For Class 8 student Tina Makwana, arriving late at school often meant punishment and teasing from classmates. The journey became difficult through summer heat and monsoon rain, when she had to change buses or walk along muddy roads. A bicycle has now changed that routine.
Tina is among the first recipients of Nanhi Udaan, District Governor Ashok Jain’s ambitious mobility initiative for District 3232-F1. Launched in Vadodara on August 16, 2026, by International First Vice President Manoj Shah, the project aims to provide 1,000 bicycles to students, people and daily-wage workers across Nadiad, Kapadvanj and Anand in Gujarat.
Three hundred bicycles have already been distributed. For recipients, they offer far more than transport. They mean reaching school regularly, reporting to work on time and travelling without depending on buses.
“No more pay cuts for being late,” said Jeetubhai Suthar, employed as a domestic worker across five homes.
The project won support across the district. Lions Clubs of Vitthal Udyognagar, Kapadvanj, Nadiad, Karelibaug, and Nandesari joined the effort, while nearly 80 per cent of the district’s clubs agreed to contribute towards its ₹9 lakh budget. Each bicycle costs ₹2,800, and all Region Chairpersons are serving as project directors.
Responding to a request from Spandan, an NGO working with children with intellectual disabilities, Nandesari Lions Club also presented three specially designed cycles.
Nanhi Udaan is one of several initiatives launched under District Governor Ashok Jain’s 2026–27 theme, “Service First.” Others include planting 10 lakh trees, with four lakh already planted; promoting organ donation through awareness rallies; and Atma Nirbhar Mahila, which will provide 100 sewing machines to women, 25 of which have been distributed.
With 700 bicycles still to be presented, the district is working to reach its goal soon—and then set a new one. For every recipient, a bicycle carries a personal promise: an easier journey and a wider circle of opportunity.
