Cyclist duo impart polio awareness to students

A duo has been cycling across north India since October 2, 2017 to raise awareness on polio, health and hygiene. The duo, 26-year-old Bhagyashree Sawant, a resident of Sion, and 25-year-old Bengaluru-based MJ Pavan, have set out to cycle over 20,000 km across the country with the aim to promote the campaign to end polio.

While the initiative is organised by Rotary Bangalore Orchards, both Sawant and Pavan who are cyclists by passion thought of contributing to the initiative which is related to eradicating polio and illiteracy in the country. They have covered over 9,000 km so far and have visited 13 states. They are also attempting to bag a Guinness World Record by the end of their journey.

"It is a six-month long initiative. We will be visiting around 400 schools, interacting with children and talking to them about education and hygiene. While we were visiting a few schools in the northern parts of the country, we learned about some of the myths related to polio among the people. One of them being that they will get polio if they take the vaccine. We had to make them understand the facts related to polio. Through interactive sessions with the students, we want to reach out to their family members. Students can be an effective medium through which to influence society," said Sawant.

According to Sawant, cycling was their tool of choice as they love the activity and wanted to impact society with the help of what they enjoy doing most. "During the journey, we too have learned about different cultures. Every state and district has its own distinct culture. Many children in rural villages attend school for midday meals," added Sawant.

Sawant and Pawan are yet to travel to 12 more states and will be continuing their journey for the next three months.