When Philadelphia schoolboy Thomas Hircock went with his father to India, he found that some school pupils at Rajasthan lived 20 miles from their school. Back in the States he started raising money to provide bicycles for them. The first year saw 8 bicycles sent, but the total is now over 400. This is a commendable initiative because the bikes don’t just enable the children to get to school more easily, they are also a liberating influence, giving them access to a wider world outside their villages. This started as a one-person initiative, and it shows the difference that one motivated and resourceful person can make. To those who criticize today’s children and call them selfish and self-absorbed, Thomas Hircock’s Bike Club provides an excellent counter-example.
Filed under: Updates |
Madsen Pirie 
There is a similar initiative in the Philippines called Yellow Boat of Hope. It provides small boats for kids to get to school without having to wade/swim. See http://www.yellowboat.org/
The cost of a boat for 2-3 kids is about £140.