"WITH SOME HELP, THEIR LIVES TAKE A NEW TURN"

Dear friends,

Thanks for visiting our fundraising page.

My brother, Claude, and I are participating in the Mazda London Triathlon 2009. I will compete in the Youth Super Sprint event (with a target time of 45min) and my brother will participate in the Olympic Distance Triathlon, hoping to achieve a target time of 3h.

However, our primary goal is to raise money for Don Bosco Child Labour Mission Davangere (www.dbclm.org), in Karnataka, South India, through the Salesians of Don Bosco UK. But why? I had the chance of working as a volunteer at DBCLM in 2008 and 2009, experiences which turned out to be amazing and fruitful. DBCLM Davangere, created in 1996 by Father Kuriakose has worked until now with child labourers and street children, aged from 9 to 15. It is a rehabilitation center for such children, who once worked in garages, in hotels, on constructions sites, as maids, in farms or simply who lived on the street living off ragpicking and begging. The rehabilitation is principally achieved through education and consists of a one year bridge course preparing the children to join government schools. The total cost per year per student is approximately £200. Today, DBCLM Davangere is a growing organisation, with more than 150 boys and girls. DBCLM Davangere also works with women through self-help groups in which they are taught how to save money for their family and for their children's education; hence, the work has an impact on the entire society.

The Mission's rector Father Kuriakose and the administrator Father Sony are currently trying to admit more students in their center, and their goal is to have near 200 students. Yet, it is difficult for them as NGOs have considerably reduced their support and the government offers very little help. Therefore, their projects rely primarily on individual donors. In addition to trying to admit more students, they perpetually seek to improve the children's study and life conditions.

Thank you very much for your support, and keep in mind that every pound you give goes straight to the "Little Angels", without any administrative loss; and, as the chinese proverb says,

"Even a thousand miles journey begins with a single step."

Once again, thank you!

 

UPDATE

I thank you all very much for your great help and would like to update you about the event in which we participated. In the Youth Super Sprint, I finished the race in 49min and in the Olympic Triathlon, my brother Claude did an amazing time of 2h33min!

Once again, the Little Angels and I thank you all!