For the Fazly family, bicycling means more than transportation. It has expanded their access to their community, improved their health, and brought joyful quality time together.

The Fazlys, a family of five from Afghanistan, arrived in Houston in 2024 and were resettled by ECDC – Houston Multicultural Center. At first, only their father and oldest son, Ehsan, ventured out into the community. The size of Houston was intimidating, and everything far out of reach. Houston’s METRO transit system was daunting.

Robina Fazly is the mother of three outstanding young adults, the reasons she made the decision to come to America. She wants them to be self-sufficient and to reach their goals – whatever they are. Her own goals include learning English, and she is a standout student in her classes at the Bilingual Education Institute and getting a job in a salon or in childcare. Robina and her husband came to the United States for the success of their children, and they are already well on their way.

Freewheels introduced you to Robina’s son, Ehsan, after he received a bicycle. It made access to opportunity a reality for him. While he initially planned to continue the medical studies he began in Afghanistan, he has since moved to pursue Business Administration. Next year, he will transfer to the University of Houston – Clear Lake to earn a bachelor’s in health care administration, then follow up with a master’s in the same field. He is currently a full-time student and full-time volunteer with Church World Service (CWS), serving as a youth mentor. He wants to share his experience with others and inspire them to achieve their goals.

Hasina, 23, is the oldest of the Fazly siblings, and she embodies the spirit of achievement. She quickly became determined to learn how to navigate METRO so that she could participate more meaningfully in her community as a volunteer with her resettlement organization and as a dental hygiene student. Her volunteer work helped to reveal her strengths as a case manager, and she obtained a full-time job with ECDC. She soon decided to change her career path to social work. Hasina is currently working as a case manager with Catholic Charities and will complete her Associate of Liberal Arts degree in the Fall 2026 semester. She will be officially enrolled in UHD’s School of Social Work in Spring 2027. Getting her driver’s license last year was a big achievement to help her reliably attend school and work. She witnessed several ECDC clients receive Freewheels bicycles – including her brother Ehsan – but she had not thought about riding herself, until a friend told her, “You can learn, too.”

That opportunity came through the Afghan Women’s Bicycle Team and Freewheels, which provided bikes for eight participants. Every Friday evening for six weeks, these women gathered to learn how to ride. The encouragement from volunteers and the camaraderie of the participants made learning to ride a joyous endeavor. Hasina and her mother, Robina, are proud alumnae of the 2026 class - and are now confidently and capably taking to the trails and streets of Houston.

Bicycling is now a favorite pastime for the Fazly family - no longer a skill for just the boys. Ehsan, Hasina, Robina, and the youngest brother, Hasibullah, all regularly go for rides as a family. Their bicycles have made exploring their community in Houston more accessible. To the Fazlys, their bicycles are symbols of joy, of health, and of freedom.