural combination of ability and aspiration, Shawn became increasingly aware of the proven power of micro loans to small entrepreneurs in developing countries to deliver visible results. Heck, if it worked for 2006 Noble Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, it was good enough for Shawn.

Global Agents for Change focuses on microlending and are combining their passion for (physical) action with the opportunity to build a fund that will pump seed capital into the small-but-impactful local ventures around the world. In partnership with Kiva, Global Agents for Change are rallying for a ~2000 mile bike ride from Vancouver BC to Tijuana to raise big bucks for making loans. They did it once already in 2007 with 21 hearty souls applying pedal power to bring in more than $30,000. Still buzzing from that success they are riding annually with 25 youth on the Canada to Mexico route this year, and adding a European route in 2009, with an eventual $1 million objective. Whew!

Shawn is a living proof that change "don't come easy." In planning the 2007 ride, they posted on Craigslist for a filmmaker to document their journey and - despite making it clear that the film budget was $0 - were inundated with directors eager to be involved. Problem solved, right? Wrong! While making a pit stop in San Francisco, their support RV was broken into and all footage shot to-date was knicked. Ouch! They did capture the rest of the trip, however, and are regrouping around the 2008 ride to get the rest of the film needed to complete the movie.

Shawn and Global AFC are rolling. Get on board or get left behind. Use the Action Packs below to apply online for the 2008 ride or compete to launch a microcredit fund at your university.

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