BENGALURU: For 19-year-old Ujwal, a cycle is his ride to a new life. The degree student who lost his father is also the bread winner of the family. The Tumkuru resident along with several others received bicyles at Cyclothon, which celebrates the 200th year of bicycle invention, 2017-18.
The event was organised by the Rotary Club of Bangalore, Koramangala, on Sunday which also that happens to be World Suicide Prevention Day. According to the organisers, around 200 bicycles were distributed during the event.
Ujwal looks after his farm land and cattle and the cycle is sure to come handy in his work. Another college student from Tumkuru, Darshan G who also received a bicycle at the event, aims to use it to commute to his college and his farm.
Raghavendra Prasad, 33,a social worker from Bengaluru brought in five beneficiaries from Tumkur and Doddaballapura taluk in Bengaluru rural district says that the bicyles will help better the financial conditions of these people. “Most of the people just have an acre of land and they depend on rains,” says the Msc graduate. Raghavendra adds that the cycle will have various uses for the people such as to fetch cattle feed.
Anand, 25, who farms on an acre of land in Tumkuru and has a few cows will be using the bicycle to bring in fertilisers and farm equipments. “These people walk miles to get their cattle feed,” says Raghavendra. “On the cycle, in a single trip they can get the grass for two cows in one trip without as much physical exhaustion,” he adds.
The cycle, Raghavendra says, will also be used to bring in seeds for farming and to transport milk to the society in villages. Chandrashekar, a coconut vendor from Doddaballapura taluk who received the bicycle donation will use it to get the produce from farms.
For Narsiappa, 32, the donation will be used exclusively to fetch cow feed and then to get the milk to the dairy cooperative society in Tumkur.
Tree for every person
For every participant at the event, a sapling was planted. Previously, Janet Yegneswaran, President 2017 - 18, Rotary Club of Bangalore Koramangala had initiated a drive on July 17 where eight bicycles were donated to farmers from Chickballapura and Tumkuru, students from Kaiwara and to a maid servant and a tea seller from Rajendranagar, Koramangala.