I-initiate

From Awareness to Action

Serendipity
2nd Issue 15th October, 2009

Dear All,
Thank you for your over-
whelming feedback on our
first issue of newsletter!
We feel so lucky to be sur-
rounded by all of you. We
received many critical
suggestions to improve
our newsletter and have
tried to incorporate many
of them in this issue.
Happy Diwali!
Contents:
• Message from the team
• Current status
• Mayor’s Endorsement
• Current Challenges
• What’s keeping us busy?
• Major Milestones
• Online content

One such important feed- • Primers

back was to have a name
for the newsletter, the Current status:
only name which came to
The decision over formal registration of I-initiate has been arrived after a lot of delib-
our mind out of such ser-
erations with our mentors and advisors. Thanks to the key learning’s at Unlimited In-
endipitous support from
dia’s round table conference on Hybrid Models, I-initiate is finally going hybrid.
all of you is ‘Serendipity’!
I-initiate is being registered as a charitable society while Cycle Chalao is being regis-
tered as a private limited company. The need to go into forming such hybrid model is
This name is a tribute to
evident in the operational and partnership requirements of Cycle Chalao project.
the constant support we
Team I-initiate is stronger than before with the joining of two eminent personalities,
are receiving from each
Dr. Manish Motwani and Rtn. Vijay Sathaye. Thanks to both of our new mentors the
one of you!
team is more confident of getting permissions and finances to roll-out Cycle Chalao!

Thank you for being with We are also very happy to share that Cycle Chalao is selected as one of the hundred
us! model rising social start-ups across Asia-Pacific by Foundation for Youth Social Entre-
preneurship, Hong Kong.

Team I-initiate.

Contact: +91 9867 987 031, Email: raj@i-initiate.org, URL: www.i-initiate.org, Address: ChildRaise, 2nd floor, Jaldevi Niwas, Karnatak Society, Besides
Ganga Vihar Hotel, Matunga Road Station - West, Mumbai—16 1
 I-initiate
From Awareness to Action

Mayor’s Message:
“I am glad to notice the efforts of ‘Cycle Chalao’ team to implement their plan to
start Community Bicycle Rental Services in the City. I support the initiative & take
this opportunity to urge the governmental departments and private organizations
to support the plan in their best possible capacity”
— Dr. (Mrs.) Shubha Umesh Raul, Mayor of Mumbai

Major Milestones: Current Challenges

Date Past Milestones
1. As we move close to launching the pilot phase of Cycle Chalao, the biggest
28th March Article in Hindustan
challenge for is to find the appropriate permissions in areas we are going to
2007 Times
establish bicycle rental spots. We have selected several areas across Mumbai
12th April RTI seminar at Pub- where the pilot phase can be demonstrated. Getting the nodal agencies per-
2008 lic Night College missions in such places is the challenge we are dealing now.
- Santacruz
2. We have received couple of funding promises for our pilot phase, to seal
26th Janu- Launch of Website those promises is another such task at hand.
ary 2008
3. Sourcing for spot manager’s in the areas of pilot phase is the current human
29th Feb- Coverage in ‘JAM’ - resources challenge in front of us.
ruary 2008 Youth Magazine
29th Feb- Endorsements by What’s keeping Us Busy
ruary 2008 Ruia College Princi-
• Permissions from various public authorities
pal and Vice Princi-
pal • Legal Registrations
• Launch Efforts
6th Octo- M.D College Hod of
ber 2008 BMM Made a Docu- • Creating an Advisory Board for Cycle Chalao
mentary on our ef- • Application processes for several fellowships and Business plan competitions
fort in RTI
• Meeting Advertising agencies and Bicycle companies - sourcing better deals
* We are thankful to Mr. Joshua
and developing a prototype
for providing us a Computer *
• Revamping our website
• Revising brand logo’s and other promotional graphics for I-initiate and Cycle
Chalao
• Increasing the scope of our understanding on traffic systems and cycling in
Mumbai through Pukar’s advanced research support programme
• Developing a creative documentation process
• Creating formal channels of donation options for I-initiate.

Contact: +91 9867 987 031, Email: raj@i-initiate.org, URL: www.i-initiate.org, Address: ChildRaise, 2nd floor, Jaldevi Niwas, Karnatak Society, Besides
Ganga Vihar Hotel, Matunga Road Station - West, Mumbai—16 2
 I-initiate
From Awareness to Action

Join us Online here:

Our website – www.i-initiate.org ; Twitter: http://twitter.com/cyclechalao
Orkut: http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Community.aspx?cmm=43325612

Websites of our mentors and Supporters:

Unlimited India: http://www.unltdindia.org ; PUKAR: http://www.pukar.org.in
Childraise: http://www.childraise.com ; FYSE: www.fyse.org

Supporters since beginning! Primers

Abhishek Daxini
Our newsletter is reaching to over 300 people once in two months, we are providing
Abhishek Gupta
here some primers for some of you who do not have a complete update on following
Arpita Sarkar questions:
Asilata Karandikar
Q: I-initiate was advocating the need to improve quality of education in free municipal
Dhanashree primary schools in Mumbai, what happened to that?
Gandhar Patwardhan A: We have worked over 18 months on this issue and have developed considerable
Kiran Karande research and grassroots networking in slums like Dharavi, what we lacked is a strate-
Prashant Tande gically planned campaign to advocate the voice of parents who send their children to
BMC schools. This led to the loose response from the BMC authorities when we
Rohit Chadha
brought the issue in front their department. We will be taking this issue in near future
Sagar Keni and make sure that our past efforts contribute in making a difference in the system.
Sanjay Patil
Q: What is Cycle Chalao Project?
Satya Naidu
A: In order to address the challenge of Global Warming due to ever increasing vehicu-
Shree Janagam
lar air pollution, 'Cycle Chalao!' proposes to make 'Cycling' as the first choice of indi-
Shweta Joshi viduals in their routine traveling by setting up a network of high-end ‘Bicycle Rental
Vinith Nair Services’ in closed community spaces across Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The ever
increasing cost of fuel, traffic congestions, noise pollution and inadequate public
Virendra Pandey
transport demands an alternative traveling option for citizens.
Thank you for your invaluable
Bicycle rental networks targeting young students and professionals will be estab-
support!
lished in various zones like University Campuses, Schools, Railway / Bus stations,
Commercial offices, Townships and Joggers lanes. 'Cycle Chalao!' believes in provid-
ing opportunity for people to put their awareness on climate change issues into ac-
tion. (Please send an email for the detailed Business Plan)

Team I-initiate wishes you

Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year!
(Kindly send us an email if you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter)

Contact: +91 9867 987 031, Email: raj@i-initiate.org, URL: www.i-initiate.org, Address: ChildRaise, 2nd floor, Jaldevi Niwas, Karnatak Society, Besides
Ganga Vihar Hotel, Matunga Road Station - West, Mumbai—16 3