Running, Education and Rural India: Is There A Connection?

Dear Devoted Blog Readers:

This blog is a little different than my usual ones, because this time, instead of just sharing my thoughts with you, I am asking you to get involved.

As you know, Nanubhai provides professional development training to teachers in under-served rural schools as well as scholarships to economically disadvantaged young women. I have been living and working in India since June, and have been so fulfilled and inspired by my work here that I have chosen to stay for another year to continue to further their mission.

I know running and education and rural India might not seem connected, but in my experience, they are. Since arriving in India in June, I have been running fairly consistently. Not only do I love running, but I quickly realized that I needed the exercise – Gujarati food can be very high in fat and calories!

The town where I live, Kadod, is located in an agricultural area, and the countryside is dotted with countless small villages that are invisible to the outsider’s eye since most are not on any map. Going for long runs has allowed me to explore this area in a way that would never be possible with a car or scooter. I have run down dirt paths to find one-room schoolhouses with twenty students studying on dirt floors with not even so much as a chalkboard. And I have met teachers and community leaders who’s passion for education is palatable. I have sat in on classes, toured school facilities (these are usually very short tours, but everyone is proud of what they do have), and had the opportunity to sit down with community leaders, explain my work and share ideas.

So, back to my original question, and the title of this entry: What does running, education and rural India have to do with each other? Maybe not much on the surface, but in my personal experience, running has allowed me a unique window into what it means to live and be educated in rural India. I have met teachers and students and seen schools and communities that I would have never found if it wasn’t for my running. Seeing these places and meeting these people has only confirmed the importance of my work here. Teachers are eager to discuss new ideas and truly want to improve their teaching, but many don’t know how.

In America, it is easy to lose sight of how connected we are – to opportunities, information, and each other. But imagine a life with very little printed material, where the nearest quality university is two hours away by car, and where you don’t have electricity, let alone the internet. For many of these teachers, sharing ideas and being connected into better professional development resources is an unimaginable opportunity for them and, most importantly, their students.

I am running in the Auroville Half-Marathon on February 12th to raise money to support our professional development and scholarship programs so my work here can continue. I have an account set up on a new website called Pledge4Good ( www.Pledge4Good.com ) and you can sign up to donate a dollar for every full mile I complete, so 13 miles = 13 dollars.

Sending a girl to college for one year here costs approximately 600 dollars (approximately 45 supporters would be needed), and training one teacher for a school year costs approximately 24 dollars (2 supporters), so though 13 dollars doesn’t seem like much, it can make a tremendous impact.

Here is the direct link to my donation page: https://pledge4good.com/nanubhai-education-foundation/running/for-every-mile-i-complete-of-the-auroville-half-marathon/420018

Wish me luck in my running and I look forward to your support!

Sincerely,

Claire