Does Ankur Dhama ring a bell? If the answer is `no’ it is not a surprise.
Ankur, from a small village near Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, is an elite runner. He has won several medals for India at international events and was a serious contender at the Paralympics in Rio and London.
Ankur Dhama is blind. How does he run? A guide runner helps him along the way.
Pic: Ankur dhama
This is your opportunity to play a role in enabling more runners with disability become elite runners as is Ankur. At Rs.750 you have a chance to make this difference and be a part of India’s only inclusive marathon that is also organised by persons with disabilities. Kotak Wheelchair Marathon will take place on September 3, 2017 in Chennai.
Every rupee you contribute will go towards empowering persons paralysed neck down. At Kotak Wheelchair Marathon we aim to have 2000 runners, including 250 with disability for the 2017 edition.
The campaign goal is to raise funds for the 250 runners with disability with your support!
It takes just Rs.750 for you to be a part of this initiative that enhances well-being of society.
And yes, there is a medal for you too!
You will also get tax benefits.
Kotak Wheelchair Marathon
Why does inclusion always have to begin with the able-bodied and end in persons with disabilities? Justin Jesudas, a person paralysed neck down and an International Paralympic Swimmer & Rifle Shooter decided to challenge this approach to inclusion in 2015.
Pic: Justin Jesudas
India’s first marathon organised by the disabled, in which the able bodied and persons with disability run together, is his brainchild.
Showcasing ability of disabled in endurance runs was the goal with the surplus supporting persons paralysed neck down. The idea gained traction when Kotak Group came on board as Title Sponsor.
Meet the Trailblazers
- Major D P Singh runs the half marathon on an specialised artificial limb in timings that would do anybody proud.
- Shailesh Kumar is India’s fastest on wheels in a half marathon (21.1 kms).
- Ganesh Murugan is the fastest in a full marathon (41.2 kms) on a tricycle.
Pic: Divyanshu Ganatra leads by example and facilitates the blind to run in marathon
Between them, they are inspiring hundreds of disabled persons to take to endurance running, other sports, step out and feel a more integral part of society. What’s more, persons with disability who are involved in sports lead a more healthy, active and meaningful lives.
How can you help?
You can now be a valuable part of this initiative through Kotak Wheelchair Marathon 2017 in several ways.
- Sponsoring a runner with disability
- Sponsor a runner (remember 100% goes to a good cause)
- Register & Run where you are
Contribute INR 15000/- sponsor twenty participants.
Contribute INR 7500/- sponsor ten participants.
Contribute INR 1500/- sponsor two participants.
By sponsoring a runner, you may not run. But you would still get a medal nicely encased and framed sporting the `I enabled Inclusive India’ tag.
And No! Your commitment shouldn’t end there.
Gear up and get your friends and families to be a part of Kotak Wheelchair Marathon. You can even choose to run with the person you have sponsored! If you are not in Chennai, you could even register and run for 60 minutes (approx. 10 kms) wherever you are.
More runners would mean meeting newer people, more interaction, greater awareness and enhanced positivity.
Who will you help?
Kotak Wheelchair Marathon, the 2017 edition, is dedicated towards raising resources to support person who are paralysed neck down, the most acute disability, as it leads to complete or partial loss of ability to even use hands and fingers.
- Edward can use just fingers, but he leads a life of dignity earning about Rs. 8,000 a month by recharging mobile phones using his limited function in two fingers
- Jaskaran Singh studies MBA in IIM, Bangalore but he needs a motorised wheelchair and special devices to use a laptop. He has opened the doors for the acutely disabled to aspire.
Let your contribution to this cause become your way to empower persons with such acute disabilities, bring them out of their homes and live a meaningful life. You will move the status quo for the good
We talk of inclusive societies and then reserve a quota for persons with disabilities – nipping, at the bud, the dream of an inclusive world. Rather, inclusion means two persons with different abilities and physical capabilities getting equal opportunities. 
Elango Thambiah and S Vaidyanthan, Alumnus of IIM Bangalorre, and Nath Balakrishnan, Alumnus of S P Jain Institute of Management started the Ganga Trust, which supports rehabilitation of persons with Spinal Cord Injury, on September 03, 2009. S Vaidyanathan has first-hand experience of living with Spinal Cord Injury for 26 years.
The Ganga Trust is an idea inspired by Dr Suranjan Bhattacharji, a Gandhian, who has devoted his entire life to the cause of persons with disabilities across India. Vaidyanathan is in charge of the ground-level work of The Ganga Trust. The work of The Ganga Trust has had an impact on the lives of several thousand persons with Spinal Cord Injury across India.
Our Partners:
Pic: Actor Kamal Haasan
FAQs
What are the crowdfunding charges?
Fueladream charges 2% for the payment for the payment gateway and 7% as crowdfunding charges. With Goods and Services Tax the total comes to 10.62%. There is also an initial fee of 3000 INR which is being waived for us.
When do I get the receipts?
It takes upto 2 weeks after the campaign is closed for the money to be transferred. The receipts will begin processing about 4 to 8 weeks AFTER the campaign ends and will be sent to you directly.
How does crowdfunding work?
Crowdfunding in India is a relatively new concept & is growing very quickly.
It’s a concept that allows a large number of funders (like you) to fund an Idea or a cause or event by giving small amounts of money online. Fueladream.com is a crowdfunding platform in India that allows for such a pooling of funds.
You can fund innovations & ideas on FuelADream and be the first to get these products or make them come true. You can also do a good turn by funding charities and causes through crowdfunding. When you fund a charity it’s more like a donation & you get small innovative rewards like a shout-out on a FB page or a thank you email from the beneficiaries.
