Gujarati couple on a mission to help the girl education in India
A Gujarati couple from New York is on a mission to help the girl education in India and spread the message to other all along their route.
The couple started their journey from New York and after passing from 15 countries reached India on 21st October to complete their mission in Mumbai. The couple collects funds from onwards their journey to help Kedi School of Tribal girls in Valsad Gujarat.
Under PROJECT SPARK the couple set on their tour on their hatchback car and collecting funds for the school to support girls education. They give their tour the name ADVENTURE FOR CHARITY and enjoying life with a cause.
"Project Spark is an overland journey starting from New York and ending in Mumbai supporting a charitable cause. The journey Started from 25th August 2016, Flying from New York to London and then driving to Mumbai, have passed through 15 countries along the Silk Route. We drove across Europe and Asia to reach the destination Mumbai in about 70 days.
As part of Project Spark, we are raising awareness and funds for Kedi School for Tribal Girls, in Valsad Gujarat," said Kunal Modi who is a software engineer.
The couple reached Vadodara on Friday and attended a motivational lecture at the Institute of Leadership and Governance MSU Baroda. The couple although lived in Mumbai but has their maternal side families living in Vadodara. Devanshi a physiotherapist at New Jersey said that the cause to support girl education is very near to their heart.
"We both are lucky that our parents afford our education and we get educated and have good jobs in our hands. However being a girl I always see that not everybody specially the girls are lucky enough to get education in India. Here in India there is less focus on the education of girls and the Tribal areas are neglected. We came to know about the Kedi school for tribal girls from a common friend and after research for nearly 10 months plan our tour and raising funds for them. Being Gujarati we are close to the state and hence we chose the school to collect funds to support girls education," said Devanshi Modi.
The couple along with a companion team member Stephen Jaine founder of Team Last Responders crossed 15 countries all along their route to reach Mumbai on 8th November.
"Team Last Responders is a institute in New York working for different causes. In 2011 we organised a travel rally to Columbia and donate an Ambulance. In 2012 from London to Africa and then in 2014 from N.Y. to Bolivia we organised rally and donate an Ambulance at both places. Now we are on way towards Mumbai crossing 15 countries in our 2009 Hatchback. In all we complete 18000 kms by road to Mumbai and this is our 71st day of journey in reaching Vadodara," said Kunal.
The couple now head towards Mumbai but in the way they will visit the school for which they are raising funds. "On 6th and 7th November we will visit the Kedi school and interact with the management and students. Kedi school is residential high school from grade 8th to 12th and provides academic as well as vocational training to the girls in the economically deprived tribal area. This year the school is coming up with a new project to provide scholarship programme after 12th for higher education. In this project the school will offer part payment of fees and scholarships to those who want to continue higher studies. We aim to raise 5000 dollars for the same and we are happy to collect 7500 dollars for the cause and still counting," said Kunal.
The couple entered India on 21st October and celebrated Diwali at Ganga Ghats in Varanasi. They repaired their car once in Kazakhstan and in Varanasi. During the way to India the couple find the Myanmar route very difficult as the roads are in bad shape and the people are living without lights which was very painful to see for them.
