Shanti Shanti
Team Shanti Shanti was created by Max de Weerd (32) and Marcel Kreijen (36). The third member of their team they will meet in India – and old (Auto) Rickshaw, or Tuk Tuk. Max and Marcel are friends and also colleagues and together they will participate in the Bombay Challenge in March 2010.
Why are these two characters driving from Mumbai to Chennai (2000km’s away) in this Tuk Tuk?
The goal of participating in this Challenge is to raise money to improve the conditions that homeless children in India are facing. Equally as inspiring as the purpose of the challenge is the manner in which the team will travel.
Using an innovative technology, developed by the students at HAN University, Team Shanti Shanti’s Tuk Tuk will be environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient. A directly injected LPG conversion kit will be built in the Tuk Tuk to accomplish this. The use of this technology enables the team to save up to 40% on fuel costs and discharge 50% less CO2. The technology has also recently won the ‘Hybrid Tuk Tuk Battle’ in India and is actually relatively cheap to install. An Indian Tuk Tuk driver who converts his Tuk Tuk would earn his investment back within six months. With over a million Tuk Tuks driving around India, this new technology might very well contribute to fighting poverty. Of course Max & Marcel couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use this new technology.
They also partner with Climate Neutral Group (a sponsor of Team Shanti Shanti). This company’s mission is to offset CO2 emissions by investing in projects that create alternative energy (for instance, a wind turbine farm in India). To support Team Shanti Shanti, Climate Neutral Group will be accounting for the CO2 emissions produced by the Team (from air travel, the 50% leftover CO2 from the Tuk Tuk, etc.), and compensate for that expenditure by investing a like amount into one of their alternative energy projects (like the wind turbine farm!). After all, it wouldn’t be right for Team Shanti Shanti to pursue such good causes while harming the environment.
In Hindi, or Sanskrit the word ‘Shanti’ means peace or peaceful. Hopefully this motto will help bring them success with the Challenge in the crazy traffic in India.
Our Goal
Children, who only have the streets to call their home, often have to do severe labour to be able to survive. They are usually sexually exploited and often end up as delinquents. It’s Team Shanti Shanti’s aim to do something about that!
All of the money collected from our sponsors will go directly to Cordaid Kinderstem. This Dutch organisation will set up 5 different projects to help street kids in India. Already, in Vijayawada, they’re building two centres where former street kids are sheltered and given occupational training to help them become self sufficient. Vijayawada is a city in Andra Pradesh where 25% of the inhabitants live in slums and thousands of children are in the streets. Cordaid will also start a local campaign against child labour in collaboration with local authorities. Medical treatment will be offered 24 hours daily, to those children who remain on the street. There will also be basic services provided as well as a message provoking awareness about the importance of education and the dangers that come with living on the streets. The other similar projects through Cordaid are in Chennai, Coimbatoire, Moradabad and Tamil Nadu.
Shanti Shanti is convinced that the collected money will make a difference in these projects succeeding. The day after the finish of the Challenge, Max and Marcel will pay a visit to the project in Chennai.
Minister for Foreign Trade Frank Heemskerk supports Shanti Shanti
“On the several Economic missions that I led to India over the last few years, I witnessed enormous economic potential but also bitter poverty. Although more people manage to overcome poverty every day due to strong economic growth, unfortunately this is not the case for everybody. Therefore I am very pleased that two of my employees, Marcel and Max, are contributing to improve the conditions of street children in India. I wish them success with finding sponsors for their Challenge. Go for it guys!”
Former Dutch Ambassador to India, Mr. Eric F. Ch. Niehe:
“There are paradoxes in contemporary Indian life. Elderly people are valued and yet the majority of Indian people are below the age of 25. India is a country of high technology and yet at the same time there’s still poverty. Therefore it seems fitting to use a high tech Eco Tuk Tuk for the Bombay Challenge, with the money raised used to improve the living conditions of street children. As such this project touches on both sides of the spectrum and finds a way to bring them together.
I wish the initiators all the best in the Bombay Challenge and in obtaining sponsorships and contributions for this wonderful endeavor.”
Contact
You can contact Shanti Shanti at info@shantishanti.nl
Would you rather speak to Max or Marcel personally? Go ahead and give them a call:
Max de Weerd | max@shantishanti.nl | (+31) 6 18087476
Marcel Kreijen | marcel@shantishanti.nl | (+31) 6 24177208
