Girls Bicycle Project

Project Brief: Innovative scheme through a partner bank to provide bicycles to girls to allow them to attend school.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: girls (description)

Secondary Focus: to go to formal school

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Yale
Status: completed - requirements ended
Project Steward: Hitten Zaveri
Project Partner(s):
Other Contacts: Venice Walters
Project Address: , Mann Vikas Samjik Sanstha,Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, Ltd,Mhaswad,
MAHARASHTRA  415509
Tel: 91-2373-270119
Stewarding Chapter: Yale
Dec 2005YaleUSD 500
Mar 2004YaleUSD 1000

Total = $1500

Higher primary and secondary schools are most often located in a central village, which may be at a distance of several kilometers from satellite villages. The purpose of the girls bicycle project is to allow girls to overcome the distance barrier to education. The NGO (Mann Vikas Samjik Sanstha) and bank (Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, Ltd) are promoting a scheme whereby the parents of girls can apply for zero percent loans towards the purchase of a bicycle.
To create a self sustaining fund to help families purchase bicycles for girls. The funds provided by Asha-Yale are to be placed in revolving scheme for micro-credit loans for women. The interest generated from the micro-credit loans will be employed to create a fund to purchase bicycles. The bicycles will be provided through zero percent loans or as grants.
Mann Deshi Mahila Bank is the first rural women's bank in Maharashtra. The bank with the partnership of Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha deals with the health insurance for women and their families, education for girls, pension scheme for old women, and training of Panchayati raj members. The sanstha has trained 3500 memebrs of Panchayats in Satara District this program is financed by the Government of Mahrashtra. The sanstha also works with DRDA (district rural development administration of the government) on poverty alleviation programs. The sanstha works with OBC Corporations and BC Corporations to provide employment opporunities through subsidised programs.