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November 20, 2017
Bikes for Khajuraho – Helping girls get to school safely in India to improve education opportunities
Getting involved in community project linked to education in India
As part of our on going work with communities in India, we recently undertook a project to provide poor students in Khajuraho bicycles to help them get to school.
These bikes were mostly for young girls around the age of 12 who walk around four or five kilometres each way every day to get to school. In Khajuraho, North India, the summers are very hot and the winters cold.
These girls attend the Wonderkids English School in Khajuraho – a school started by one of our guides in Delhi and his colleagues in the travel industry, to help poor children get an education, and thus create more opportunities for them in life. The school started with just a handful of kids and now has more than 150 kids attending each day. Last year, we put together a library of more than 300 books for the school and had the privilege of visiting the school to deliver the books.
This year, with the help of our past travellers, our friends and family, our Remarkable East small group touring brand and participants on our North India Revealed small group tour, we bought and delivered 14 bikes to the children in Khajuraho in September. There have been recent studies and reports that talk about the positive impact on girls’ access to education and opportunities in life in India when they are given bicycles to help them get to school.
Lincoln Harris, who was with the Remarkable East North India Revealed tour, said it was a wonderful afternoon presenting the bikes at the school. He said there was an air of celebration at the school – with families of the children coming in and people from the nearby neighbourhood also there to watch and join in. There were some performances by the children and Lincoln and his group took part in presenting the bikes to the children. It was a very special event to be part of, according to Lincoln.
With these bikes, it’s hoped the boys and girls who travel the furthest to reach the Wonderkids English School in Khajuraho each day have an easier and safer journey and that they are encouraged to keep attending school and studying.
We ride to school each day with our son and we know what a pleasure and privileged both education and bike riding – having both the opportunity and access to both – are. We are pleased to be able to share it with these children and look forward to the next project are able to help with.
Thanks to all those that contributed to the Bikes for Khajuraho project. Thanks to India Unbound, Remarkable East, Buster Pearson, Jenni Harris, The Pilgrim Group, The ‘Cousins’, Tobey Henry & Family, Rebecca Harris & family, Katie Falkner & Family, Andrew Hobbs & Family, Natalie Obiko Pearson & Family, Maggie Rando & Judith, Natalene Muscat & family, Cathy Murphy & family and our partners in India. And a big thanks to the travellers on North India Revealed 2017 for letting us include this in their holiday! The love and support of all these people help us make these projects come to fruition. We are grateful for your involvement.
In 2018/19 we hope to start work on our own education project in India, a larger, long term project and we look forward to sharing that with you as it comes together.
