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

Dear Mann Deshi Friends and Supporters,

Thank you for your continued support of the Bicycle Project. Under this program Mann Deshi provides bicycles to rural girls, making it possible for them to attend school.

Mann Deshi enabled life-saving heart surgery:

This is a story about the little Swapnali Shivaji Pise, who is still alive because Mann Deshi provides her family with a loan for her life saving heart operation.

Swapnali's father is a fruit vendor and her mother a daily field worker. Aside from Swapnali the parents have two more children. Since the parent's income is low and discontinuous, this brings them in a poor economical situation. Two years ago, the little Swapnali came down with a severe heart disease. Due to the difficult economical situation, they didn’t have the money for the operation. With 10 years she was severely underweight, and if she can’t get the treatment she must die. It was the last chance for her mother to go to the Mann Deshi Bank and ask for a loan. The family is really poor but the mother was a member in a Self Help Group and so she got the loan for all the expenses which are connected with the operation. Thanks to the loan Swapnali could go to the 15 hours away state hospital in Bangalore, which is specializes in heart problems. Because of her work the mother couldn’t go with her, and so her uncle accompanied her to the hospital. She stood there for two weeks long which were really hard weeks for her family. Fortunately the operation went well and today Swapnali is totally cured. She had luck it was a good hospital and the doctors did a good job and were really kind to the small girl. It took her four month till she could visit the school again because she was not strong enough and had to take medicine. Now she can laugh again and is in a good shape. MANN DESHI DONATED BICYCLE TO SWAPNALI. Today she studies hard in school to catch up the lost year. Swapnali already has plans for the future: One day she wants to be a Doctor and serve the poor people in rural area. Her family is really happy that she is physically fit again and the mother praises her, because she always works so hard in the household and helps her family wherever she can. Meanwhile even the loan of Mann Deshi is repaid. Only a large scar on the chest reminds of the bad times. So in the end, everything went well for the little Swapnali and her family.

This year in 2010 we have donated 220 more bicycles to the school girls in Mhaswad, Vaduj, Dahiwadi and Satara. I am thankful to the donors who have supported theses young girls to dream whatever they wish to. We greatly appreciate all the support you have given us so far and hope that you will be able to help us in for our future projects.

Again thanks!! Vanita Shinde