A city resident is all set to go on a cycling mission covering about 6,000 Kms in 60 days across 6 countries in a bid to create social awareness. Akram Ansari a 24- year- old cycling enthusiast is eager to make the world a better place and is ready to start his expedition Cyclothon 3.0 on August 20 from the city.
Founder and chairman of an NGO called Bless ‘n’ Bliss the cyclist will address burning issues like lack of education for the underprivileged children, poor employment opportunities for the members of the transgender community and women safety. His 60 day journey will begin in India and take him to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
During the course of his journey, Ansari will be addressing seminars at various educational institutions like XLRI Jamshedpur, IIT Kharagpur and NUS Singapore to name a few and speak about his cause.
“My motive is not just to cycle across the globe. My mission is to get as many people as possible on the same platform and encourage them to work towards these issues,” said the cyclist.
The NGO which was started in 2015 operates from Ranchi and Rourkela and works on three major projects. “I started the NGO by collecting Rs 10 from my friends on a weekly basis in college and buying books and stationery for the children begging at the station.”
BnB Shikshalaya operates two educational centres for the underprivileged children in Ranchi and one in Rourkela. “At these centres free education is provided to the children through a digital platform. At present there are 167 children studying with us,” he said.
BnB Saksham imparts physical and psychological training to girls on how to save themselves in unwanted situations. It has one centre each in Ranchi and Rourkela with 100 girls getting trained in martial arts and self defense techniques.
BnB Swabhimaan works for creating job opportunities for members of the transgender community. “20 people of this community were given sewing machines and specialised training for six months. They are now able to lead a dignified life and earn their own livelihood,” added Ansari. Bless ‘n’ Bliss is a registered NGO which primarily operates from donations received from private organisations and individuals.
Ansari has been cycling for a cause since 2016. Cyclothon 1.0 was for about 100 Kms in August 2016 from Bhubaneswar to Jajpur Road in Odisha and focused on women safety and employment for the transgender community. His second expedition Cyclothon 2.0 was for 400 Kms from Jajpur Road to Ranchi in 2017.
“For my third cycling expedition, I humbly request the Chief Minister of Jharkhand to flag off my journey. This will immensely boost my confidence,” emphasized Ansari.
Born in Giridih, Ansari is the youngest of seven siblings. He completed his schooling from CCL DAV Public School Giridih and is a B. Tech graduate from NIT Rourkela. Apart from being a cyclist, Ansari is also a trained mountaineer, a marathon runner and a fitness freak.
“My family supportes me unconditionally in all my endeavors’a and always encourages me to focus on my work. I am also very conscious about my fitness and make it a point to work out regularly,” remarked the entrepreneur.