Vikram Shankar is a City Aikido L.A. student who is currently volunteering for the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa. Besides teaching aikido to the village folk, he's part of an inspiring project to bring better life to the community he's helping.
Vikram has reached out for help regarding this project. Please click on the link to Vikram's letter to the dojo explaining his project
The objectives are:
1. Construct 31 latrines, directly benefiting 600 locals and indirectly benefiting countless more by reducing incidence of parasitic infection, currently affecting 41% of children, caused by water contaminated from sewage runoff and by fecal-oral disease transmission.
2. Organize a five-day hygiene and sanitation seminar affecting 1092 students and 32 teachers.
3. Conduct an intensive HIV/AIDS seminar and subsequent program covering six local schools.
4. Promote confidence-building through: • Aikido Training. Train >60 peer educators and >15 children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in nonviolent conflict resolution. A select group of peer educators will receive >300 hours of physical training and work among prison populations. • Girls’ Soccer. Develop team-work skills and redress gender inequity by forming girls’ soccer tournaments. • Practical Life Skills. Conduct 30-hour courses of experiential learning with >50 peer educators and >80 children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS to develop skills in communication, decision-making, thinking, emotion-management, relationship building.
5. Organize three public events to be attended by 800 people each on World AIDS Day, World Health Day, and International Woman’s Day.
This project is being supported and will be sustained by a committee of eight elected community leaders. The community will contribute 27% of funding and actively practice gender, ethnic, and religious equity.
The dojo has pledged to raise $4,000 amongst its members and are planning on sending donations to the Peace Corps on a monthly basis.
To participate, please plan on dropping off your donation on a monthly basis to the dojo, which we will then send along with everyone else' s donation in one envelope. There will also be a collection jar available at the dojo if you wish to contribute in that manner.
The idea is not to become complacent with a single donation by any individual but to contribute to a wonderful cause on a monthly basis until we reach our goal.
Please make your monthly check contributions to the PEACE CORPS and drop off at the dojo so that we can track our progress. All donations are tax deductible.