What does RTU do? - 3. Housing

You may have noticed that it's nearly Christmas. I wonder where you will be celebrating? Perhaps in your own home; perhaps with your parents or your grown-up children; perhaps somewhere quite different. Wherever you'll be this year though, the chances are that the house will be warm, dry, and safe. So it seemed like a good moment to pause and think about the housing in the area of Southern India covered by Reaching the Unreached. For a long time, the poverty of the villagers has meant that they have lived in inadequate huts. Roughly constructed with mud walls and thatched rooves, these one-room "houses" let in the rain and poisonous snakes, have no sanitary facilities, and are often completely destroyed in strong winds. They need re-construction on an annual basis, at a cost which many families cannot afford. This forces them to go to money-lenders, who charge high interest rates (60% or more), and so the cycle of poverty and debt is reinforced.

Since 1976, RTU have been constructing simple but sturdy houses for the most needy local people. These houses are made of brick, with tiled rooves. They have a living area, sometimes partitioned for privacy, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a veranda. Each house costs approximately £450 to construct. Over 7,500 have been built so far. Villagers apply for an RTU house, and their need is carefully assessed. If they are successful, they are fully involved in the planning and the construction of the house. I particularly appreciate this empowerment of the local people, rather than forcing them into the role of passive receivers of charity. Moreover, the bricks, tiles, window frames and so on are all made in an RTU factory, providing employment for local people, and using local materials which are not harmful to the environment.

Each year, Lasallian Developing World Projects, founded by the De La Salle order, sends teams of young people to developing countries to participate in building projects. Since 2005 this has included the Rural Housing Programme of RTU. One returned volunteer wrote, "There was nothing that we did that could not have been done by the people of the village. We could have just sent a cheque. So what was the point?". This volunteer goes on to describe how each member of the team gained enormous insights into the local culture and the impact of poverty there, and how humbled they were by the generosity of the local people. It seems, also, that the locals were delighted to receive these Westerners; it was evidence that people cared about their situation and were making real efforts to help. The mutual benefits of such projects are obviously manifold. The young people particularly appreciated being invited to the house-warming parties. These involve lighting candles, cracking open a coconut, and sharing warm milk, cake and fruit. Perhaps during the next week we can remember the delight of these people in moving into their new homes, and appreciate our own homes a little more.

Why run for WPF Therapy?

In the UK, approximately 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives, and over 4000 people take their own life each year. To me those figures say: 1.) this is common; 2.) this is serious.

At WPF Therapy, over 500 hours of assessment and treatment take place every week. That's a lot of people given a safe place to talk. Because charges are means-tested, people from all backgrounds and standards of living can access the service, giving them the chance to face the difficulties they are experiencing and to move forward.

Although these would be more than adequate reasons to run a marathon for WPF Therapy, I have a personal motivation as well: my own experience of depression.

It's hard to compress a personal story into a paragraph or two, but perhaps you can fill in some of the gaps. I first experienced depression as a teenager, and this recurred several times in subsequent years. For most of this time I was undiagnosed, unsupported, wrongly diagnosed or badly supported. I was ashamed of what I was going through and imagined that nobody would understand what I was feeling. Moreover, I didn't believe that anything could be done to help. When something eventually spurred me to speak more honestly to my GP, he sent me for six sessions of brief counselling and put me on anti-depressants. The drugs helped - they gave me enough energy and positivity to move forward with my life. The counselling didn't - six sessions barely scratched the surface and I wasn't offered more. So why would I be enthusiastic about WPF Therapy, which offers counselling? Simply because they only stop after six sessions if six sessions is enough! Simply because they offer a client-centred approach, empowering each individual to take responsibility for their lives and to make the changes needed. Simply because they are there, de-stigmatising mental health difficulties and respecting their clients. Simply because they are intervening at the level of causes, not of symptoms. Simply because they make a difference.

I'm glad of the experience I've lived through; I wouldn't be the "me" I am without it. But I'm glad of it mostly because I can turn it to good. By speaking out I can help to cut through the taboos and stigma so that other people won't have to negotiate such a mire of isolation and hopelessness. With increased awareness of and openness about mental health problems, resulting in their earlier identification, and with improved availability and affordability of talking therapies, personal suffering could be reduced dramatically. So "thankyou" WPF Therapy for your part in that! And "thankYOU", that's YOU - my supporters - for funding their work.

Training update 2

It's now just 4½ months until the Bungay Black Dog! With this in mind I have been licking my training schedule into shape over the last little while. That means it's now more interesting, and hopefully more effective, than the "60 minutes steady run round the park" I was doing 2 or 3 times a week. According to the experts there are several important kinds of training, incorporating different speeds and distances; these in combination are meant to build up fitness and endurance, for example by making the muscles more effective in their use of the oxygen in your blood. I find the body's capacity to adapt to exercise (in other words to get fitter) really amazing. I never expect it to work!

At the moment I'm still only managing three runs a week, but they are quite varied. Perhaps the most important one (definitely for my psychological readiness if nothing else) is the "long run", which I'm increasing by 10 minutes (about a mile) a week. I should be at a half-marathon distance next week or the week after, which works out right for this length of time before the marathons. Then I have an "interval run", a very new and challenging discipline for me, which involves (after a warm-up period of gentle running) alternating fast running with jogging to recover. My most recent interval run included eight repetitions of 90 seconds fast and 90 seconds jog. Let's say it was good to stop! The final run is a bit of a hybrid at the moment, as I've tried to compress into it a steady run and a tempo run. Tempo, or threshold, running is even harder for me than intervals - it means running at the limit of your aerobic capacity so that you can keep going, but only just! Finding this whole idea rather scary, I've started by trying to put a bit of this type of running into the middle of an hour's steady run. I'm not sure I'm running fast enough for the "threshold" section of it, but to run any faster than my standard speed for longer than a minute or two is already an achievement!

The great thing is that I can see the evidence that these efforts are working. If I drop back down to something that seemed hard a few weeks ago, it's now noticeably easier. The tiredness of my legs after a run doesn't last as long. I can make a bit more of an effort up a hill or against the wind without gasping for breath. Maybe I will be able to run a marathon! Maybe even two!

Looking back over my posts I see I haven't said a lot so far about WPF Therapy. It's next on the list, so keep an eye out!

What does RTU do? - 2. Education

The visit to my school last week has inspired me to write about Reaching the Unreached's work in education. Since around a thousand children and young people are cared for within the Children's Villages and teenagers' hostels, it's perhaps unsurprising that there is also a flourishing network of RTU schools in the area. More unexpectedly, though, these schools also provide places for the poorest children in many surrounding villages.

For babies and the youngest children, there are day care centres and infant schools. As well as being given educational stimulation, these children benefit from food, bathing and medical care. If the centres were not available, a parent might have to give up work, with enormous financial implications for the family. The more likely solution would be that an older sibling would look after the young child, thus missing out on their own education.

As the children grow up, they move to one of RTU's three primary schools, and then to the High School. The standard of education is high, with child-friendly teaching methods and a strict anti-corruption policy, factors which are worth mentioning in a country where corporal punishment is common and exam fraud is rife.

Many children drop out of school due to difficult family circumstances, or have learning difficulties and cannot cope with the relatively inflexible teaching methods in state schools. The RTU Open School offers a more personalised education for these children, with bridge courses enabling children to catch up lost years and gain a foundation for further studies or vocational training.

Although there are far too many aspects of RTU's educational work for me to describe here, I can't stop without mentioning the mobile science lab! This van, which has been fitted out with equipment and materials for scientific experiments and demonstrations, tours 43 local schools. As a result, local teachers have access to equipment which is otherwise completely unavailable in their schools, and 20,000 children are helped to follow the national curriculum.

Hello Perse Girls!

It was such fun going "back to school" on Monday and meeting some of you that I thought I'd post you a message!

Wow, the new dining room and hall are amazing! I love the ceiling that changes colour. Things have certainly changed a bit in the nearly 20 years since I completed my time at the Perse. What's still the same, though, is the enthusiasm and energy of the girls. Thanks so much to all of you who took time out from your muffins and conversations to look at my display! It was great to hear from you what it's like to be a Perse Girl in 2008, and to have the chance to tell you a bit about me and my project.

I hope you've had time to read the leaflets about the charities I'm supporting. But don't worry if you haven't, or if you didn't take any leaflets; there are links to their webpages on the sidebar (just below the "welcome" paragraph). If you have a look at them, I'm sure you will be able to find out everything that you'd like to know about the charities!

Thanks again for letting me introduce my project to you. I hope that you find it interesting, and that you'll be able to follow my blog over the next five months. It makes a big difference to have your support! I hope also that I'll have another chance nearer the "big days" to visit you, so that I can meet more of you, and so that you can find out exactly how my preparations and fundraising are going! Until then, keep smiling...

News and plans

Training, fundraising and blog posting have taken a back seat over the past 10 days or so while my dad has made it through a heart bypass operation. So apologies for the silence! You will be glad to hear that Dad is recovering quite well.

Now it's "all systems go" for a publicity trip to Norwich! I lived in Norwich for five years before I started as a postulant with the Sisters of the Assumption, and I'm really glad of the opportunity to spend some time there again catching up with old friends and talking about my project. My display will be earning its living in St John's Cathedral after Mass on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, with me beside it to answer questions. After that I will give a couple of talks and meet as many people as I can.

For me this is a wonderful chance to spread the word about the charities I'm supporting; more widespread awareness of their work is perhaps the most important aspect of this whole project. You can help with that by sharing my enthusiasm with your friends, families and acquaintances. Together we can reach many, many people!

What does RTU do? - 1. Children's Villages

The Children's Villages are perhaps the best known part of the work of RTU, and indeed the foundation of their work. In February 1978 Brother James Kimpton, the wonderful De La Salle brother who led the charity from its conception and is still involved today, was asked by a local priest to look after four orphaned children. With no facilities for them, he apologetically refused and set off home. But halfway back he felt strongly called to return and take the children. From that tiny seed has grown the flourishing, sheltering tree of four Children's Villages and six hostels for teenagers. In the villages, widows and abandoned wives act as "mothers" for six to eight children, living in good quality but simple houses. Brothers and sisters are always kept together in one "family". Each village has play areas and an auditorium where everybody meets each evening, as well as facilities such as a shop and a health clinic. The children go to school nearby. When they are mature enough, they transfer to one of the hostels, to continue their education and progress to training or study for employment. Every child remains the responsibility of RTU until they are settled independently, after which they will be welcome visitors throughout their lives.

For me this is an inspirational system of care for children without homes and families - they are simply provided with homes and families! For some of them it may be the first time they have experienced love, stability and security. The success of the Children's Villages is clear from the number of well-adjusted adults living fruitful lives after their upbringing within RTU. With the rapid increase of HIV and AIDS in the area, there has been an explosion in the number of orphans brought to the project, many of whom are also HIV+. The response of RTU is to continue taking every child who needs placement. This requires constant expansion and development of resources and skills.

Training update 1

I thought I was going to have nothing (or very little) to report again this week as regards training! Last week I only managed a couple of 30-40 minute runs before getting a sore throat which enforced a few rest days. Fully recovered, yesterday I cycled for two hours. It was pretty intensive, especially the hour at Richmond Park; there and back are slower because of traffic lights and similar. So this morning I set out for a run with rather tired legs and lungs. To my pleasure, I completed the hour I had in mind. What has the last two days taught me? One: that I still have a long way to go to be marathon fit. Two: that I can keep on running even when I'm tired. I knew that already, but it was a good reminder.

It's now six months minus one day until the Bungay Black Dog. That means six months and six days until the London Marathon. Will I be ready? Yes, God willing. Will I have achieved my target sponsorship? My trust is a bit weaker on this one, but I will say "yes, God willing" and keep on doing all I can to spread the word about these charities. I know that every donation will be put to great use - all I need to do is convince other people of that, too! Don't forget that you can be a massive help in publicising what I'm doing. And, again and always, huge thanks for all your support.

A successful launch - thankyou!

Training has taken a back seat over the last week as I've geared up for the launch of the fundrasising campaign!

Saturday was the big day, and the occasion was the Old Girls and Past Students Reunion of the Assumption schools and training college. I was there with a display and leaflets about the project, particularly focussing on the two charities of course. I also had the chance to introduce myself and to give a brief outline of what I'm doing.

It was really great to experience such interest and generosity - a huge "thankyou" to all who contributed with donations, advice, prayers, encouragement... I can only reiterate how uplifting it was to see people looking at the display, asking questions, and generally responding so positively. You will see from my "justgiving" sites that, simply in immediate contributions, donations to RTU were £82.77, and to WPF Therapy, £138.50. What a great start!

This busy opening day was followed yesterday by another opportunity to show my display, this time at the end of Mass in our chapel. So more "thanks" go to all those in the congregation who found the time to have a look before rushing home, and for all the pledges made. These should bring the totals to roughly £200 for each charity.

Now it's back to the grindstone. I've been out for a 35 minute run this morning. It's bizarre how warm it is for the middle of October. It's good training for April, which could quite easily be equally warm. On the other hand, there was snow for the Bungay Black Dog Marathon last year! I guess it's best to be prepared for all eventualities.

Introductions!

This is me, Isabel Hill. There's a good chance you know me already, to be reading this. If not, you soon will! There's more about me in my "Profile" section (helpfully titled "about me and my project" - just click on it), and you'll soon find out even more from my posts. But don't worry, I'll try not to bore you with TOO many details!

So here I am, all ready to start this project I'm describing as "two marathons - two charities - two weeks". As with most of life, I feel underskilled and underprepared, but determined to complete the task I've committed myself to. Determination won't be enough. All my efforts will be fruitless without your support! But since I can't expect you to support in a vacuum, intermittent posts will aim to let you know some more about the charities I'm supporting, as well as how my training is going.

For starters, what are these charities?

"RTU" stands for "Reaching the Unreached of Village India". Brother James Kimpton, of the De La Salle Brothers, founded RTU in 1975, and since then he's been working to meet the needs of the poor in part of Tamil Nadu, India's southernmost state. There are children's villages (for orphaned and abandoned children), schools, medical services, a house-building project, drilling of wells, creation of employment opportunities... While Brother James, now in his 80s, gradually reduces his involvement, the very competent local team is gaining confidence in keeping this amazing work viable and effective in the long term. I will tell you a little about all the different aspects of the work of RTU in the coming months. I can't remember how my connection with RTU started, but for several years now I've been reading their newsletters with admiration and interest. I am always captivated by the very personal interest in the people served, which comes through so clearly in the accounts of their work.

WPF Therapy was founded (as the Westminster Pastoral Foundation) in 1969, when "talking therapies" were in their infancy, and since then the vision of providing skilled and affordable therapy has been maintained throughout its evolution into a well-established centre of excellence. High-quality counselling and therapy are provided, using a sliding scale of fees such that nobody is excluded due to low income. In addition, a wide range of professional training is offered, for example in psychotherapy and counselling. I came across WPF Therapy when I moved to Kensington last year, and have been consistently impressed with the dedication and kindness of the staff. I want to use this opportunity to speak out about the difficulty for so many people struggling with mental illness in accessing talking therapies, and the role WPF Therapy can play in filling that gap. Following their move to a new site near London Bridge, I'm sure this is going to be a particularly fruitful period in the development of WPF Therapy.

So, 6 months 12 days until the first marathon, and two wonderful charities to publicise. I hope this is a reasonable beginning! Training has started too; more of that in my next post.

Thanks for your attention!