What is Baale Mane? I am the Deputy Manager for the Baale Mane, a shelter home for up to 60 girl children in Bangalore, India. The girls have been rescued from domestic child labour, domestic violence and street dwelling, while some do not have parents able to care for them. The focus of our care is based around the four principles of child rights; survival, protection, development and participation with the aim of providing the girls with the confidence and skills to lead self-sustaining lives outside of the Baale Mane.

Why should I sponsor you? Most people who know me will be very aware of the fact that I am not a runner, in fact I really hate it. So, while it is only 10km I am psyching myself up for it like I am about to run a marathon! I will also be running during the heat of an Indian summer, which I am feeling a little nervous about. For those UK sponsors who require visible proof I will guarantee you thorough documentation of my participation with numerous unattractive photographs. 

Why should I sponsor Baale Mane? By taking part in this run, me and my fellow Baale Mane colleagues and supporters are hoping to raise funds for a campus extension. Currently the building space we occupy  is not sufficient for the number of girls in our care. Right now there are 40 girls sleeping in one room and the ages of these girls range from 6 to 17 years old. Separating age groups and having smaller dormitories will significantly enhance the living environment for our girls and enable them to thrive better in their individual academic and extra-curricular pursuits. We also hope to improve communal spaces such as an eating area and a proper play area.

Another purpose for extending the campus is that at present the staff that live and work at Baale Mane are sleeping in the same dormitories as the girls. Our staff are invaluable and their dedication to work and live at Baale Mane 24 hours a day is certainly not an easy commitment to make. Therefore, we feel that it is extremely important for staff to be provided with more privacy and personal space.

We have recruited a talented local Architect who has  offered his professional services free of charge (bar expenses).

The construction of the new buildings will cost roughly 1 crore rupees which is approx £150,000. Please donate what you can towards the extension so that we may enhance the living environment for the current and future girls of the Baale Mane.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.