Give a girl a bike: help her to go to school

Dear Mann Deshi Friends and Supporters,

Steering to School, Pedaling to Prosperity

In rural areas of India, more than 50% of girls enrolled in primary schools drop out by Class 5. Although school tuition is free, transportation costs deter rural families from sending girls to school. These families seek a mobile solution to make education a reality for their daughters.

“I want to become an engineer”.  This was the aspiration of Ms. Swapa Bhandare.  Mann Deshi started Freedom Ride program in support of girls who wish to continue higher education.  Under this program young girl’s get bicycle to continue higher education.  Lack of transport facilities force girls to drop out from school after 7^th grade.  Mann Deshi Foundation has provided bicycles free of cost to thousands of girls.  Bicycle program helps them to travel and continue high school.  After high school they also entered graduate program.  Mann Deshi also organizes career development workshop for these girls.  In one of the workshop Ms. Bhandare said, “Without bicycle I would have dropped out of the school and would have become wage laborers in fields.  I want to become an engineer”.  High schools education brought aspiration to these young girls.

Through a partnership between Mann Deshi Bank, Mann Deshi Foundation, and the SHG Federation, Freedom Ride provides bicycles to rural girls.  Mann Deshi has provided more than 2,400 girls a bicycle since the start of the program.

Jaishree Chavan & Varsha Narale of Panvan High school:

14 KM from Mhaswad are proud recipient of free bicycles from Mann Deshi Mahila Sahkari Bank.  Jaishree & Varsha used to walk 4 Km distance from their home to school and back home each day.  Their School days were long and lots of missed and late arrivals at school and home.

Jaishree with four other siblings and Varsha with two were also in real danger of dropping out of school sans reliable transportation.Then Came Mann Deshi in the beginning of year 2010 when reliable efficient transportation to school became truth for both jaishree and Varsha.

Jaishree dream of becoming a police woman and Varsha dream of a carrier in nursing field.
Mann Deshi has helped these girls of farmer's family to ride bike to success.

Mann Deshi appreciates our donors support. 

Dear Mann Deshi Friends and Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of the Bicycle Project.

Under the Bicycle Project girls, who wish to continue higher education, get a bicycle. This bike makes it able for them to continue to go to school, while they otherwise would have dropped out from school. The bicycle project helps them to travel to school, which saves transportation costs.

Madhuri is 10 years old, in the 6^th standard and got her bike last January. When she got the bike, she didn’t know how to cycle. Her teacher was of a great help to her, and learned her how to cycle. Her effort to learn cycling, shows that she is really eager on going to school. Her dream is continue studying and become a teacher.

The bike does not only help girls to go to school quicker, but the bike is also useful for other things. Varsha is a 12 year old girl, who is in the  7^th  standard. She got her bike in January 2010. Varsha lives 3 km away from her school. Before she had the bike she used to go to school by feet. She uses the bike also for the distribution of milk. Every morning, before she goes to school, she distribute milk through her village. In this way the bike is also a help for a family.

Varsha is not the only example. Also Jyoti, 13 years old and in the 7^th standard, uses her bike for different purposes. When she wants to go to buy some grocery (to help her mum) she can take the bike. This saves time, as it otherwise would have been a 3 km walk.

You can help girls like Madhuri, Varsha and Jyoti by providing seed money for bicycles. Mann Deshi can send you information and pictures of the specific girl you’ve helped and provide you the opportunity to keep up with her progress in school.

 Again thanks!