This is a story of a man who traversed the globe with just a bicycle all in a bid to promote an awareness about the environment as well as providing insights on proliferating a green thumb through the masses.
Dr Raj Phanden is a man on a mission with a passion to be adventurous. “Wheels For Green” is an organisation he started where he travels around the world with just his bicycle. This is an awareness campaign to save the environment and promote a green earth. This campaign began on 5th September 2016 from Bhuna, Haryana, India. Plus, he is also spreading the awareness of the ancient practice and treatment of Ayurveda – which he has a Postgraduate certificate in and worked 10 years later on until riding a bicycle around the globe became his true passion.
He has been a medical doctor since the year of 2005 and delivered the best services to Aastha Hospital in Bhuna until his life turned around when he lost his beloved wife in a road accident. Tragically, he lost his beloved mother and father through illness and with this lost hope in life, he learnt that there was much worse in the world happening, so he decided to live for those in need.
Dr Raj started paddling from Bhuna. “India is a country that suffers the problems of deforestation resulting into destructive flood each year. Climate change has changed the vegetation pattern and road traffic accident caused death, injury and disability are on the increase every year. Hence, motivated to challenge these unwarranted hazards, I decided to take up this campaign,” said Dr Raj.
As of December 2017, he has completed 26,200 kilometres in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar with 560 seminars and 51,000 saplings planted with the support of friends, relatives, cycling clubs and Lions Club& members as he is self-sponsored. The support has been largely in terms of kinds and cash that includes, accommodation, food, camera, cycle and importantly their blessing. Currently, he is cycling in Malaysia.
“When the world says give up, hope whispers try one more time”
There were lots of stories and interesting experiences he had to go through. From sleeping the whole night in a Chinese cemetery in Vietnam to almost getting snatched by two guys in the border of Nepal, yet he never let this challenges stop him from cycling around the world to spread the good message to everyone.
Dr Raj aims to visit other parts of the earth until the year of 2030. From Australia to Africa even to North America.
To find more about his expedition and whereabouts, visit Dr Raj’s Facebook page.