[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 579

[Garry & Anne Krischock]

Rotary wheels lead to better future

By Tonya Weger
Rotary International News

For girls in south Asia, having a bicycle can mean the difference 
between going to school or not. Without an education, girls face 
illiteracy and the inability to support themselves. 

The 26 December 2004 tsunami in south Asia destroyed major 
structures, such as schools, and washed away bicycles. Many 
students - but especially girls - then faced the possibility of a 
bleak future without an education. 

After the tsunami, students had to travel long distances to the 
area's remaining schools. Without bicycles, the long commute by foot 
meant that the children walked home at night, says Dr. Rekha Shetty, 
past district governor of District 3230. For girls, the walk was not 
an option. "Families would not allow girls to go to school if they 
had to walk through remote areas after dark," Shetty says. 

In January 2005, Shetty and Dr. Peter Patel, of the Rotary Club of 
Birmingham, United Kingdom, took a trip to assess damage along the 
coast of Tamilnadu, south India. While at the Cuddalore District 
collector's office, the Rotarians saw three girls petitioning for 
bicycles to replace those they lost in the tsunami. 

The assistant collector asked the Rotarians to purchase bicycles for 
the girls "so they could continue their studies and not face a life 
of misery and drudgery," according to Shetty. 

She realized then what a difference a bicycle can make. "A bicycle 
changes a girl's whole life pattern and determines her future," 
Shetty says. With bicycles, the girls would be able to commute to 
and from school much faster. 

Patel agreed to buy bikes for the girls at the office, but he and 
Shetty were informed that there were almost 800 more girls in need 
of bicycles. The Rotarians agreed to raise the necessary money and 
began the Rotary Education on Wheels project. 

"We really didn't know if we had bitten off more than we could 
chew," Shetty says. 

But in typical Rotarian fashion, districts worldwide contributed. 
The Rotary Club of Jerusalem, Israel, funded 100 bicycles, and 
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Katmandu Mid-Town, Nepal, a 
country being torn apart by civil war and poverty, rallied to raise 
money for 95 more. 

In India, members of the Rotary Club of Pune Central raised money 
for 100 bikes. The Rotary clubs of Madras Temple City, Ambattur, and 
Cuddalore Midtown pitched in by coordinating and distributing the 
bicycles. 

"The bicycles are moving promotions for Rotary," Shetty explains. 
Each of the bikes has the Rotary wheel on the fender and the name of 
the club that donated it. 

The girls who received the bicycles have dreams of having careers as 
teachers, policewomen, or working in the medical field. "I was 
surprised by their ambitions," Shetty says. "Not one said they 
wanted to be a housewife." 

Shetty believes women should have a choice of whether they want to 
stay home and raise a family or pursue a professional life. And 
education is the key that can open many doors. 

"Illiteracy is a problem," she explains. "Girls are the first to 
drop out of school in families." 

Rotary Education on Wheels is a long-term effort with 2,000 bikes 
planned for distribution in the coming year. Shetty hopes to expand 
the project to include more countries. 

Source: R I Newsservice
Courtesy:eFlash_Rotary

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