I live in Bellevue, Washington with my two kids and my husband. We are blessed with abundant lush greenery and nature all around us. I have been hiking in the Pacific Northwest for a long time and summiting Mt. Rainier has always been my dream. In July 2017, I have a lifetime opportunity to climb Mt. Rainier in support of and to raise funds for Asha, Seattle.
About Asha:
Asha is a secular, non-profit, and an all-volunteer driven organization working towards socio-economic change in India. Their main focus is to empower the marginalized communities through education primarily for women and children. India is a country with more than one billion people, and just one-third of them can read. Rapidly growing size of population, shortages of teachers, books, and basic facilities, and insufficient public funds to cover education costs are some of the nation’s toughest challenges. India is fourth among the top 10 nations with the highest numbers of out-of children in primary level. Furthermore, the rate of school drop-outs amongst students is very high. One of the main reasons behind this is poverty. When earning a livelihood and taking care of the members of the family becomes a primary matter of concern in one’s life, education stands a little or, very often, no chance of pursuance. For the underprivileged people in India, education is perceived as a high-priced luxury, and this negative outlook continues on with every new generation. This is where children in India are facing the basic challenges.
The GRAVIS project is one such project supported by Asha and the climbing program
Here’s an independent evaluation of the Asha supported work done by GRAVIS since 2008: http://www.ashanet.org/projects-new/documents/925/GRAVIS-EvaluationReport-2015.pdf
Here’s a small excerpt about harsh mining conditions in the Rajasthan area also showing a little bit of the work done by GRAVIS in supporting healthcare for them: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/dusty-mining-conditions-trap-indian-workers-with-deadly-lung-disease/
You can also watch a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPrPDVLa49Q
How am I preparing for this?
I have been training hard since the beginning of 2017. I have dedicated almost every weekend until July 2017 to train for the climb.
Most of us want to make a difference but get stuck on the ‘how’ part. You can donate in one of the following ways.
- Click on the ‘Donate’ button on the webpage,
- Write a check addressed to ‘Asha For Education’. Please include ‘Team Asha Climb 2017– Jyothi Brahnmath’ in the memo.
- If you’re a Microsoft employee, you can donate by selecting “Asha for Education, Seattle Chapter” on http://give page and adding a comment “Team Asha Climb 2017 : Jyothi Brahnmath”.
Please let me know when you donate so that I can track it.
Please note: Employer Matching: If you donate using this page and your employer matches the donations, please submit a match request to them and let me know as well. All your donations are tax deductible.
Please help me make a difference.
Want to know more about Asha Seattle and the projects supported?
Please visit http://www.ashanet.org/seattle/index.php