Education is a right not privilege of every human being. Education for underprivileged children is the key whether we are addressing healthcare, poverty, population control or human rights issues in developing countries like India.
I have been running for 5 years and I am actively involved with my running club of 400 runners. I was born and raised in Jorhat, Assam. I used to play table tennis for Jorhat District and league cricket for a club and school. Because of problems in Assam and the lack of good colleges, I attended high school and engineering college in South India. After completing undergraduate studies in India, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and completed his graduate studies in Civil Engineering and Business (New York).
I love Assam, its culture, lifestyle, and the Assamese people. I have visited Assam almost every year since I moved out of Assam in 1985. My 10-year-old daughter Mayher loves to visit Assam and would like to travel there on her own. My wife Purab Kaur is from Ludhiana and works as a Brand Manager with Acco Brands.
- Projects Supported: Asha Darshan Trust – Assam, India
(http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=284) - Charity Asha: http://www.ashanet.org/; http://ashanet.org/chicago/blogs/teamashachicago/
Asha had 70 runners for the 2011 Chicago Marathon, including 25 runners from the Bay area. Total charity amount raised by Asha runners was appr. $100k;
- Races Run: Chicago Marathon (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008), Chicago Half, Southwest Half and Splish Splash Half Marathons (2011), Chicago Half Marathons (2010, 2009), Rock & Roll Chicago Half Marathon (2010, 2011), and others.
Charity page - http://ashanet.org/chicago/blogs/teamashachicago/runners/Amarpal-Matharu/
- Board Member (2011- present) - www.evanstonrunningclub.org
- Miles run this year: 450 miles. The human body is incredible. If interested, send me an e-mail and I will try to motivate you to jog/ run and lead a healthy life style!
Project engineer with the consulting firm CH2M HILL. The firm employs over 30,000 employees globally, in full-service engineering, construction, and operations.
Vision
My vision would be to encourage more runners from the North East in joining groups like Asha and run for charity projects in North East India. I would love to see the cities in Assam and North East India start jogging/ running clubs and start races. It is not very difficult to pick up running and run a 5k/ 10k race or start running marathons. Our friends and community does support our charitable efforts.
Project and Organization Description: Asha Darshan Trust – Assam
To promote education in a rural poverty ridden area by funding related infrastructure and mid day meals. Emphasis is on providing vocation skills that will raise standard of living and spread awareness about people’s rights and responsibilities. This is an Asha Stars project under the Asha Silicon Valley chapter.
Asha Darshan is a registered non-governmental organization based in the Nalbari district of Assam. It focuses on community development in this insurgency-ridden area through education and organized Self-Help groups (SHGs). The project runs 13 centers (pre-primary, primary and lower secondary) around Tamulpur and Kumarikata areas and has 362 (at present count) SHGs under its wing. The centers provide a crucial source of schooling to about 1,300 children in this area, since there are no schools close by. Children in the age group 3-6 and even as old as 10 years attend them.
This program provides children in the Asha Darshan schools with at least one nutritious meal per day. This has led to increased attendance, reduced dropouts and improved overall vocational skill levels. The program was supported by a grant from Yahoo! Employee Foundation from 2006 onwards.
