By Rishi Mulloth
“It’s often times a beautiful thing overcoming the difficulties along the way, and making your way up to the top.” This is the inspiring message from Baker Nicholaou while discussing his nonprofit enterprise Bicimaximo, a bike repair shop in Granada, Nicaragua which is the subject of the film, Second Cycles, directed by Gwendolyn Hamilton (curated for Planet Classroom by SIMA Classroom). In this film, audiences get an insight into Bicimaximo’s mission and how it could significantly impact the residents of Granada.
Nicholaou’s nonprofit works in training men who have recently come out of drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
In Nicaragua, substance abuse is a major problem that is only growing, and it is starting to have a severe impact on the younger generation. Children begin using as early as ten years old. The film introduces Alvaro Antonio, a man whose life was turned upside down from drug addiction, but has now recovered and has found a sense of purpose with his new profession. Through his new job, he was able to find hope and believes he can be the person he truly wants to be. This is exactly the premise behind Bicimaximo and Nicholaou’s vision, to help the community in a way that actually serves them, rather than something that looks good to outsiders but brings no real value to the society at hand. Through his program, he gives these people something of value, a skill they can use, and it’s working with bicycles, a major part of Nicaraguan culture. Almost everyone uses bicycles to traverse Nicaragua, and it’s a vital part of the community’s way of life. Nicholaou’s enterprise epitomizes the true nature of a nonprofit, a sustainable business that works to serve the people. As a result, he has given downtrodden people a second chance at a better life and improved a struggling community.
This short documentary gives a great perspective on the importance of nonprofit enterprises like Bicimaximo in their ability to bring great change to a community while still being a quality business. In addition, it highlights the struggles of drug and alcohol addiction facing Nicaragua and their youth, and the need for a second chance at life. Lastly, this film displays the beauty of the city and landscape of Granada. All in all, this is a great short documentary that tells an important story that will have viewers thinking differently about the way a business can help a community.
4/5
Rishi Mulloth is a recent graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in film and media studies and economics, and is attending the University of Scranton this fall for a master’s in business analytics. He is currently working on the production of the film Thanks to Her, and aspires to work in content acquisition
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