I’m back in the office for first time in a month. First task was to clear the 2000+ pieces of spam email. There’s a lot more room on the server now!
In the snail mail is a brochure from People Aid, an organisation that gathers sponsorship for rickshaws to be given to needy Indian families. The rickshaws are made in a factory in India, complete with a blue shade, a cross and flower emblem, the words in English, “Jesus is Lord”, and an acknowledgement of the sponsor. Here’s a way to provide a debt free incoming-producing business that permamently supports a family.
Anyone looked into this?
hmmm…
first, it is worth noting that pedal-rickshaws are going to be progressively phased out of cities here because they are now a traffic problem. of course, they will still have a place in smaller cities, towns and villages.
second, I would love to know more about what the money goes towards. for that kind of cash you can almost buy a new motorbike here. I seriously doubt that a good condition second hand pedal-rick would cost more than $50-75au.
Hi there,
We’re heading off to Bangalore on Friday and I am interested in this “Rickshaws for India”. If I come across any rickshaw owners displaying the blue shade and cross I will have a chat with them.
I would also be very interested as well to see how much a rickshaw costs and would then like to know how the AU$700 was being distributed.
We are back from India and enjoyed it immensely.
We based ourselves in Bangalore and traveled south to Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. We then did a trip up north to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
In the south all rickshaws were motorised and there was no sign of pedal power at all.
The North we came across a mix of both in Jaipur with some pedal in Agra and Delhi. Although in Delhi we did come across 100′s of pedal rickshaws on the sides of roads chained up and collecting dirt. I’m not sure if these were impounded or expired rickshaws.
I know India is a big place but we didn’t see any sponsored rickshaws and with the technology advancing in India I would think that sponsoring a pedal rickshaw is now not a long term project. Even country towns will start progressing to the auto rickshaws as India is advancing quickly.
I would focus my energies on a new project if I was from People Aid, something that is more sustainable. Also 23,000 rupees to buy a rickshaw is way over the top and I would like to know where the rest of this money is used….
I have read these comments and would like to know if anyone has researched into this further after commenting on where does the money go?
Hi All
If anyone can shed any light on the “Rickshaws for India” organisation (“People Aid”) I’d be grateful. They list an 0800 nuber on their ad but it has been disconnected. It’s very hard to find out any information about them, and even their website (www.peopleaid.org) does not supply the addresses of anyone in India who could be approached for a reference.
Disconection was apparantly a Telecom caused problem when the Wellington office of PeopleAid changed premises. Working fine now from NZ 0800 74 25 74. If anyone has any queries with peopleAid the Director Steve Spelmen is happy to talk. Just call him!
I am looking at sponsoring a rickshaw through PeopleAid’s program. I am, I believe, fairly discerning. After reading a couple of issues of their magazine (which is printed by the company I work for), visiting their website, receiving and viewing their DVD, I did an extensive internet search. There is very little to find and, except for a couple of queries such as on your blog, nothing negative so far as I can see. I put the queries to them in an email and received a satisfactory response which included a couple of .pdf fact sheets, one on their support for the move to ban human-pulled rickshaws and one detailing their rickshaw programme. (I will forward these to you if you like, but I need an address)
I need some infomation abou the ‘rickshaws of india’ before next monday. If you do please email me at 001462@wmac.com.au
My wife and I are seriously consideering providing for the presentation of a rickshaw to one of the disadvantaged families as per the magazine. Did you find any reliable information to support the credibility o the claims of Peol;e aid? Would appreciate any info you may have about Rickshaws for India. Greetings, Ted Butler
I am so happy to see all of your concern towards rickshaws.It is one of the best idea for the survive of an Indian family.But the men who are driving those rickshaws are earning money and using it for drinking liquor without giving anything to their families.So i would prefer for developing women through tailoring programme or self help development programmes where they can take care of their familes through the income which they earn.Even i had saved 18 girls from the hands of prostitution and now making them to learn tailoring course so that they can earn their own income through stitching their clothes.I would love to visit our place in south india and bless our works among the Child and Sex slavery People.Email me at reachthedisabled@yahoo.com
Sister Sunitha
Andhra Pradesh
South India
Bro ,Can you give me personal email address of Steve Sir of People Aid or if you can forward my email to him also i will be more happy as Today i had spoken with his concerned officer Mr Raj Kumar in India.
This is the Conversation of mine with raj Kumar.
Raj Kumar: Can i Speak with Sister Sunitha Johnson.
Me: Yes,This is Sunitha Johnson.
Raj Kumar: Good Morning,I am Raj Kumar,India Director for People Aid calling from Visakha patnam.I would like to just say hello as i had came to know about you through the Dalit Women Network in India.Can i know more about you?Do you receive any foreign funding?Do you have help from any one?
Me: It was nice to know about you sir.I am working among the untouchables and back ward people who are called dalits and tribes.I am having one orphanage with 69 children and 60 widows and 10 handicapped people.I do not have any support from any one as i work as a teacher and help run the home with my salary.I dont have any one as i am an orphan dalit women.I love my dalit tribe so i love to work for them in treating them as my family. Can i know about people aid?
Raj Kumar: People aid helps the needed families with rickshaws,sewing machines,drilling borewells to the water needed places.Do you have FCRA or Do you know any one in the Abroad?
Me: It was nice to know about you.I had registered a charity in the year 1985 and through it i am doing many social works with the help of local people by distributing wheel chairs to the handicapped and computers training for the unemployed youth,tailoring course for the women for their income. I don’t have FCRA or i dont know any one in the abroad.Can you help us through People aid in having rickshaws to these untouchable men and sewing machines to the grown up girls and women and two borewells for these villages where they are crying for water.If you can come to our villages i can show you all the places and you can know see with your eyes about the present situation.
Raj Kumar:There is no time for me to come and unless if you know any one in oversees,we cant help you and we cant come to your place as we want to talk with the overseas people whom they know you.
Me: Sir,what is the use of knowing about overseas people.You are staying in India and if there is no time for you,why cant you send your staff to see our villages and our work.
Raj Kumar: it is not possible and we cant help you.and he hang up the phone.
Now i had requested this raj kumar to see our works and help our untouchable people through People Aid.This is what the people in India think that helping untouchables is a Sin..
Can any one pass our conversion to Mr Steve sir so that he can come to our place and see the situation of these untouchable villages in India.
Sister Sunitha
Dalit Women,
Andhra Pradesh,
India.
Bro,I had tried to send the email through the webiste of People Aid,but the email is reaching to Mr Rajkumar not to steve Sir.I need his personal address so that i can request him in having help for these untouchable people who sell their children for feeding themselves.They sell the kids to child slavery and grown up girls to Sex trade industry.
Thank you
i have been a volunteer for 2 years on social works and this is a very exciting job for me ,~~