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Training for and running the marathon is my way of demonstrating the commitment I have to Asha and its cause of working at the grassroots of poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically bettering not just their own lives but those of their families as well. Why Asha for Education?
I'm asking you to sponsor my run with whatever contribution you can make. All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities. Whenever I look back, I know that I had fairly good schooling and some extra-ordinary teachers who impacted my life. Though I do not come from a rich background, I had decent enough economic conditions at home for me to pursue my interests and also further education. I have loving parents who encouraged and supported my studies and my education. I am grateful for all these blessings, but not everyone has these privileges. Primary education, I believe, is a basic right for every child. But there are millions of children in India who are deprived of that basic right. Parents cannot afford putting their child through school, children have to start working at an early age, and some are even subjected to prostitution. Many towns and small cities lack the proper infrastructure to provide the primary education for these children. I personally have visited schools where there are no proper toilets, or no toilets at all. There is lack of transportation system for these children, lack of teachers, lack of blackboards. It is surprising that even a small contribution from our side can make a significant difference for these children. I have commited to raise 500$ by commiting to run a half marathon this year. As one of my friends has written, marathon has nothing to do with fundraising, but it is a way of commiting to the cause and hoping that you find my efforts to be sincere and commited. It is also to raise awareness. Asha is a non-profit organization with a very open structure. Their financial statements are published on the website. For example you can review some of the projects for formal schools here - Formal School Projects . They have biweekly meetings open to the public where different projects , their fund allocations in the past, the impact the funds created and their future fund requirements and justifications are reviewed. Many volunteers in Asha, go and visit the schools/institutes being sponsored. These people present site visit reports during these meetings as well. I request you to contribute towards this effort, at a level which you can and which you think is appropriate. Also I would be happy to provide you with further details of Asha, and it's projects. Feel free to contact me. I would be happy to receive even the smallest contribution from an individual. Thanks for reading my statement and just click on donate to make your contribution.
Why am I running?
I am also dedicating my run to the victims of Cyclone Aila. Among others, one of Asha's oldest project partner CMS has been hit hard by the cyclone. 100% of the donations made in support of my run will go towards helping the cyclone victims rebuild their lives. However, none of this would be possible without your support. The work that Asha does would not happen without your support. Your donation will make a huge difference in lives of those affected by the natural disaster. I'm asking you to sponsor my run with whatever contribution you can make. All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Why Asha for Education?
I have been involved with Asha, an organization working at the grassroots of poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Last year as part of my efforts to raise funds for Asha, I completed the full marathon in 5:45 hrs. A big THANKS! to everyone who supported my run last year by donating generously to ASHA! This year I have decided to run the Seattle Half marathon- 13.2 miles. During these hard times the underprivileged kids and their families are disproportionately impacted. At the same time charities that help them are facing severe financial crunch due to reduced donations. Please take this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these people. Asha Seattle goal for the year was to raise $925,000 and right now we are behind by more than $230,000. We are trying to do everything we can to avoid any painful scaling back from our projects. As small as $16 per month can support a child or $40 a month can support a school for 25 children. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically bettering not just their own lives but those of their families as well. Asha is 100% volunteer driven making sure 100% of your donations goes to projects in need while all admin costs are borne by volunteers. All funds raised from the Miles For Smiles 09 program will go towards our project partners in India. You can read more about the projects: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/chapter-view.php?&a=29. Training for and running the marathon is one of my way of demonstrating the commitment I have to Asha and its cause. How much to donate? Choose an amount that is right for you. All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities Following are some suggested donations
Following is an optional challenge you can sign up to make me work harder to earn more money for ASHA. Based on progress during training, my expectation is that I will complete the half marathon somewhere between 2:30-2:45. If I push myself, I think I can make in 2:22 (double the time it took last year's Seattle half marathon winner).
Here is how you can donate?
I ran a half marathon once in 2006. It was so gruelling that I made up my mind never to run again! But here I am again trying to run twice that distance this year. I sure have an idea of how gruelling this is going to be. But why am I determined to do this again? The belief that I can raise funds sufficient to sponsor the education of 9 children for one full year has constantly been driving me. The list of the children and their profiles can be found here - EOTO Children. These children come from economically backward families where their condition is often looked upon as a social stigma. It takes only $25 to sponsor the education of one child for two months. I have committed to raise $50 for every mile I run, thus enabling me to help sponsor upto 9 children for one year. Well, why am I choosing these children? They are the direct beneficiaries of a project supported by Asha Seattle. Asha Seattle is the largest chapter of Asha for Education and I have been volunteering for it for the last couple of years. I attend most of their meetings and what I have observed is that every project they handle, is carefully chosen after analyzing a lot of parameters like the credibility of the grass-root organization working with the kids, their success rate and the scale of impact. Every project is evaluated annually based on a site-visit report from a volunteer who visits the project in India. It has consistently been ranked #1 among international charities according to Charity Navigator. 100% of your donations go towards funding projects in India. The funds utilized for all projects are available online for everyone to review. The list of all the projects supported by the Seattle chapter is here - http://www.ashanet.org/projects/chapter-view.php?a=29 I hope you will support my run. Please click on the orange "donate" button below to do so. All your donations are tax free as Asha for Education is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. I very much appreciate your donation and thanks a lot for making a difference in the lives of these children. I was the one among us who was into day to day activities, until i heard about Team Asha, a Zero Overhead Non Profit Organization. Asha for Education, is a all volunteer base organization, which works on socio-economic programs for under-privileged Indian children. Hearing about the initiatives and projects carried out by ASHA, I was interested to be part of it and contribute in whatever possible way I could. As a solidarity, i committed to raise funds for the Organization. I strongly felt, helping education of a under-privileged children would indirectly help a family in years to come. I felt requesting funds just by mere request wouldn't express much of what I feel towards the cause. As a expression of commitment, I committed to run a marathon and raise funds. I started preparing for the Seattle marathon with the basic force driving me through my workouts, very thought of helping a child get basic education through fund raising. Here comes the day so nearer, the 30th of November, when happens the seattle-marathon. I have committed to raise $500 through my run, I'm requesting you to sponsor my run with whatever contribution you can make. 100% of your donations goes to Asha, to fund projects in India. All administrative expenses are covered by volunteers. You can read more about the projects: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/chapter-view.php?&a=29 All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities. The impact that your donation could have, is phenomenal in terms of educating a child, I sincerely request you to contribute any amount of your wish towards this social cause. I request you to sponsor my run and all the proceeds helps education of a child, which matters a lot. I ran my first half marathon as part of Seattle Marathon in 2006. Why am I running? I ask myself the question each time I have to get up in the wee hours on a Saturday morning for the practice run. Or when I run outside and it is almost always raining. Or when the world outside is gray, cold and windy and I feel my knees and lungs start giving up as I run. The truth is I really do not enjoy running and yet I run! The pain of running each mile makes me ask that question. But this pain is nothing when I think of the millions of people living at or below poverty line in India. Surrounded by all the comforts of life, it is almost impossible to image that the daily struggle for many is simply for basic necessities of life like water, food and shelter. Growing up in a small town in Jharkhand and staying for months at my grandparents place in one of the poorest villages of West Bengal, I have had a glimpse of poverty, helplessness and desperation closely. I was lucky to get all the opportunities to overcome the shackles and fulfill some of my dreams. Now, whether it is working on an Asha project or running for Asha, it is a small way of giving back to those not so privileged like me. Why Asha for Education? Training for and running the half marathon is my way of demonstrating the commitment I have to Asha and its cause of working at the grassroots of poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically bettering not just their own lives but those of their families as well. Asha is a zero-overhead organization - your entire donation goes to fund projects. All funds raised from the Miles For Smiles 06 program will go towards our project partners in India. You can read more about the projects:http://www.ashanet.org/projects/chapter-view.php?&a=29 It is amazing how even a few dollars can completely transform someone's life. Consider this:
So whatever you contribute, whether it is $5 or $10 or $100 for every mile I run, every dollar will make a difference :) All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities. I am completing this event in honor of Asha, a charity dedicated to improving education in India! While marathon is a fitness challenge for me, I have also set myself a goal of raising hundred dollars for each mile for Asha. Asha is one of the highest ranked charities with consistent four star rating from Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=7630) 100% of your donations to Asha go towards projects. All administrative expenses are covered by volunteers. You can read more about the projects: http://www.ashanet.org/projects/chapter-view.php?&a=29 Please make a donation to support Asha for Education and help children realize their true potential. Any amount is welcome. You can start with a dollar or two for each mile or sponsor a mile or two. Thank you! I am grateful to be in a position where I am today but it's not the case with so many less fortunate people. I wanted to take a humble step within my means in giving back to the community in what ever way I can to break the vicious cycle of poverty. Childrens are the ones who are more vulnerable and helpless in this situation with no fault of theirs. I believe education is one such tool that would help break this cycle. Why Asha for Education? ASHA is one such organization whose main mission is to provide education to underpriviliged children in India.Asha is a Zero overhead organization, completely driven by volunteers (including the administrative expenses) ensuring 100% of our donations are sent to the partner groups in India. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically improve not just their own lives but those of their families as well. I'm asking you to sponsor my seattle half marathon (13.1 miles) run with whatever contribution you can make. All the donation proceeds will go to ASHA and the donations are tax deductible. ASHA is registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities. Helping underprivileged kids and pursuing my passion for running is a big win-win for me. I am excited to run the Seattle half marathon for the second time this year. My last year's run motivated my husband and daughter to participate in marathons. Let's see what effect this year brings! Training for and running the marathon is my way of demonstrating the commitment I have to Asha and its cause of working at the grassroots of poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically bettering not just their own lives but those of their families as well. Asha is a zero-overhead organization - your entire donation goes to fund projects. All funds raised from the Miles For Smiles 08 program will go towards our project partners in India. You can read more about the projects: I'm asking you to sponsor my run with whatever contribution you can make. All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities This is my 5th time running in the Seattle Marathon and the 3nd time running for Asha. Earlier this year I biked 200 miles from Seattle to Portland and raised close to $3000 for Asha. I am also stewarding an Asha project Vigyan Ashram. This project focusses on students that struggle in traditional education system and have been declared as failed by the system. It teaches them how to learn by experimenting, equips them with skills for taking up any kind work as a challenge. It also helps them with loans to start their businesses and has turned hundreds of school dropouts into successful enterprenures. Why Asha? I believe that investing in child education, formal or non-formal, ensures that the young population gets means to earn
their living making it a healthy self-sustaining society. Asha is a non-profit, voluntary organization working to empower underprivileged
communities in India through education. It sends 100% of your donation to partners in India while volunteers bear all the administrative expenses.
With the largest population living on US$1 a day currently
located in Southern Asia, most of which is in India, your dollars will surely have the
most impact there. Check out the wide range
of projects funded by Asha Seattle here.
Why you? Some researchers have found that the effect of giving, small and big, is similar to the
so-called runner's high (the rush of endorphins). As a runner I would so much like you to
experience this and get in turn a Gift of giving :). All I am asking is a small donation of $10 (though if your employer matches your donation, we
appreciate if you check your employer's minimum amount for matching and could donate equivalent. And even that usually is not a large figure. For
Microsoft, the minimum for matching is $25).
Why now? In today's economy it's hard to think about giving. But even charities are feeling the pain of
economic downturn. To keep all projects going, Asha needs to raise $925,000 this year. The good news is, we are pretty close, with
$694,995 pledged as of October. If we don't make it till this year-end, Asha-funded projects will have to cut back on meals, books, basic
supplies like pencils and paper or aids for the hearing impaired.
Vigyan Ashram Video Dear Friends & Family, This Thanksgiving Weekend, I’m walking 13.1 miles in the Seattle Marathon in support for Asha for Education. Four years ago, a visit to an NGO working with tribal communities residing in the slums, profoundly influenced my commitment to education and socio-economic development in India. Training for and walking the Seattle Marathon is one of the ways I demonstrate my commitment to Asha's work at the grassroots level with poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenate the entire communities that the children reside in, not only to better their own lives, but their families as well. GRAVIS, one of Asha's project partners in India, is an exemplary example, of how a grassroots organization works to improve the lives o 850 f rural communities throughout the Thar Desert of Western Rajasthan in India. In addition to education, GRAVIS works with villages on health, gender equality, and creating a sustainable water supply system. With funds raised through Asha, GRAVIS will expand its influence to include 6 more villages. The envisioned two-year project will provide initial funding to build two new schools, schedule 12 medical camps, build 18 rainwater collection/storage tanks, and facilitate savings groups to help economically empower women. GRAVIS’ dreams would not be possible if it wasn't for the incredible work of Asha and the support we receive from you. Please help support my walk with whatever contribution you can make. 100% of all donations will go directly to GRAVIS in India, as Asha is a zero-overhead organization. In addition to your contributions, a donor has graciously offered to match all donations for this year’s marathon up to $10,000. You can read more about our projects here. I hope to support a small portion of GRAVIS with my walk in this year’s Seattle Marathon. Each mile trekked will remind me of the limitless possibilities hope springs in thousands of children throughout India if we chose to invest a small part of our lives into their futures. Please click on the "Donate" link above if you wish to sponsor my walk. With Peace & Education for All, Deb Kukreja
Training for and walking the marathon is my way of demonstrating the commitment I have to Asha and its cause of working at the grassroots of poor Indian communities for socio-economic upliftment. Beginning as an organization working to bring education to underprivileged children, Asha's mission today has grown to rejuvenating the entire community these children live in and holistically bettering not just their own lives but those of their families as well. Why Asha for Education?
I'm asking you to sponsor my walk with whatever contribution you can make. All donations are tax deductible, and we are registered with many companies for donation-matching programs. Any contribution you make will help achieve these marathon goals and go a long mile in bringing smiles, education, well-being and awareness to children and their communities. As a volunteer at Asha Seattle, I have seen from close quarters how education can transform lives and be the catalyst for a positive change. I am the project coordinator for Adruta Children’s Home for girl children in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The journey started with one man when he found an girl child abandoned at his doorstep. Against many odds and making tremendous personal sacrifices, Prof. Mohanty set up Adruta Home to care for her and the other abandoned girl children in his community. Today more than 55 girl children – ranging from newborns to 16 year olds reside at this home. What stands out here is that this home is not just a place where girl children are provided basic necessities like food, shelter and clothing – but it is a center of excellence where these children are given opportunities to realize their ambition and shine in extra-curricular activities like music, dance and yoga. Many of the girls are accomplished in their fields as national-level artists and rank holders in their classroom. The home has gone on to win national and state level awards thanks to the dedication and selfless hard work of many people. Projects like these are the motivation for me to do the half marathon. It gives me a sense of purpose and reminds me of what I’m running for. The economic climate over the past few months have been hard for many non-profits. While the cost of living continues to increase (last year in particular saw a record jump in food inflation), the revenues haven’t kept up. This year we have a challenging ask to bridge the gap to ensure projects like Adruta continue to receive our support. Thanks to a generous donor we also have challenge match up to $10,000 for all contributions to the marathon – so your donation goes further than ou think! I wish to raise at least $50 for every mile. Please click the link below to support my run and help me reach this target. I'd appreciate if you could drop me a line at palanis.at.microsoft.dot.com and I'll keep you posted about my experience! Thanks for your support and wish me luck : ) Mahatma Gandhi famously said "Be the change that you wish to see in the world". I sincerely hope that through this run and by volunteering for Asha, I can be a part of the change that I wish to see around me. Cheers, -Palani and the girls from Adruta home PS: You can learn more about Asha Seattle at http://www.ashanet.org/seattle or email me to chat over a cup of coffee! Hello there, I am Murali Krishnan who has been dreaming of doing a long run for several years. This year I committed to run to celebrate the 5th birthday of my first daughter. I am running the half-marathon (13.1 miles) as part of the Seattle Marathon 2009. Running a half-marathon is hard. It is harder to be one of the millions of children from economically disadvantaged locations in India. Education is one key to unlock future opportunities for children to grow and gain prosperity. Asha for Education funds several projects to help children. The projects are chosen after careful assessment of the project goals, sponsors, and understanding the impact from the project. It has consistently been ranked #1 among international charities according to Charity Navigator. 100% of the donations go towards funding projects in India. The funds utilized for all projects are available online for everyone to review. The list of all the projects supported by the Seattle chapter is here. For several years it has been my dream to run long distance. I joined the Asha-Seattle Miles4Smiles running group in September. The members of Miles4Smiles have been fantastic to run with and they have taught me a lot. I also learnt about the recent projects Asha for Seattle has been sponsoring. I have committed to raise $100 from my run. I will do another match for each dollar you contribute as well. My employer will match my contributions. If you happen to work for organizations that provide matching grants, then the contributions can be multiplied further. Please support my run. Please click on the "donate" button above to do so. All your donations are tax free as Asha for Education is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Thanks a lot for making a difference in the lives of these children.
- Murali Krishnan |
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