Bridging The Gaps wants to empower Indian youth to play ultimate, learn from their peers, and expand their horizons.
December 18, 2014 by Ultiworld in Sponsored with 0 comments
This post is sponsored by Bridging The Gaps.
Bridging The Gaps, a project of Pudiyador, a Chennai-based non-profit, holds semi-annual youth ultimate camps that bring together children from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, and is seeking funding through an Indiegogo campaign to help support their operations.
Later this month, BTG will hold a five-day sleepaway camp for 150 teenage boys and girls. The camp is designed to bridge the gaps of gender, caste, community, color and economic status. During the course of the camp, they overcome barriers, develop life skills such as confidence and teamwork, and learn to celebrate the diversity of others’ experiences.
The majority of the college-aged coaches are from the same communities as the campers, many of whom can only afford to go to camp thanks to financial aid from BTG. Some campers are leaving their home communities for the very first time to attend camp.
Like many youth ultimate camps, much emphasis is placed on Spirit of the Game, self officiating, and co-ed play.
BTG is seeking funding through Indiegogo in order to cover the costs of financial aid for campers and coaches as well as equipment (like discs and t-shirts) for the camp itself. They also want to spread their message and continue to reach new sponsors and partners.
Currently, BTG works with after-school based NGOs and alternative and government schools to send kids to camp. This month’s camp will bring together teenagers from all across India: Auroville, Chennai, Mysore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mangalore, and tribal villages from rural Tamil Nadu.
The camp is organized by Liz Haynes, Sangeeta Isvaran, and Manix Narayanan, who all have extensive experience working in sports for community development.
You can donate to the organization’s Indiegogo campaign and follow them on Facebook.