We are a family of runners and walkers trying to do different races so that we can raise money to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged in India. Four of us are training to run the Half marathon in Srirangapattinam on Oct 19th, 2008 and one kiddo will be doing an Ultra marathon for 24 hours in Bangalore on Nov 16th, 2008. We are all training as part of Team Asha in Bangalore. This is one of the most challenging tasks we have ever undertaken, so please sponsor us by donating to Asha for Education. Our goal is to raise at least Rs. 3 Lakhs for Asha for Education. Asha for Education is a zero-overhead, volunteer-driven organization that works on education in India in the belief that education is a critical requisite for socio-economic change. Instead of us describing the efforts, we let our shoes talk! Pamanabhan's shoes : "Hi there! I have seen lots at this old age. Not a lot of shoes in this age group actually take up any serious walking. I thought my life was meant for a secluded and retired life. But, looks like I am being called back into service. My good friend walks crazy distances and is almost 60 years old, yet I seem to tire out before him! He seems to have been inspired by this organization they call Asha. I went with him to few of their meetings and found the work they do impressive! They support far reaching grassroots work that's holistic and reaches out to the underprivileged. You can know more about them here. " Saroja's shoes: "There was a time, when I thought I would never see the world outside. After I came home the first time, my friend never took me out and I thought my life was meant for the shelf. But, then fortune smiled on me and I had a new lease of life! My friend decided to take up walking. I have travelled far - to Austin, Chicago, the Grand Canyon and Niagara in America, to Bombay, Chennai, Bangalore and Dharmapuri in India. Each trip gave me a wonderful experience to take away. One such trip was the one we did recently . This is the longest I have been out walking and it was for about 4-5 hours. My friend was brave and never lost her smile!" Asha's shoes: "Unlike the other members of our shoe shelf family, I spent very little time at home. I used to go out and keep myself fit with my friend. She was always nice to me and didn't pound me for long. But, recently I had a near death experience. My sole came off! Ya, I am not the right person for this kind of work. Doing a walk/run for 4-5 hours is not my cup of tea. Hats off to my friend! She has shown amazing resilience even after I gave her a few blisters in her feet. But, when we spent time with the kids at Thulir, it was a worthwhile experience and that's when I realized what all this walking was about. These folks walk these long distances to raise awareness and support for the underprivileged. Asha Bangalore supports many initiatives in and around bangalore, which do phenomenal work in creating grass roots change." Sai's shoes: "First off, I should admit that I am not the usual kind of shoes you would encounter. Being goody-goody and on time etc. is not my style. I like to relax, smell the roses and live life. Everything was good, until we hit a small problem. I forgot that I need to keep fit too. My friend is not the kind who could be talked into a strict regimen or forced to do something. He is very creative and his childhood escapades are now family folkore. I never could believe my eyes when he decided to pull me along for a looong walk! Well, that's how it started. But, I am still dazed at how he has shown such commitment and determination in sticking to a schedule. He truly believes in what he is doing. He has changed me for sure. I do relax and live life. Now, I also want to get fit and give back to the underprivileged in whatever little way I can. Here is a more detailed account of how he and his friends have trained so far" Santhosh's shoes: "Help! Save me! Someone tell this maniac to take it easy! He has changed many folks like me over the years. He has been increasing the abuse every year for the last 4 years! Now, he wants to do a 24 hour run - Dude, have you ever considered 'barefeet' running? Anyways, he does seem to have a sensible bunch of friends. The places he has been to do some great work for the cause of the underprivilged. He has even written a lot about them here. I am sure he can answer any questions or concerns anyone might have about Asha Bangalore, how the funds are used, what are the different efforts they support etc. But, he still doesn't have the answer for the one question I keep asking him - "Why me??".
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