Using old bicycles for new beginnings

We often talk a lot about recycling and reusing and conservation of various products. But do we practically look around and see that sometimes it's the small things in life that we fail to notice but can go a long way in making a difference in someone's life.

Hemant and Sangeeta Chabbra started a project aptly called ‘The Bicycle Project.’They collect old bicycles, which are probably of little use to their owners and lie rusting somewhere in the attic or in the garage. They renovate these bikes and deliver them to the needy village kids in and around Mumbai and in many districts of Maharashtra.

These cycles are used by school-going tribal children who need to traverse long distances to get to school from their remote villages.

 “The project started in 2008 and the response was rather encouraging. Friends and family rallied around and we began slowly with single donations that came trickling in. However, it took us a while to realise that single bike donations were stretching our resources in terms of time, money and energy since picking up the bikes from each residence was very taxing and not very fruitful in the long run,” says Simona Terron, co-founder of the project.

Then through their blog and networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and cyclists.in, the trio managed to appoint collection centres where the bikes can be dropped.

“Networking sites help us keep in touch with the many people who have expressed an interest in the project, and we are amazed by the response we received. But there is a dire need for more volunteers, for more people who feel that they want to be a part of the project in every way possible through their efforts. Instead we simply get encouragement in the form of 'great job, keep it up!’ We love the moral support but some actual hands on help would be a lot more useful at this juncture,” continues Simona.

Bicycle donation is one step in the long term goal which is eventually to contribute anything that could be of some need to the children; like computers, clothes, and books. Such small steps will give them a small push in the direction of a brighter future.

Talking about future avenues, Simona says, “Hemant and Sangeeta have been saying from day one; this project is more than just about bicycles. They also offer food and accommodation to anyone who chooses to volunteer at the tribal village school teach the children English for at least a month at a stretch.”