Meet Jasmeet Singh Gandhi, the man who raised 37 lakhs for the education of girls by cycling 1400 kms from Mumbai to Delhi in 10 days
Advertisement
Advertisement
In a country like India, where patriarchy and poverty still exists, the importance of education for girls is often lost on families from rural communities where money is tight and the male child is preferred and celebrated.
However, Gurgaon based non-profit organization IIMPACT founded by IIM-A graduates is of the belief that the
And, in a bid to ensure girls from rural areas get access to free quality primary education,
The good news is, they are not alone in their fight.
Advertisement
Last year, the 46-year old Microsoft employee cycled from Mumbai to Bangalore to raise funds for cancer patients. And, this year it is education of the girl child that he had on his mind.
“The choice was a very clear one. I am surrounded by women at home. I see what they are capable of. To even think that by not educating our girls we’re denying the chance to let 50% of the population contribute to the nation is heartbreaking and disappointing, really,” Gandhi tells me, matter of factly.
He goes on to add how he thinks that the saying ‘Behind every successful man is a woman’ is downright sexist. “I don’t think women are meant to stand behind. I take pride in saying that my wife is more educated and capable than me and she’s not just standing behind but everywhere. Women are heroes. It’s time we treat them like one,” he adds.
When asked about the biggest challenge of cycling from Mumbai to Delhi and leaving his tyre-prints in four states, he laments on the lack of proper infrastructure for cyclists in the country. “It’s so easy for an accident to happen,” he states.
Advertisement
When he started his journey on December 7, Gandhi had pledged to raise the money required for educating 1,000 girls, after he found out that it takes Rs 3,000 a year to educate one girl-child.Today on December 17, after the completion of his cycling odyssey, he learnt that his efforts managed to raise Rs 37 lakhs, way more than what he had aimed for.
“It’s always good knowing you over-achieved, especially when you come from a corporate background” he tells me with a shy smile.
Image credit: Iamin/DNA
Advertisement
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- SC refuses to plea seeking postponement of CA exams scheduled in May
- 10 exciting weekend getaways from Delhi within 300 km in 2024
- Foreign tourist arrivals in India will cross pre-pandemic level in 2024
- Upcoming smartphones launching in India in May 2024
- Markets rebound in early trade amid global rally, buying in ICICI Bank and Reliance
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market