Having run Southend Half Marathon on June 12th but still not quite managing to meet our target, I decided to engage in a new challenge: to meditate for 12 hours (far more scary!) on Summer Solstice, June 20th! We have now raised the £800 we needed to open a new education centre for Young Indian Futures but do please keep giving! This organisation runs a number of small-scale charity projects in India, with the aim of giving dignity and independence to young people who are excluded from that ‘booming’ economy. They come from the marginalised ‘Dalit’ communities, formerly known as ‘Untouchables’, facing a life of brutalising work and minimal education through many generations.

their idealism and courage communicates itself to everyone who works with them; but because of the entrenched inequalities of Indian society, their potential is blocked and disabled by caste (and gender) discrimination and poverty.

A huge difference can be made, for them, their families, and their communities, by access to training, leading to rewarding employment. A number of training courses have already been funded by Y.I.F. in Animation skills, and General Computing, Hardware, and Networking, for young women and men.

By a unique network of contacts, they are invited from every corner of India to train, and supported financially, because their parents have no money for their education. They come from the communities of followers of the great 'Untouchable' leader Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. These 'Dalit' (oppressed) communities number in millions - and these young people are deeply committed to their uplift, with the new skills they have gained.

We are working to develop other training centres in other parts of India - Chhattisgarh and Kerala, 'seeding' them with the young people as they develop skills and qualities of leadership, but this can only happen with funding! Please sponsor my run and help support this cause; just a few of your hard earned pounds will go a very long way!