Bhopal, Aug 13 - One person's junk can be a blessing for another. Children of daily wage labourers in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal district will get the freedom to travel easily to school on Independence Day thanks to used bicycles donated by residents of the state capital.

'Through the bicycles, children of daily wage labourers who crush stones in Kalapani village will enjoy freedom from the distance that prevented them from going to school regularly,' Subrat Goswami, programme coordinator of Aham Bhumika, the NGO that collected the bicycles, told IANS.

He said the most important aspect of the effort is that 'we are not purchasing bicycles from institutional funding or an international grant'.

'This is a unique idea. I have donated the old bicycle of my daughter and also encouraged other people of my colony to donate for the good cause. Seven bicycles have been donated by the residents of our colony so far,' said Akhilesh Jain, a Bhopal resident.

'Countless bicycles lie unutilised, getting rusted in every colony. By spending a few rupees, these bicycles can be brought back to working condition. Then they can be used by children who walk long distances to attend school,' Goswami said.