About Me
My name is Avik Bajaj, a 16-year-old who has been running and training actively for strength, endurance, and self-defense. Since I started running, halfway into the year, I’ve participated in two races, training 3 times a week almost every week since i started. Within the first few weeks of starting itself, I discovered the depth of my love for running.
Now, I would like to utilise this passion for a greater cause, running to raise funds for Mukkamaar, an NGO dedicated to empowering girls to defend themselves against gender-based violence. Through this, I hope to have a meaningful impact through my love for running.
1 in 3 girls in India face violence. I believe it is every person’s responsibility to come together to work to keep girls safe. This Tata Mumbai Marathon, I am running for the NGO MukkaMaar. With your support, I hope to raise INR 100,000 to support 27 girls within their programs. That’s almost 30 girls empowered to defend themselves from gender-based violence and live a life on their own terms.
Appeal
Gender-based violence remains a harsh reality for women and girls everywhere, robbing them of their freedom and agency. Over the past six years, MukkaMaar has worked tirelessly, making strides in the resolution of this issue, impacting the lives of more than 20,000 girls.
The flagship MukkaMaar Girls Program is a 3-year initiative consisting of biweekly classes conducted during school hours in government schools. These classes are lead by trained martial arts champions to equip girls with self-defense skills and confidence.
Their digital program MukkaMaar with Mukki (MwM) offers a condensed, interactive, and gamified version of this training through a WhatsApp chatbot, making it accessible and self-paced.
This year alone, MukkaMaar aims to empower approximately 500,000 girls across India.
It costs just 300 to support a girl for a month, less than the price of a cup of coffee. That’s 3,600 to support a girl for an entire year—a small contribution for a profound impact.
I am committed to doing as much as i can in ensuring that girls can live and thrive safely.
Join me in supporting MukkaMaar Girls to help them #RunInFreedom. Together, we can make a difference.
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