Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Bicycle Project - Mumbai, India

The Bicycle Project

In villages located a around big cities, there are several children aged 6-16 years, walking an average of 2-7 kms a day, one way, to get an education. This is the generation that will bring about a change for the better – for their families, their villages, and who knows, maybe even their country and some day, the world!

Going to school is the most important thing for these kids – and they know that.

Which is why no distance is too long – and walking for hours is normal because missing school is not an option. These children’s families can’t even afford to send them by the local bus yet, whether rain or shine, blistering heat or freezing cold, these children do their best to get to school on time, every day.

What is The Bicycle Project?

We’re collecting your old bicycles, which are probably of little use to their owners and lie rusting on a terrace, or in a stairwell or garage. After
giving these bikes a new lease of life, we deliver them to tribal / village kids in and around Mumbai / Pune, in Maharashtra.

For Phase I of this project in Mumbai, we have identified 137 students from Sri Binoi Gharde Vidhalaya in Alone, Vikramgarh Taluka, District Thane, Mumbai. We have already delivered 68 bicycles to the students of this school. Once the target of 137 bicycles is over, we will move to the next village and its school.

For Phase I of this project in Pune, we have identified few schools around Pune District and plan to replicate Phase I in Mumbai.

How can you be a part of this project?

a) Open up a Collection Center – If you have space for storing 10-15 bicycles for a period of 4-6 weeks, you can open up the Collection Center of
the bicycles where the donors can drop their bicycles.
You will have to ensure that each donor fills out a form to accompany every bicycle, for our records.

b) Donate Bicycles – You can donate your old bicycles for this cause by dropping them at a conveniently located Collection Centre.

c) Donate Money – You can pay to fix up the old bicycles (1 or more, each costs Rs 500 to fix on an average )

d) Talk about The Bicycle Project – tell everyone you know about this project, put up the posters in your building society, school, office and in your friend’s buildings, talk to society secretaries and get permission to clear their old bikes, ask people if they have space to set up Collection Centres, offer to help us repair the bikes, etc.

Please find attached the poster with our contact details. You can call me on +91 99207 69666 (before 9 am or after 8 pm on weekdays and anytime on Sunday & holidays ). Alternatively you can send me SMS & will revert back to you. You can also drop me a mail as to how you want to get associated with this project.

Looking forward to your participation.

Kiran S. Deolalkar
E mail - kiran@thebicycleproject.in or kiran.deolalkar@gmail.com
Blog - www.thebicycleproject.blogspot.com
Website - www.thebicycleproject.in

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