Season end update: I have successfully exceeded my fund-raising target thanks to few awesome people! Look forward to raising the bar for the next season!

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Hi!

Really appreciate your visiting my runner page. Allow me to share my story with you.

Why-How-When Asha (Flashback)

I’m a volunteer with Asha-Bangalore, which is a chapter of Asha for Education (worldwide) and Asha Trust (India). Asha primarily works in the area of child education and supports several grassroots projects in this field. The best thing about Asha is that 100% of every donation goes into funding a project. We are a Zero overhead organization.

I’ve been associated with Asha-Bangalore since 2007, when I first signed up to raise funds by running the Mumbai Marathon. I hadn’t run a km at a stretch until then, but the challenge of achieving something seemingly impossible coupled with the potential to contribute monetarily for social benefit got me, hook, line and sinker. I raised about a lakh across 2007-08 and 2008-09 before taking a break from work and Asha for higher studies.

Cut to the present

With an MBA under the belt (and dreams of correcting the world! ...but of course) and a job in Bangalore, I’m back with Asha as of July 2011. I’ve promptly registered for the Mumbai Marathon (Half) and plan to raise a substantial amount for Asha-Bangalore, through it. I’m setting INR 50,000 as my fundraising target.

This time around, I’ve also decided to associate with one of the 4 projects that Asha-Bangalore supports and help in its running. I’ve signed up as the Steward for the Timbaktu Badi project. You can read about all the projects in the Projects section.

So that’s my story with Asha-Bangalore and the reason for this page. “What’s in it for me”, you’ll ask. Please allow me to take some more of your time to that end.

What’s in it for you?

In each of the Projects that Asha supports, there are kids who have not been nearly as lucky as we have been while growing up. The people who’ve started these projects have dedicated their lives to giving these kids a chance at a better life through education, academic and vocational. The society that these kids otherwise grow up in, is far from ideal. With no such support, they will, guaranteed, flounder in life. Some might even take to crime. I’m sure this is not something that you and I want.

What makes your potential role in helping these kids easy is the existence of such dedicated projects. The project sites are mostly under-developed villages with little access to comforts that the cities provide. You don’t have to relinquish anything to play your part. The projects deal with children who are school drop outs and have a very different perspective of life. You don’t have to face the challenges of educating them. In some villages, people can see only immediate benefits. You don’t need to go through the struggle of convincing them about the benefits of education.

The projects make it easy for you! All that the projects seek of you and me are funds to make ends meet. Nothing more. And its easy, if you think about it.

Celebrations to Donations

All it takes for you is to, maybe, sacrifice one or two fancy dinners/treats/celebrations. Did you know that with INR 1450/-, a child’s entire living expenses + schooling + healthcare can be taken care of for a month, at one of the projects? That’s like one night on the town for most of us.

Make a small sacrifice to create a world of difference!

I can be reached on thusharkumar@gmail.com. Be sure to visit our blog for the latest about the team: Team Asha Blog.

Thanks to 18 supporters who have helped me raise Rs. 58,600 towards my goal of Rs.50,000