Manoranjan Mishra, Steps-To-Strides, Team 443

I would like to thank Oxfam India for giving me a platform and an opportunity to do my bit for the society and challenge myself both physically and mentally.

It was my first 100K walkathon where I crossed my psychological barriers. It definitely is a walk to remember which I am not going to forget for a long long time. The going was tough but it’s only after coming across hard times do we learn to appreciate simple things in our lives and how blessed we are to have all good things available to us.

This walk was all about knowing how lucky we are. We complain about our education system when there are so many children who don't have a proper education. We complain about lack of good and branded shoes when there are children who don't even have chappals and walk barefoot. We talk about gender equality but we still see injustice towards women. Throughout the trail walk, I came across 3-4 schools which is being ably supported by Oxfam India doing their part in helping poor tribal children get proper education and help them get ready for facing the world. This in itself is a commendable job.

Also, this was a golden opportunity for us to rope in family, friends, relatives, colleagues and whoever was willing to help to bring about a change in the society and help those who are less privileged. Hopefully, this will go a long way in bringing about positive change to the less privileged. It's not going to change overnight but together we all can help Oxfam India achieve their goals.