The concept behind Zero Miles is simple. The organisation’s aim is to help rural entrepreneurs set up clean drinking water centres in villages.
The Zero Miles centres also aim to educate villagers in different aspects like farming, agriculture & basic science. Each centre would have a television set that’d play different informative and educational videos through the day for the visitors’ benefit.
On the advice of the renowned scientist Dr Vijay Bhatkar, the project was piloted in October 2014 in the Muramba village in the Akola district of Maharashtra.
Ranveer Aqua, the Zero Miles centre in Muramba, is run by Satish Deshmukh. Satish, who had always aspired to set up a business in his village, saw his dream come true with this centre. He has also started different schemes and discount offers in his shop to end discrimination against girl children. He offers drinking water for free for a whole month to a family in which a girl child is born. To those who undergo vasectomy after having one or two girls, Satish’s centre promises free water for up to two years!
“I feel like it’s my duty. Today, I have a successful business in the village and it’s only because of the villagers. I have earned their respect and they look up to me. So, I should do everything I can to improve my village,” says Satish.
The Zero Miles centre in Akola has been a success and has invited a lot of requests from rural youths from nearby villages who wish to set up such centres.
“We are very happy that the request is coming from people. That’s how we mean for this initiative to grow. We want to encourage rural entrepreneurs to take up this business in their own village and contribute to the overall development. Our pilot project has proved that this can be a financially viable venture for entrepreneurs,” says Manas.
Zero Miles is currently in the process of setting up three more centres in the villages of Markal and Kharabwadi near Pune, and Nutamivi near Jamshedpur.
Source: The Better India
