Shops on Wheels
In Aurangabad, Nanda Hiware’s days are now filled with hope and promise. A physically- challenged mother of two, she brings home ₹300–400 daily, thanks to her ‘tricycle shop’ — a lifeline provided by RC Poona Downtown, RID 3131. Three years ago, an accident cost Nanda a limb, and since then, she relied on crutches for mobility. Her husband, a construction worker, has been the family’s primary breadwinner.
“The club has given me a tricycle with hand-operated pedals as I cannot use my feet. Every morning I start by 10 after completing the daily chores at home, ride through the neighbourhood and park my shop near apartment complexes. There is a good demand for bangles, bracelets, and other artificial jewellery among women and children,” she smiles. The tricycle shop project of the club has transformed the lives of 34 people with physical disabilities last year. Each shop includes a shelf for displaying merchandise, a cash box and a rain cover. “We customise the tricycles to meet the specific needs of the recipients, offering either hand or foot-operated pedals based on their disability,” explains Shikha Mitra, past secretary of the club. The cost of a tricycle shop is about ₹35,000.
The initiative draws inspiration from the club’s flagship project — ‘Gift of Mobility’ — which over the past 20 years has provided prosthetic arms to more than 10,000 people across the country. “We, with the support of the Inali Foundation and Ellen Meadows Foundation, work with Rotary clubs to provide LN-4 arms and train beneficiaries in their use. It gives us so much joy to see people drive bikes, farmers engaging in farm activities and children doing their homework using their prosthetic arms. This success inspired us to help people with disabilities achieve self-employment, enhancing their self-esteem and sense of worth,” says Aruna Rathi, club president (2023–24).
The tricycle shops are versatile; some sell snacks, mobile phone accessories or stationery. Rajiv, another beneficiary, is vending coffee, tea and biscuits from his tricycle shop, strategically parking it near offices and construction sites. Aasha Aaglawe, paralysed waist down, sells readymade garments from her tricycle shop, earning a decent income. The club provides initial funding to help these entrepreneurs launch their business. Nine tricycle shops were given to RC Satara, RID 3132, to support the physically-challenged in and around the Maharashtrian district.
Considering the economic and psychic transformation it brings in the recipients, the project is attracting a good number of corporate sponsorships, she says. In June, spice manufacturers Pravin Masalewale has sponsored 91 tricycle shops in memory of its founder Hukamichand Chordia “who began his door-to-door business on a bicycle.” Fifteen of these tricycle shops have already been distributed, with more beneficiaries being identified.
Club president Nanu Iyer is enthusiastic about continuing this impactful project this year, ensuring that many more lives will be transformed through the power of mobility and entrepreneurship.
