Why do I run?

What is all about

Any runner has the secret (or not so secret) dream of running once a marathon, with its 42.2 Km (26.1 miles) of distance probably the most famouse endurance event in the world. I plan to run my first marathon end of September 2009 and raise money to help children in Nepal doing it.
Receiver of charity

The receiver of the charity will be the Ama Ghar foundation. All the money collected will go entirely to them after the marathon end of September (100% without any deduction). All costs for the marathon, travelling, gear are sustained entirely by me with my personal money.


What makes Ama Ghar different from many children's homes in Nepal is our commitment to raising the children as a family and in their own culture. When a child first comes to Ama Ghar, they are tentative and shy- most are in shock from their very troubled circumstances. Yet the Nepali housemothers and fathers offer warmth and gentle support- easing the child into the daily routine. The guidance and affection of the older children embrace the child and soon they begin to feel wanted and loved. Simply learning to play is a new exploration. And school work can be fun with so many older sisters and brothers to help!

Sustainable social change begins with education - and particularly in poor countries such as Nepal- educating girls. Ama Ghar currently has a larger ratio of girls to boys for this particular reason. Studies have shown that lifting women and children out of poverty has lasting and real economic and social effects.

Many of these children come to Ama Ghar without having experienced childhood. It is our privilege to return to them what is rightfully theirs- a warm loving home, the freedom to create and explore through education, and the chance at a bright future.


About me
My name is Umberto Michelucci. I have known Ama Ghar in 2005 when with my wife we decided to collect money to help them by climbing two 6000m high peaks in Himalaya in 6 days:

6k Expedition

It was a very succesful expedition where we were able to collect ca. 2500 USD in charity. In 2005, in Kathmandu, we had the occasion of meeting all those people in persons and it was a wonderful experience.

I have run several half-marathon, both as mountain races and flat on paved roads. I am not a fast runner, enjoying more the endurance aspect of the run and the challenge of finishing it (this is why I enjoy so much mountain races where you have 1000 -2000 meters of height difference, or ca. 3250 – 6500 feet). Additional challenges, like height add to the experience. Last mountain half-marathon I did started at ca. 2000 m of height (ca. 6500 feet) on sea level and finished at ca. 2800 m over sea level (ca. 9200 feet).

Charity

I will run my first marathon end of september and I decided that I could try to use my training to help the children of Ama Ghar.

The idea is that a person could sponsor my training kilometers! You could “subscribe” in the following ways:

Monthly subscription: you can give in charity a certain amount (from 1 cent to any value) for each Km that I run in training each month. You can sponsor one single months or all months of training. For example if you give 1 cent per Km for May and if I run 120 Km you will have given to charity 1.2 dollars (or francs, or Euro, etc.). If you decide to give 0.5 dollar then you will have given to the children 60 dollars!
Marathon subscription w/ or w/o race: you can sponsor the entire training with or without the race itself.
Marathon finisher: you can decide to give to charity a fixed amount when (notice I didn’t say if ;-) ) I finish the marathon.

I am in the process of setting up an home page where the results of my training will be logged. I will post results as coming from my heart-monitor with data and information, not because people would be interested (I don’t think they would) but because I want to convince you that I am really running what I am claiming! When I will be able to do it I will also post the route I ran so that you can check what kind of runs I am doing.

If you want to contact me leave a message on this blog and I will get back to you most probably within a day.