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

Chetna Sinha, the winner of the 2013 Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY)-India award

On 11 November, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of the World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation announced Chetna Sinha, founder Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank and Mann Deshi Foundation, as the winner of the 2013 Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY)-India award.

"Having a bicycle allows me to be AMBITIOUS", says Nisha from Satara village.

On Saturday, 15th February, 50 bicycles were gifted from Mann Deshi to girls who would otherwise be forced to drop out of school for lack of transportation.  The chief guests at the event were Stuart P. Milne, Group General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, HSBC India, Manas Mohanti, Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Anami Roy, former Police Commissioner of Mumbai and Chetna Sinha, Founder of Mann Deshi.

In rural communities, young girls are often unable to continue their education once they reach adolescence because their families cannot afford transportation and it is dangerous to walk the
long distance alone.  As a solution, the Mann Deshi Foundation created a program that donates bicycles to schoolgirls so that they can continue to get to school safely, changing the course of their future for the better.  This year, Mann Deshi distributed 50 bicycles and led a bicycle rally from Satara City to celebrate.

Nisha was one of the 50 girls who benefited from the program.  Her father is a farmer who doesn’t earn sufficient money to support his family of five. Nisha never asked her father for a bike because she knew he couldn’t afford it.  She walks five kilometres every day to get to school and never complains, even though it is hot, dusty, and tiring.  She says, “My new bicycle helps me to reach school in time and to study hard.  I am ambitious and can dream and get higher marks.”

Thank you very much for the support of Global Giving Donors !!

Most Sincerely,

Vanita Shinde

Links:

• TEDx Gateway 2013 link: The First Bank & B-School for rural wome

Dear Mann Deshi Donor’s,

With all your support +5000 girls have been able to get the bicycle.  Bicycle has helped them to be in the
school.  In rural India many girls drop out from school just because of lack of transportation.  These girls aspire to go for higher education.

Case Study:   Sheetal from small village called Pingali, studying in standard 9^th. I walk 5 km from my house to school and this consume lot of time in travelling, due to this I get very less time to do myself study and to play with my friends. One fine day during our school hours a notice came to our classroom that Mann Deshi foundation is visiting our school and they want to help students by distributing free bicycle, who stay far away from school and finds it difficult to attend classes just because of long distance. I really felt nice by listening this and my faith on god doubled. My teacher announced my name and it was like dream come true for me every one congratulated me.

I thanked god for his help and promised him that I will study hard and fulfill my parents dream.

Your donation can help them to get them bicycle to go to school. This can be your Christmas Gift. 

We’ve simplified the donation procedure, allowing supporters to donate by clicking on this url http://globalgiving.org/projects/girls-education-through-bicycles-in-india. What better way to celebrate Christmas than by sharing what you have with neighbors who are in need of assistance to meet their basic needs? Your
generosity will have a positive impact on people who are in need, as well as the larger community. Every gift matters. Please, won’t you decide to make a difference today?


Regards,
Mann Deshi Foundation

Dear Mann Deshi Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of the Bicycle Project.

I am Sheetal from small village called Pingali, studying in standard 9^th. My father does farming but from last 3 yrs as there is no rainfall in our district he has to depend on other source to earn our livelihood and educate us. Our parents work hard for our education as it is their dream to see us working with good organization at good position in near future.

I  walk 5 km from my house to school and this consume lot of time in travelling, due to this I get very less time to do myself study and to play with my friends.

One fine day during our school hours a notice came to our classroom that Mann Deshi foundation is visiting
our school and they want to help students by distributing free bicycle,  who stay far away from school and finds its
difficult to attend classes just because of long distance. I really felt nice by listening this and my faith on god doubled. My teacher announced my name and it was like dream come true for me every congratulated me.

I thanked god for his help and promised him that I will study hard and fulfill my parents dream.

On 8^th March, 2013 I got my bicycle.

I am really very much thankful of Mann Deshi Foundation. My father is also very happy and would like
to thanks Mann Deshi Foundation from bottom of his heart for helping him in educating his daughter.

Dear Mann Deshi Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of the Bicycle Project.

Poonam resides in small village called Dhaiwadi in Mann District. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people and as we know agriculture majorly depends on rain, but Mann district being drought
prone area from last three years there is no drop of water. Due to this it is very difficult for the people to meet their day to day expenses plus to educate their childrens.

Poonam is very brilliant student of her school, but her school is 5km away from her house and because of
this it is very difficult for her to reach school on time, many times she missed her scholarship class also. She cannot even demand cycle from her parents as their source of income is from farming which is a hard job in the drought prone area of Maharashtra.

One day Mann Deshi Foundation’s member visited her school to announces free distribution of cycle to the student. When she got this news she was very happy and thanks god for fulfilling her wish.

On 8^th March  Mann Deshi Foundation distributed cycles in their school.

She says : now I am very happy as I reach school on time and don’t miss any of my lectures.

 I and my family would like to thanks Mann Deshi Fundation from bottom of our heart.

Dear Mann Deshi Supporters,

Rupali lives in Awarvadi village which is a drought prone area and since last three years there is no drop of water.  Her father is a goat and sheep rearer.   Her village was hurt by drought so her parents have to move to another village for 7 to 8 months. Rupali has two brothers and she stays at her home with her brothers.  Her big brother is in 10^th and younger one is in 5^th std.  As both mother and father are migrated full responsibility fall on Rupali.  She cooks for her brothers & then goes to the school.  Because of scarcity of money, her brother also goes to cut the wood.  After finishing this work they go to the school.  School is 4m away from home; it takes more than one hour to walk.  Though this is the age of playing-jumping this children’s are working so hard to help their family.

Rupali has to walk 4 kms to her school. She is currently in 6th standard. Mann Deshi has donated bicycle to Rupali and now she can continue her studies.  She owns a Mann Deshi bicycle, and now saves hours every school day in travel time; time which she spends focusing on her studies.

The bighearted donation by Mann Deshi partners enables young girls like Rupali to overcome the challenges & fulfill their dreams.