But when he came to know about my artificial
limb through someone else because Jaipur is
very famous for Jaipur legs and I have visited
that center for because I am an ambassador
for that company , he came to me and told me,
it requires lot of courage to ride so far with
one artificial limb, so why don't you join our
club of disables. And that's how I became a
member of CONVOY CONTROL CLUB
JAIPUR. Mr. Sachin bluntly told me that they cannot sponsor the
ride this year because of recession, and expressed to
sponsor it if I take it up for next year.
That time it was only one chapter in Jaipur and
that to with very less members, and they used
meet up in every month but not used to ride.
But after I joined I started motivating them and
started taking rides but till then also there
were not much encouragement but I was
determined and I always used to tell my wife
Vidya that I want to open another chapter of
Convoy Control Club in Mumbai, but I didn't
know how to start and how to approach
disables. With low morale I was discussing this with one of my
friend, but people say is true "God helps those who dares
and act". The ray of hope came when I approached one
NGO "HABITAT HUMANITY" and the ceo of that NGO, Mr.
Naresh Karmarkar, got so impressed with the project that
he immediately took me to his sponsors UNITED
PHOSPHOROUS, HSBC BANK AND ROTARY CLUB. It
was a joint meeting with all of them and they took this
project up like their own.
But during those days there were news of
cloud burst in Uttara Khand and J&K, and my
wife told me about it and said "Why don't you
approach disables and take a cause ride to
Leh Ladakh to help cloud burst victims.
That idea of Vidya stuck in my mind and I
started approaching disables across the
country and encouraged them to join the ride, I
have found seven riders, who agreed for the
ride but the question was sponsorship. But
anyways that's how our journey of Convoy
Control Club began.
Project "BEYOND THE ODDS"
After the idea of my wife, a ride to leh ladakh
to help cloud burst victims, I named that ride
was "BEYOND THE ODDS". I made entire
project on paper and mentioned the riders
name who were agreed to join me for that ride
and they all were disabled, everything was
made and decided and budgets were also
calculated but now the question was to money,
who will sponsor us?
So with very less amount of resources and
knowledge, I started approaching people and
companies, the first company I approached
was RE Nerul Showroom, people over there
loved my project but said they cannot sponsor
it, I would have to approach the RE company
in chennai, so I did that too, I happened to talk
to Mr. Sachin Thakur in RE channai, he
appreciated it and promised me to sponsor the
ride, confidence builded up and thought now
everything is going smooth and RE itself is
sponsoring us then what else we need, we
started preparing the ride and we decided to
take a ride in April 2011.
As dates of riding started coming near, RE
people stopped taking my calls and one day
The amount which I wanted is 4 lakhs of rupees. But they
refused to sponsor, I again came back to zero, where I
started, and with very hard efforts I had prepared my
fellow riders to join the ride so, I did not tell them about
the rejection but in fact for their bike servicing I sold my
gold chain, so that they can prepare it.
I told them about the victim in Leh Ladakh and Uttara
Khand, and I showed them a budget of ours was 4 lakhs,
which was considerably less for 7 riders FOOD, PETROL
and STAY but we thought we would manage. Mrs Shroff
from United Phosphorous asked me, "What about victims,
for whom you guys are riding?" I said we will raise crowd
funds during our ride and will help them with that money.
The business woman laughed at me and asked, " how
much money would you think you will be able to raise
during your ride? I could not answer it. She said Vinod,
your idea is superb and I really think it is workable but not
like you think.
She paused for a while and said, Vinod you just
concentrate on your ride, rest everything you leave it up
to us, we will book your STAY and FOOD and will give
you a proper road assistance during your ride and your
entire ride will be covered by media and press. When do
you think you can ride ? I said in June, we can start.
It was all set and by the grace of Jesus, I got everything
which I needed for ride and it was enough for everyone of
us.
11th June 2011, Our ride was flagged off by Jaquline
Fernandes, and Purab Kohli, It was all over in the news
and print media too.
It was a 26 days rides and almost 5000 kms (to and fro)
and 7 riders, who conquered the Leh Ladakh with
disabilities could manage to raise 18 lakhs for the cloud
burst victims, and with the help of Indian Army and the
our sponsors Habitat Humanity, United Phosphorous,
HSBC bank and Rotary Club, we helped 25 people of 6
families and build them a house which was destroyed in
the cloud burst.
With the success of our cause ride of "BEYOND THE
ODDS" we began a new chapter in our lives which is
extended with nine chapters in India in just 9 years..
"THE CONVOY CONTROL CLUB" lives on and going
strong. I sometimes say thanks to GOD, that if I would
have not rejected by that club in Mumbai then, CONVOY
CONTROL CLUB would not be existed.
article by VINOD RAWAT