Campaigns

Bikes for Chain-ge

Help Indian girls attending school by donating a bike!

It was 2007 when in Bihar, one of India’s poorest and most populous states, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar implemented a governmental policy addressing his state’s endemic gender imbalances. The innovative “Mukhya Mantri Balika Cycle Yojna” program aimed at reducing the gender gap in secondary school enrollment by providing girls with a bicycle that would improve their access to school.  Since then, girl’s enrollment in secondary school has increased by 30% and the pre-existing gender gap in age-appropriate secondary school enrollment was reduced by 40%.

Why it matters

In many parts of India, rural villages cannot offer secondary schools and students need to travel a long distance to pursue their education. The lack of infrastructure and money to afford to attend higher education often causes parents to take their children out of school. In particular, parents are worried about the safety of their daughters during these long journeys – therefore, it is the girls who drop out of school more often than their brothers.

This, in addition to other existing factors (early marriage, reduced acknowledgment of the importance of women’s education as well as tabooing menstrual health and sexual self-determination) contributes to widening the education gender gap.

The results are significantly reduced girls’ education, leading to dependence, suppression and general impaired quality of their future lives. Losing access to higher education forces women into early marriages, labor work, unwanted pregnancy and exposure to violence.

Our goal

Inspired by the success of the project performed in the state of Bihar, MACHA now sets out to carry out a similar project in the state of West Bengal.

We aim to fundraise 60 000 SEK to donate 100 bicycles to young girls of age 10-18 at our local partner institution, “Institute for Indian Mother and Child” (IIMC).

The girls, who will be chosen among IIMC School’s students and sponsor children, all live in rural areas, far away from school.

The impact

The bicycles, a simple means of transport, can assume a highly figurative roll in highlighting the opportunities rather than the burden of girls’ higher education – fighting preexisting patriarchal mindsets.

Biking to school, as proven in identical projects, will markedly improve the girl’s safety and access to high schools and provide them a self-determined childhood and future.

Your contribution will have an immediate and long-term impact to break the cycle of poverty and repression – because education is where it all starts.

You can contribute

Swish any amount to number: 123 115 96 56
Or send to our bank account: 626-9054
Mark your contribution with: “bikeproject”

Do you have any questions or would like to collaborate?

Contact us at bikeproject@macha.se

Burn Patient Management and Rehabilitation

A project initiated by medical students and IIMC volunteers Elisabeth Kennemark and Anna Frisk in cooperation with MACHA.

Burn Patient Management and Rehabilitation is a clinical project at The Institute for Indian Mother and Child, IIMC.

Luna, aged around 25 years, was set on fire by her husband. No public hospital wanted to treat her so she came to the IIMC’s clinic with 80 percent of her body covered in burns. Her wounds were carefully treated and she survived, though with severe post burn contracture and keloids as well as with severe pain and immobility. She was ostracised from her family and her two children.

In the last two years, Luna has had four reconstructive surgeries at a public hospital to minimize pain and invalidity (to a cost of around 2000€). She will need approximately two more years of reconstructive surgery, treatment and rehabilitation. After all surgeries and rehabilitation, IIMC will help her with funding to so she can start her life again.

As an initiative started by two Swedish volunteers currently assisting at the clinic, MACHA is raising funds for this reconstructive surgery for Luna and other women who have fallen victim to this kind of domestic violence, also called “burning bride” and “stove-burning”.

You can contribute

Swish any amount to number: 123 115 96 56
Or send to our bank account: 626-9054
Mark your contribution with: “burn-victim surgery”

Words from IIMCs director, Dr. Sujit Bramochary

“Unfortunately remarkably young women are victims of burns. Most of the time it’s homicide and in some incidence accidental burn. But even in accidental burn – women are the victim because they are cooking for husband and children.”