Chaya (name changed) was a little 3-year-old girl when her father was diagnosed with AIDS. Her mother and brother had also been unknowingly infected with HIV. She was brought to "Ashirvad Kanti" because the situation of her family had left her vulnerable. Soon after this, her father committed suicide out of guilt. She is now in class IX, a brilliant student and a beautiful singer. She still keeps in touch with her mother and checks up on her often. She wants to help other children like her get an education and have a secure future.
Ashirvad Kanti, setup in 1992 by Mrs. Pushpa Waghmare is centred around children - their welfare, empowerment and development. They currently look after 11 girls at their children's support home at Nagpur, Maharashtra. The cost of taking care of them and their education for a year is what I am crowdfunding by raising an amount of 1.75L ₹ (Approx - 2600 USD/ 2100 GBP/ 2300 EURO)
Pic : Shows a image of the girls at the support home .Currently only 11 girls are being taken care of.
MY BELIEF REGARDING THE CAUSE :
My name is Ravneet Singh Phokela & I believe that underprivileged kids deserve the same facilities and infrastructure as their more fortunate counterparts. I plan to use my passion for running to raise funds for the education and after-school care of 11 underprivileged kids who are supported by Ashirvad Kanti.
Pic : That's me in my running gear
WHY RUNNING AND THE RUNNING PLAN :
I started running in the year 2009 and have been a recreational runner ever since. After a break of 3 years, I started running again this year & will participate in the Bangalore Ultra Run (25K) on the 13th of November to raise funds for these kids. This will be my first 25 Km run and I want to make it count.
WHO AM I :
My background: After my MBA, I started in advertising at Lowe Lintas, and eventually moved on to Marketing and Business. Over the years I have worked with Whirlpool, Nokia, American Express and Flipkart, in India and the UK. I am currently in Bangalore with Ather Energy, a startup focused on building a smart, electric scooters. Apart from running, my other passion is golf.
Pic : That's me at work
WHAT IT COSTS & THE CAMPAIGN GOAL :
I am running to raise funds to cover the cost of education needs of the 11 kids for 1 year.
It costs just 1315 ₹ per child per month.
The kids are between the ages of 6 and 16. They also look after accommodation, healthcare, food and nutrition. They take children from impoverished backgrounds, who are at risk meaning that the child has parents suffering from HIV, or has lost one parent, or comes from an area where they are highly vulnerable to being trafficked or abused.
Pic : The kids having fun.
ABOUT THE NGO - ASHIRVAD KANTI
The founder of this NGO is Mrs. Pushpa Waghmare. She saw the state of the poor and destitute & was moved to establish Ashirvad Kanti. She then set-up a series of programmes to help these children lead a more dignified and promising life.
These programmes include,
- A field based preschool,
- Health programmes,
- Counselling and rehabilitation activities,
- Residential care (accommodation for children by partnering with the schools),
- Women's and men's empowerment programmes,
- Nutrition training and awareness,
- HIV/AIDS awareness counselling and treatment,
- Immunization on partnership with the government hospitals and various offices.
The goal of starting this NGO was so that these kids could grow up to be agents of change in their communities. Through the years, these children have gone on to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
