VITAL FOR CHILDREN

VITAL FOR CHILDREN: Locarno triathlon 2011

2011-12-09T00:10:00.000-08:00

VITAL FOR CHILDREN: Locarno triathlon 2011

Locarno triathlon 2011

2011-12-09T00:07:00.000-08:00

What can I say? What a terrific effort by the 2011 VITAL triathlon team. What heroes they all turned out to be in the face of great challenges. An International team of Kiwis, Dutch, Italians, Americans, Aussies & of course the good old die hard Brits surviving the torrential monsoon rains.

Starting of course with my loyal husband Mithra, doing his first triathlon at the tender age of 64 after losing 11kg in weight

Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

He completed the mini tri with no problem & now thinking of doing the olympic distance next year – what a hero.

Luigi’s first triathlon attempt having just returned from a hurricane in the USA & combating jetlag – he too gave us a wonderful smile at the end of his race

And then there’s Amanda who had lost many kg, competing in her first triathlon in the UK finishing the race 20 minutes faster than she expected.

And good old Fede doing the mini as a warm up to the swim leg of the relay team early the next morning. He too only just returned from a hurricane & earthquake in the USA. What a star.

Then there was Jessica doing only her second triathlon in her life, tackling the Medium Distance in heavy rain with Patrik who finished as we took shelter from the rain in the car & missed cheering him cross the finish line!

The VITAL UK team consisted of first timers with Philip’s rhythm disrupted by the many swimmers around him but he surprised himself with an excellent swim time of 48 minutes for the 2.5km. Andy Playboy enjoyed riding in a pack of 20 bombing down the mountain, not understanding Italian when told not to draft & Carlos, our 5km runner who joined the team one month before the race preparing for a 10km run! He couldn’t believe his run of 82 minutes! Excellent work guys, see you next year doing the Olympic distance!

The VITAL EU team started with poor Fede talked into wearing a wetsuit for his 2.5km swim. His suit kept filling with water making him float off the course like the Michelin man. Then came Koen who thought his role was simply to drive the 17 hour journey from the UK to Locarno. He didn’t know he was to cycle the 80km Swiss mountains but bravely stepped up to bat only to be blinded by stinging rain & abandoned the race when the officials removed the markers thinking all the cyclists had finished. Allegra was relieved she didn’t have to run in the cold heavy rain especially after her ordeal with an earthquake & hurricane in the USA.

All in all, a wonderful weekend was enjoyed by all with much laughter, before & after the race with everyone successfully getting up on water skis/wakeboard.

We’ll all be back ! Thank you to all our wonderful VITAL supporters whose donations were the inspiration to keep one going when the going got tough!

Oh by the way, those of you who envied Mithra’s body in the mankini - the body was loaned from Borat!!

Locarno triathlon 2011 by Jessica Bass

2011-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked me about my super triathlon experience of last week so I thought I would kill several birds with one stone and tell you all at once how it feels to travel over 100km in 6 hours by swimming, cycling and running.

6am start and the day begins well, bright skies, a cool breeze and crisp, clear air. The anticipatory silence at the start line is deafening, I can hear birds chirruping, hearts beating and wetsuits squeaking ! The starter raises the starting pistol and waits for an age .... bang ! And we're off.

I sprint into the warm water, clear of the crowd and begin the swim. 100 metres in and I have no energy at all, my arms and legs feel like lead and I can't catch a breath. I stop and I can't breath I am in a panic and hold my hand up for a rescue boat to pull me out of the race, I am swallowing water and feel dizzy and disoriented. The rescue boat is right next to me when I come to my senses and remember why I am doing this .. it's for charity, for the children who have a rough start in life, who live on the street and have no clean water, little food and no clean clothes. Those children can't hold their hands up and say "hey I wanna get off, this ride is no fun". I think what would my Mother say if she knew I had given up after 100 metres ? I can hear her voice loud and clear in my head "pull yourself together for goodness sake" and a moment of clarity hits me like a bullet between the eyes, I wave the boat the away and splash one hand after the other until I get my rhythm back, my breathing is laboured but I know I can do it, I have to do it.

I catch up to the other swimmers within a few minutes and finally start to enjoy the experience.

I leave the water to a great cheer from the crowd, wave my arms and sprint to the bicycle transition area while flailing around in an attempt to remove my wetsuit while on the move, as if a quick transition is going to make any real difference to my finish time.

On to the bicycle and out onto the winding mountain roads of Locarno. The scenery is truly breathtaking and I have to take a moment to really appreciate it. I am now well away from city streets and the scenes around me are like those found only in flashy car adverts, up and down the undulating course weaving our way around, and sometimes through, the mountains in a rather scarily dark and long tunnel.

After 10km the heavens opened and the field of cyclists dwindled rapidly until I found myself followed only by the back marker motorcycle who was there to tell the marshals along the route when they could pack up. Needless to say I got huge cheers from every marshal station from that point onwards as my passing meant that they could get out of the rain !

The rain gets heavier and heavier until it feels like needles on my skin. My legs, arms and face are now completely numb and the back marker motorcyclist helpfully pulls alongside me to tell me "only 20km to go". I could have lived quite happily without knowing that ! The rain on my face is joined by a few tears as I realise how crazy this idea was, I am riding 80km in the driving rain ... I am mad !

Finally, I rejoin the city streets and around the final roundabout and back to the transition area, again huge cheers from all spectators and participants alike as they realise I am the last competitor still in the race.

The charity has a band of supporters cheering us on from the transition area and they ask how I am feeling "well, it's such a lovely day I think I'll go for a little jog !" I reply.

My running shoes are filled with little puddles, as I slip them on they squelch and squeak in defiance of my blind madness. Off I go for 4 laps of the 5km route.

Lap one, I pass several other runners, back in the race at last ! Lap two and many people have finished already, I spy the prize giving for the winners, wow they are fast. Lap three and my supports are shouting louder than ever ... they think this is my final lap. Now ... decision time, do I stop and let them think it is my final lap or carry on because I KNOW I have another lap to go ? Oh come on, of course I carried on, I couldn't live with myself if I cheated. I do feel sorry for them all though, waiting in the rain.

My legs feel like lead, but there is less than 3km to go, I can't give up now, I just can't. I reach the final drinks station and I spy some fruit, I grab two pieces of apple and an orange segment, wow ! It's like a new me, my legs are alive, just that tiny bit of sustenance and I can run again, off I go striding to the finish line to the sound of cheers from some very relieved supporters and I finish in 6 hours 10 minutes at which point my legs completely give way and I shed a little tear !

What an amazing feeling, to be so close to complete exhaustion but to beat my demons and finish the race, I just want to go again ! I can highly recommend doing an endurance triathlon as the buzz is just amazing and although we are competing, all the competitors know that just to be in it is a feat in itself and one which deserves a quiet respect.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated, I am pleased to let you know that between us we raised more than £9,000.00 for the charity and you can still donate here : http://www.mycharitypage.com/Jessica/

If you would like to know more about where the money goes please go to www.vitalforchildren.org 100% of donations go directly to the kids, the charity takes no money for admin costs.

Thank you so much for your support, it is, as always much appreciated.

Warm welcome to Kolkata April 2011

2011-04-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

A year is much too long a gap to wait between visiting Kolkata. Not only that, I was reminded by a couple of the teenagers that I had said I would return within 6 months – I felt so bad.

These street children have nothing to look forward to in life so any small event in their lives, which would bring happiness, will surely not be forgotten. In their current situation they do not know what the future means to them, they do not dare to have dreams.

This April I was accompanied by two

Associates of the VITAL-ITALY team, Allegra & Federica, Haley, our latest volunteer & Mithra (Trustee).

I suggested to my team to walk into the New Market school first to experience the warm welcome these children will shower upon us & I would film it. Little was I expecting the reaction in store for me.

As soon as they saw me they all jumped up

& screamed & hugged me. Even 17 year old Sabir had a big smile for me & shyly shook my hand. This is the big tough guy on the streets!

There was a group of Irish teenagers visiting the children & one of them asked “Who is that? Saint Nicholas?” They were astonished like we were.

Along with the annual trip to the Water

Park which the children so eagerly looked forward to, we were able to visit 3 new projects to fund due to the many generous donations received in the last 6 months.

Partnering with CRY once again, we agreed to fund a project helping children living at 4 different railway stations. Following the VITAL ethos of creating

change with a sustainable future, this project not only rescues children living in the railwaystations by reuniting them with their families, it also advocates for the promotion of alternative care – trying to look atinstitutionalization as the last resort where family or parental care was notin the best interest of the children.

The program evolvedaround the

Convention on the Rights of the Children and the Juvenile JusticeAct as the foundation pillars.

We then visited a project for children atrisk living alone on the streets of Kolkata, or whose parents are not in aposition to support their protection or children in crisis as a result oftrauma, abuse, neglect & violence

(either physical or sexual). TheCrisis Intervention project offers immediate, short-term help to individuals who experience an eventthat result in emotional, mental, physical, and behavioural distress orproblems.

This project is a short term solution, as

children move from crisis into long term supported. It addresses the needs of the victimwithout delay and addresses the fundamental rights and dignity in all humanbeings to receive timely support and care.

Our last project we visited was The Keertikaproject. Its aim is to provide shelter, nutrition, medical care, necessary

legaland psychological counselling and

legal assistance to girls in distressed and difficultcircumstances.

They are mostly victims oftrafficking and other forms of violence including sexual harassment/assault,domestic violence, trafficking and forced engagement in the sex trade.

It was sad saying goodbye. Thechildren were visibly distressed so I had to make it short & quick. Iwished I could take them with me to the land of plenty but even to take one ortwo for a couple of weeks over the summer was a request that gave me alook of “are you out of your mind?”

I am definitely returning inNovember. No question about it.

Locarno triathlon 2010

2010-09-05T04:01:00.000-07:00

This year the triathlon in Switzerland had 7 participants with 3 entering the Olympic distance in their first triathlon. The other 3 entered in the mini distance were also first timers, led by yours truly. A cheer squad of 5 completed the VITAL team. With a dozen of us wearing VITAL tshirts we are slowly raising awareness in this small event as no other charity is involved.

It was a beautiful day enjoyed by all.

Zumba night

2010-08-15T03:38:00.000-07:00

Zumba night

A Zumba night was organized by Jessica Bass with Wessex House donating the venue, Maggie Marino donating her time to teach & Bombay Bicycle for the food.

A big thank you to you all

Overnight Beach trip with VITAL's children

2010-06-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

The Water Park was such a successful trip I decided to take a group on an overnight trip to the beach, 32 children & 4 teachers to Mandamarni in two buses along with two cooks & two helpers.

Leaving at 9.30am we didn’t arrive until 3pm as the driver took a wrong turn!

After a late lunch the children raced to the beach & screamed & jumped with joy in the rough salty Bay of Bengal.

It was very windy so the plastic balls, Frisbees & plastic crickets sets were abandoned.

By 5.30pm the sky darkened with black clouds – the thunder, lightning & heavy downpour was a welcomed relief after the week long heat wave of temps in the high 30’sC with humidity around 75%.

The children were amazing as they washed their clothes & hung them out to dry along with cleaning the sand off the floor of their hotel room.

I was embarrassed that the tiled floor of my room was sandy & unclean but I didn’t have a rag to wipe the floor with!

After a snack of noodles at 7pm we ate dinner at 9pm! Then it was off to the park to play on the swings & slides.

The next morning the children knocked on my door at 6.30am. I asked them to return at 7am which they did despite breakfast not being served till 8am!

Then it was back to the beach. By 10.30am they had enough. Lunch was at 1230 before boarding the bus to head back to the city.

A tired bunch with most sleeping the first couple of hours of the 5 hour journey back.

Having a waterproof camera a lot of photos & videos were taken so the next 3 days I spent recovering in the hotel & working on the photos to show the children on the big screen.

It was a shame we couldn’t get the projector working. They were still able to watch themselves on my laptop. They were so funny, screaming with delight at watching themselves.

Trip to the Water park with the street children of Calcutta

2010-06-03T07:01:00.000-07:00

After
last year’s heartbreaking trip to Kolkata, I was determined to make this trip as emotionally positive as possible hence the decision to take the street children VITAL sponsors in the two schools on a day trip to the Water Park.

As it was difficult to limit the numbers & refuse some children, we ended up with 64 children coming.

It was lucky I had Dougal & Alice accompanying the 5 teachers along with myself.

Most of these children had never been out of the city before & were in such jovial spirits when they boarded the bus at 9.30am that they all started singing & dancing on the bus.

We quietened them down by giving them a packed breakfast!

We finally arrived at Aquatica by 11.30am.

We had to hire swimsuits for most of the children & then most of them ran off.

I was assigned two 5 yr olds who were nervous of the water & clung to me most of the time whilst Alice had offered to look after 3 yr old Krishnu.

Krishnu was also frightened of the water but by the end of the day he was completely at home in the water.

We rounded up the children by 4pm & gave them a hot lunch by the bus before returning to the city on a quiet bus as all the children had fallen asleep!

Locarno Triathlon 2009

2010-06-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

What can I say?

I was absolutely dreading the actual event & even considered not doing it as the knee was still not 100%.

I was only able to swim most of the summer with no cycling or running at all until two weeks before the event when I tried to squeeze in as much training as possible.

Swimming was no problem except for the boredom & the fish frightening me as they were not afraid of me & I managed about 160km of cycling over 10 days.

I didnt feel ready to practise uphills since I didnt feel the knee could handle it though the actual race had a couple of steep hills.

Since I dislike running I thought waterskiing could replace the run & I foolishly tried a few new moves to increase the rooster tail leaving me with aching pecs, shoulders & stomach muscles!

The night before the big day there were heavy strong winds causing the lake temp to drop 4C down to 20C but I refused to wear a wetsuit.

The day turned out gorgeous & our late take off time at 5.45pm was a blessing as it would have been much too hot earlier on.

As always the swim was a breeze which I always enjoy.

The bike was difficult uphill against a slight wind.

Coming down I had to put the brakes on at 44kph as I'm too frightened of the speed.

I managed to shuffle the 5km run with a few walks to rest the knee.

I was so pleased to complete it & even enjoyed it despite the extremely slow time which was even slower than last year with the wind & rain!

It was great doing it with Ed & Sheery. Thank you to all our generous donors once again.

Watch this space for 2010.

London Triathlon 2009

2010-06-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

What a nightmare with people dropping out & finding last minute fill ins.

Michelle cant make it so Jessica fills in.

Sara doesnt make it so my team does not have a swimmer whilst I feel my knee has not recovered so Amy takes my place!

Another runner pulls out 2 days before but Debbie fills in & Denise pulls out completely from the individual which luckily doesnt affect any teams.

Despite all the drama EVERYONE enjoyed themselves so much they all want to do it again next year - I dont know if I can handle the stress!

In any case about £6500 was raised - great effort everyone & thank you all so much.

London Triathlon 2008

2010-06-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Having cycled over 250km over the last 2 months & swimming half a dozen times in my new wetsuit, I was feeling quite prepared to tackle my latest challenge. Despite my confidence, the sleepless nights before the big day were filled with butterflies in my stomach or my heart pounding away furiously.

The agonisingly slow drive of 10km to the Excel Centre on my own took nearly an hour in pouring rain. It was difficult to concentrate on anything let alone the traffic.

Entering the Thames with 450 female competitors at 5pm, I felt good. I was surprised by the slightly salty taste of the water. At take off, I sprinted 30m then I started to panic. I couldn't believe what was happening. I couldn't breathe. I was gasping for air & couldn't swim. I wanted to quit. I started pulling myself along the rope in between trying to swim a few strokes. I was amazed at all the strong swimmers passing me. I wanted to end this fear & call out for help but then I thought of all you people who believed in me – there was absolutely no way I could let you all down.

Towards the end of the swim I could hear & see my cheer squad urging me on, giving me the extra oomph needed. Thank you cheer squad!!

As I exited the centre on my bike it was pouring with rain, & strong head winds – once again I was gripped with fear as I had never cycled in the rain before, let alone battle strong winds that made cycling on flat ground like cycling uphill !!

It was cold at 15C. I was drenched after the first lap. My shoes were heavy. I was glad to change into running shoes. The rain stopped but the wind was still strong. The run was more a shuffle. Stitches appeared on both sides or was it stomach upset from swallowing too much Thames water? The knees started to ache. Had my torn knee ligament last year not healed completely? Why am I putting myself through 2 hours of torture? I lead such a wonderful cushy life, doing as I please with no worries or stress…this is absolutely crazy!!

At the finish line I was not buzzed up as I had anticipated. I remembered to drink my glass of coke to kill the Thames bugs!!

Do you remember how you felt when you received your first pay check? That is how I felt. I felt I really earned the £3000/$6000 you all so generously donated. I really would like to thank you all but more than this, I am grateful to you all for your support & belief in me, and most importantly, in VITAL.

TOGETHER WE WILL make a difference in the lives of thousands of children.

For those of you who still haven't donated & those of you who would like to donate again, I've decided to do it again – a triathlon in Locarno on Sept 6th (didn't I mention somewhere above the words…never again??)
Here is the link www.mycharitypage.com/YvonneNeuman

With much love & gratitude

Yvonne xxx

Teaching children of the sex workers in the red light district in Calcutta

2010-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Teaching English to the children of the sex workers was not going to be easy as they varied in age & abilities.

My first lesson with them was to see how much English they knew so I decided to bring whatever I could find in my hotel room to discuss- teabags, coffee & sugar sachets.

I was amazed when these children had never seen them before especially the dried milk powder.

They laughed at the chopsticks I borrowed from the Chinese restaurant & were fascinated at the different currencies I was able to show them from Australia, USA & UK.

They kept asking me questions about my life.

Where I grew up, my origins & where I was living now.

When I told them about Mithra’s background & how his parents had to flee, they had never heard of Hitler.

When I explained how Hitler dreamt of a world where every one was blonde haired & blue eyed they so innocently asked “why?”

At the end of my 2 hr class they all started to sing to me in chorus with the lead singer starting off.

They were such a happy lot.

All of them knew they wanted a better life than they had now so all were attending formal school & coming to our evening program for further education.

This program that VITAL funds offers protection & education to the children in the evenings when their mothers turn the children out onto the streets whilst they work.

In the 16 years this program had been running, not one daughter of a sex worker had followed in her mother’s footsteps.

Working with the community in this area, the local school has offered the use of two classrooms.

Any space available is grabbed such as the balcony & the store room.

The library also allows us to teach in there too.

Making a Documentary

2010-04-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

A Documentary on the work VITAL does with the street children was made by Dougal & Alice.

Alice gave 35 children a two hour lesson to learn a 90 second dance routine which was to be filmed the next day.

Some of the children who were interviewed were child labourers, children who had to work before & after school.

It was heartbreaking to hear of their stories.

One in particular was a 6 year old boy. He would get up in the morning at 6am to wash plates & glasses in the restaurant & even collect payment.

If the tally was incorrect he would be scolded & his meager pay withdrawn.

He would then reach our school by 11am for two hours before returning to work.

I do feel one of the attractions to get the children to come to our school is the provision of a free hot lunch, most likely the only meal they would get that day.

House of Lords Dinner

2009-12-17T02:59:00.000-08:00

A black tie dinner at the House of Lords was held one week before Christmas, was hosted by our Patron, the Baroness Miller. The event was a huge success with Dame Norma Major as our guest of honour. Six guests flew in from USA & another 3 from Europe. 40% of the guests were Americans who very likely contributed to the enthusiastic atmosphere on the night.

The evening started with a snow shower producing a Christmas feel as the snow flakes floated past Big Ben. Guests were taken on a tour of both Houses of Parliament. The guides were in jovial form explaining the origins of many colloquial English expressions, which amused the Americans.

Christies auctioneer, Nicholas Martineau, was in excellent form squeezing money out of guests in the most humorous manner amidst much laughter. Everyone was in great spirits & in the most generous of moods.

The evening flew by & ended with a surprise birthday cupcake presented to 82 year old Marilyn, who flew in from Maine, USA. She said this was the best birthday of her life!

does god exist & if so, why would he allow this to happen

2009-04-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

(names changed to protect identity)

At times like this I wonder - does God exist & if he does how can he do this?

It is 10.30pm & I am on a night watch round in Calcutta.

We walk down New Market amongst the homeless families living on the streets & are greeted so warmly by the children who recognize us from our previous trips when we taught them at the one of the schools VITAL funds.

They love having their photos taken & are full of smiles & joy. Little 12 year old Puja grabs my hand & leads me to her mother who is cooking dinner on the sidewalk.

Her 3 younger brothers & sisters join us with glee. Puja shows me her flattened cardboard box she calls her bed & asks me to take photos of her in her pretty sari.

Like all little girls she loves to dress up. I promise her I will come to school tomorrow & she gives me a hug goodbye.

We return to the van & are solemnly told that Puja is forced by her father in to the sex trade. She has not even reached puberty.

She was brought to the Hope’s girls home but her mother begged for her return as her husband was beating her until she brought the breadwinner of the family back.

I am saddened by the news but when we reach Sealdah railway station, one of the busiest railway stations in India, more sadness await.

We see a mother & toddler asleep on the ground under a blanket when a 13 year old boy approaches us with a swagger & glazed eyes.

He is obviously a solvent abuser as we do not smell alcohol.

We notice self- inflicted scars on the inside of his forearm & he shows us the swelling on his hand from where the police had beaten him today.

He tells us the police are getting stricter & the two years he had been living here on his own is worse than hell.

He asks to be rescued but we cannot do so immediately. The boy starts to sob, it was so pitiful that I couldn’t hold back the tears either.

People started to gather around us asking why the boy & I were crying! Our NGO partners we work with eventually gave in & called a rehab centre that agreed to accept him.

Normally one would monitor the situation over the next few days in case the boy’s parents were nearby & saw us take the boy.

We could be accused of kidnapping & lose our licence to operate as an NGO.

At least Ganesh will have a happy ending, as Hope will take him into the boy’s home after he recovers from his addiction.

The next day when I arrive at school word had obviously spread that we were arriving. There were 26 children (doubled in size within a year when we started this project) just finishing their hot lunch, also provided by VITAL.

It is extremely hot & the fan above gave little relief. I was dripping with perspiration but the atmosphere inside was highly charged as the children’s ages ranged from 4 to 14 years.

Puja is forbidden by her father to attend our school but she sneaks in when she can. She & her friend Sanju, who had recognized us a few days earlier whilst on our walkabouts, ran up to me first to give me huge bear hugs before all the children ran out screaming with joy.

The younger children were dirty (remember they live on the streets) & my light beige trousers were the wrong choice that morning as they climbed all over me.

All of a sudden Puja’s 6 year old tiny brother starts crying. She defends him by yelling at one of the older boys who then hits her hard across her head & she starts crying.

The two teachers try to control the class but these boys seem out of place here lashing out with such force that has obviously been the way they are treated outside of school.

I try to comfort Puja but it’s wild in there. I ask the teacher to tell the children that if they don’t behave I will leave & take my gifts of tshirts, pencil boxes & tennis balls with me.

They finally quieten down & show me their work & we distribute the gifts.

I had been in India for 4 weeks & was due to leave the next day.

With a heavy heart full of sadness I fly out, with eyes tired & red from so much crying.

It will take me weeks to recover from such an emotionally draining roller coaster of emotions but I love these children & will return.

Locarno triathlon Sept 2008

2008-10-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the last one - £5000/$10,000 was raised in total - thank you all

Here I am again, writing about the Locarno triathlon but this one is of a more positive nature so read on...........

The past 3 days before the event on Sat 6th Sept, it had poured non stop with rain so the air & lake temperatures plummeted.

The morning of the 6th I awoke to thunder, lightning & more rain.
I honestly did not want to go through this all over again but once again, there was no way I could back out.

I had raised another £1000/$2000 & the 4 guys from London who had also raised between them nearly £1000, were eagerly awaiting to participate in their first ever triathlon, amongst 459 competitors, of which very few spoke English !!

When we arrived to register, Adam nervously pointed out that everyone seemed so professional looking in their racing outfits on their fancy racing bikes, checking everyone else's fancy bikes out whilst we looked a sorry lot with the boys in their surfie board shorts with no seat padding.

Adam borrowed a 20 year old race bike but didnt have clip on shoes which hindered his hill climb whilst the other 3 picked up their rented, chunky looking road bikes.

Not having time to go for a practice ride, poor Jav's bike would not pedal going downhill, so those two will definitely be doing faster times next year!!

With the five of us wearing our VITAL tshirts, we looked more like a football team than triathletes but we were a team, connected in spirit, to raise money & awareness around us, of the plight of millions of children around the world, suffering in conditions that we, in the west, take for granted - clean drinking water, education or basic health care .

We decided to inspect the route from the swim to the bike, & to the exit where we were able to commence the cycle leg.

We could not believe the 6 inches of mud we had to run through.

There was no way you could run through mud that deep without your shoes sticking in the mud like quick sand.

Who wants to cycle & run in shoes filled with mud??

Mithra always knew I was crazy but this time he thought I had really flipped!

All summer long I would, much to his embarassment, wear a wetsuit, whilst swimming in the lake.

Come the end of summer, 3 days of heavy rain with the lake rising 2m/6 feet from cold mountain water feeding into the lake, I decided to do the swim without a wetsuit.

Surely I could put up with 12 minutes of freezing water.

There was no way I was going to suffer another panic attack in a wetsuit!!

I was pleased with my swim, concentrating on a good strong swim rather than feeling sorry for myself in such cold water.

Tom was opposite me in transition & threw me a much appreciated warm smile (he's such a cutie) as I raced off with my bike.

Meanwhile Adam was hopping around on one leg trying to put on his bike shorts whilst the pro next to him whipped off her outfit in a quick orderly manner & was gone like lightning.

I decided to clip my shoes onto the pedals & run barefoot through the mud carrying my lightweight bike.

I then wiped the mud off my feet on where ever I could find grass, unclip the shoes & wear them without socks!

As I pedalled out, I missed the clip & scraped a 4 inch long scratch down my shin, which drew blood.

The open wound was then splattered with mud. I hoped it would not get infected.

Oh dear, when did I last have a tetanus shot?

I ignored the pain & fear of lockjaw as there were more gloomy things to think of ahead of me!

(Incidently, at the end of the event I noticed the pain was more than the achy sore muscles!!)

It was not long before the guys whizzed past me.

I was accused of going on a sightseeing tour I was so slow!!

Once again I froze with fear as a new challenge lay ahead of me - the strong wind blew in sideways rather than head on, tilting my bike at times to 30 degrees (well at least that's what it felt like but probably more like 15 !!)

I actually thought the bike would slide sideways underneath me like motorbikes do in the movies but I pedalled on, once again in the rain.

Then came the uphill climb that I was aware of & dreaded.

The wind changed & was now head on.

I thought I would have to walk the bike as I ran out of gears, when what seemed like a never ending hill, finally plateau-ed out.

How does one do a U turn without stopping??

Now the return down the hill in the rain. I stopped pedalling at 48kph/30mph as that was plenty fast enough for me.

I have no hesitation at driving 110mph/176kph in either a pruis or a porsche but on a bicycle, I'm afraid of speed.

The first km of the run all I could think of was - I'm getting too old for this.

The 2nd km I thought - I really mustnt force Mithra into doing this next year for fear of him suffering a heart attack!!

At the halfway mark I was offered an energy bar. Concentrating on chewing this disgusting tasting bar over the last 2.5km made the run so much more bearable.

I must remember to carry one next year as Adam said he was never offered one!!

So, thank you cheer squad for enduring the rain, the wind & the cold to cheer us on - you guys are the greatest.

Thank you friends & family for your support & generous donations.

Please take a look at this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfAOVKjmDfg & KNOW that your donation WILL HELP hundreds of children like that little girl, receive an education, & remove her from the cycle of poverty.

If you wish to donate again & help many more like her, you can still do so at www.mycharitypage.com/YvonneNeuman

See you all at the House of Lords black tie dinner next year ok?? God bless you all & those children Yvonne xx

Primitive tribes

2008-10-04T13:41:00.001-07:00

We loved our first visit to India so much that we asked our guide, Suvo, to organise an interesting tour for our return in January 2007 & he suggested the tribes in Orissa.

This was to be a gruelling trip of 8 hours each day in a car, travelling along narrow winding roads full of potholes after the monsoon rains had eroded them away.

There were no fancy 5 star hotels, no restaurants or toilets, as we were in the middle of no where, visiting tribes very few people knew existed.

Tourism in this area had only started 20 years ago with about 12,000 visitors each year.

There were 3 different markets we had to reach, on certain days to see these tribal people walk miles to buy & sell goods.

The Bonda tribe was the most fascinating for me with only 3000 of them left, living in the mountains 1000m above sea level, untouched by modern civilisation.

We came across Dongaria Kondha, once infamous for their practice of human sacrifice, Kutia & Desia tribes with their tattooed faces & arms, & the Gadabas, with their brass or aluminium ornaments & large hooped ear rings.

Then there were the very colourful Santals with flowers in their hair or the Parojas with their silver pins in their hair, armlets & bracelets.

It was after we returned from this trip that I had decided upon the next chapter of my life – to set up a charity to help the beautiful children who, despite their living in poverty, were still able to welcome us with such warmth & happy smiles.

The next 3 months was spent researching charities, statistics & reading, as much as possible on the net.

It was very disturbing, depressing & very often I was in tears to read about what is happening out there, so very far removed from the comforts, safety & warmth of my home.

What a rude awakening to the privileged dream life in which I exist.

I emailed several charities in Kolkata making appointments to see them. This would my 3rd visit to Kolkata in 7 months. I was hooked.

I chose 3 projects to support & returned to London, fired up to start my charity, but having never entered the “business” world (my work was motherhood for the last 25 years) I couldn’t even fill out an application form to open a bank account!

To register the charity in the UK I had to complete a 30 page form whilst my son registered the charity in the USA.

We then set up a Foundation in the USA to underwrite all the charity expenses so that 100% of the public donations will go to the children.

This Foundation will also donate each year to the projects should we not be able to raise enough funds.

To minimise spending too much of the Foundation’s money, we tried to get as much done as possible gratis…Rian for design of logo, Tom for design of website, Michelle for the website as it stands today & most of all, the help from my husband & two sons…the list goes on.

In November we decided to take the Trustees to meet the grassroot charities we partnered as well as to meet & see for themselves, the children & the appalling conditions in which they live.

In April 2008 I was back to teach the teenagers living in the red light district & will return in Nov to teach them again.

In the meantime, read the next blog on my fundraising events….surely there must be easier ways to raise money???

my first trip to Kolkata

2008-05-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

When I first arrived in Kolkata, I was not warned that my five senses would be assaulted.

The heat and the humidity when you first walk out of the airport makes you want to strip down, then a man hands me a plastic cup the size of a thimble filled with sweet hot milky tea.

I accept thinking what a kind gesture but when he asks for money after I gulped down the tea, I am embarassed but luckily I have some Indian rupees, the smallest being a 100 note which he cannot change as the tea only costs a couple of rupees.

The taxi ride to the hotel starts with a constant horn blasting in the congested traffic so the earplugs the airline offered would have come in handy.

You are constantly on edge as your car is sandwiched inches away from other vehicles. You feel that any minute your car will be hit so you try to take your mind off it and watch the scenery only to be shocked by the poverty and the slum areas.

I don’t like air conditioning so I wind down the window but the pollution from the car fumes & the heat is so strong that your throat starts to hurt and your eyes sting and I reluctantly appreciate the air conditioning and wind up the window.

Your car stops at the traffic light and you jump out of your skin when you hear a knock on your window. You turn your head and your heart beats furiously as you see a deformed beggar or a child carrying a baby motioning for food to eat.

I thought I was prepared for this but obviously I was not. I didn’t know what to do and the driver didn’t speak English. Do I wind down the window and give money?

But these people look so dirty and frightening I turn the other way and the knocking continues until the car drives away. I feel guilty and ashamed.

The hotel is sheer luxury, the other extreme of what I have just witnessed. Clean, cool and the staff are SO friendly.

You actually feel their sincerity when they welcome you but once again, that guilt was waiting to surface inside me, how can I stay in a place like this when the cost of one night must be more than a month’s salary for a taxi driver?

After a hot shower, good food and feeling clean and refreshed we meet our guide Suvendu, who we previously arranged to spend the week with us.

Naturally I was full of questions, the first being, what should I have done with those beggars knocking on the car window? Would they be aggressive? Could I catch any disease from them if I touched them?

He was adamant that you DO NOT GIVE them money.

This only encourages children not to attend school. He gave an example of how a tourist gave $200 to a child. This generous kind hearted tourist did not realise that word quickly spread to the villages outside of the city as well as within the city.

Kolkata was inundated with children running away from home, dropping out of schools and parents sending their children in to beg, all in search of this tourist, in the hope that there would be plenty more of these generous tourists.

As to the other question, no, they are not aggressive and just don’t touch the lepers who may still have blood on their bandages!!

First Vital Blog

2008-01-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the Vital Blog. Please keep checking for updated news about our charity.

Thanks.

Yvonne