I once met this little boy on the streets of Bombay. I'm running this half-marathon because I owe him big time.

He got me a place at Yale, which then got me a job in New York, and I am following my dreams today thanks, in large part, to him.

All he did was hand me a newspaper through my car window.

We were stuck in a traffic jam that looked like it'd go on forever.The day before, India had won a major cricket match against Australia, our arch rivals. It was a nail-biting finish. A little boy, dressed in rags, was selling newspapers, weaving his way between car bumpers: 'India beats Australia, Dravid scores a century: read all about it!' he sang. 

I waved him over. Rolled down my window. He stood there expectantly as I fished around in my bag for loose change. I realized I didn't have any. I looked up at him and shook my head, started to roll the window back up. He quickly thrust the newspaper through the crack and beamed at me: 'For free, my sister', he said, 'today is a great day for our country.' Then he ran off to another car.

I was grateful, and moved. I read about the cricket match in the car, savoured every word. A few years later, his gesture still glowed in my mind, and I wrote about him in my college application essay. Reading, writing.

The admissions office read my essay. They wrote me an acceptance letter, commenting on my story about this boy. Reading, writing.

Four years of college I spent reading, writing. Sharing stories, creating stories to share for years to come.

The little boy on the street? He didn't know how to read. He was selling newspapers, but he should have been at school. He gave me a gift, a reading-type gift. One he didn't understand. One that kept on giving, and even now, is giving.

He's probably grown up - maybe a teen, maybe in his twenties already. I don't remember what he looks like, I'll never be able to thank him.

There are 100 million children in India though, who are just waiting to be given the chance to enjoy the basic pleasure and necessity of reading and writing.

The NGO I am raising money for is called Pratham (www.pratham.org.uk). So far, it has helped 36.4 million children in India read and write. It was praised by the MIT Poverty Economics Lab, and is no. 22 on the World's 100 best NGOs list, compiled by the Global Journal. Pratham is really making a difference to children's lives on an unprecedented scale. 

I received a gift from a little boy, a reading-type gift, and now I want to pay it forward.

Please dig deep and donate.