Hi! My name is Atharva Shinde and I am a high schooler from St. Louis, Missouri. I love running and helping out the community. I want to raise funds for Asha because I believe change starts with education and everyone deserves to have a chance to learn.

Last summer I visited the Asha for Education Center in Mumbai.  It was great to see all the students learning with lots of passion. The kids were excited to tell us what they were studying and show their knowledge. These students are capable of achieving great things with guidance from Asha teachers. I also came to know that Asha has a women empowerment program and I visited the center. I could see how Asha is playing a role in socioeconomic change in India.

After the visit, I started thinking about how I could help Asha and be part of this great work. I signed up for a 10K run this October to raise money to donate to Asha and help these kids. Please choose Asha as your charity of choice this year, and support the cause as well as support my run. Your contribution is an important motivator for me to go farther and faster! No amount is too small. Thanks.