© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

There is a lake in India, which at one time was the largest and cleanest lake in all of Asia. It is surrounded by over 120 villages and 40 years ago the people of these villages had an easy life. They would drink the lakes pristine water straight from their hands. The men would paddle small wooden boats, out into the lake and catch fresh fish. Families would also grow rice and vegetables and together they would eat 3 healthy meals a day. It was a livelihood handed down through the generations.

In the 1970’s, the Kolleru Lake lifestyle began to change. The Indian government determined that because of it’s massive size and the wealth of life within it, Kolleru Lake would support an industry large enough to feed fish and rice to the entire planet. And so over the next few decades, that is exactly what happened.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

Kolleru Lake was divided up into cross-sections of raised land, creating rectangular ponds of stagnant water in which the rice and fish farming flourished. The people of the villages surrounding Kolleru Lake had a change in livelihood from one of self-sustenance to one of dependency on international industry. Kolleru Lake the sweat labor of it’s inhabitants provided inexpensive fish and rice to people around the world.

Life was different then, but it was still good. The villagers were making wages and with it, they were able to buy food and other things.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

However, by the turn of the millennium, things were not looking good. The industry was taking it’s toll on Kolleru Lake. The chemical filled, stagnant water used in farming was repeatedly drained into the main body of the lake, which literally poisoned all of the life within it. Before the 1970’s there were over 100 species of fish in the lake and today that number has been reduced to a small handful.

India had an environmental disaster on it’s hands and the world had taken notice. Finally, under international pressure, the Indian government agreed to reverse the decision they had made in the 1970’s.

In 2005, in a swift, ill-forewarned and seemingly random way, an attempt was begun to return the lake to it’s natural state by demolishing many of the rice and fish farming ponds.

But it was too late.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

The vegetation had changed. Most all fish had gone extinct. Birds had stopped migrating. And the water was absolutely contaminated.

The entire situation was a disgrace. And hiding in the shadows of such disgrace, was possibly an even sadder story…

The industrial livelihoods of the people in the surrounding villages had been erased in an instant. The water they once drank from their hands, was now unsafe to even bath in. Nobody had seen it coming and worse yet, the villagers were left with no options. There was no chance for them to return to the easy life they knew as young children, because the lake they once knew had literally died.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

They had become dependent on a system which destroyed their lake and was then removed, leaving them with poisoned water and no livelihood.

Today people are struggling and suffering in the Kolleru Lake region. With no drinkable water, no source of food or income the villagers are migrating for work. Fathers are leaving to do income producing labor elsewhere, sometimes for weeks at time. Mothers are leaving for months to serve as household maids in far-away countries, sending meek savings (often of $100 or less per month) back to their families.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

The water issue is a most massive disgrace not only because of what happened to the lake, but also because the water is pumped into large government holding tanks, which then feed the water taps in the villages, and these tanks are not being maintained. Many tanks have broken stairways, a painful visual reminder of the Indian government’s negligence. Villagers tell that the tank’s filters have not been replaced in years, which explains the green water coming from their taps.

For those able to afford it, they now buy their drinking water in bottles or plastic sachets. For those who can’t afford that, but have some savings, they pay to be taken by boat each day, across the lake to taps which supply water that is less green. For those who can’t afford or have no option for a boat trip, they bath in and drink the only water they have access to. The water is causing sickness and skin disease. Many children’s feet in the village are visibly spotted with sores.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

With parents off working, children are also missing and dropping out of school. In some villages drop-out rates are so high that schools have been completely abandoned or turned into shelter for animals. Many families have abandoned their homes too, some leaving doors locked and others leaving them wide open – a sign of no hope for return.

Unfortunately little attention is being paid by the Indian government to the people of Kolleru Lake. All of those who lost their livelihood were promised compensation, but most have received nothing. Government schemes have been put into place to guarantee work and provide food subsidies to these villagers, but little has been done to get any of this information to them.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

This horrific and sad situation in Kolleru Lake was far too much for one man to simply stand by and watch happen.

In 2005 Ravi Kumar and his organization, the Association of Relief Volunteers (ARV), took on the task of standing one village back on it’s feet. The Gummallapadu village was suffering all of the pains in the Kolleru Lake region.

ARV provided this village with a teacher, who now spends after-school hours with the children, making sure they are doing their homework and attending school regularly. For some children, ARV also provided books, pens, paper and school bags.

ARV built 84 cement houses to replace those bamboo and thatch dwellings which were frequently washed away with heavy rains.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

ARV held community meetings to raise awareness with the villagers about human rights, entitlements to compensation for the removal of their livelihood, guaranteed work schemes, food subsidies and health care programs. ARV brought in the proper paperwork and helped villagers to fill them out.

ARV hand delivered applications to government offices and advocated on villagers behalf, calling over and over again to check on applications and going to meet with officials to tell the stories of unjust suffering. They have had great success in supplying the people of Gummallapadu with registration cards guaranteeing work, providing food subsidy and health care and even some of the compensation promised them.

ARV even convinced the government to supply children with one nutritious meal per day. Now each morning before school, 80 children in Gummallapadu eat a healthy breakfast.

Unfortunately, one of the largest problems, clean drinking water, is something ARV has yet been able to help with, because they have lacked the funding necessary to properly research and provide a solution.

Since 2005 Ravi Kumar and ARV have done an incredible amount to begin helping one of the Kolleru Lake villages back on it’s feet. They now have their sights set on 22 more villages to begin working with this year.

Ravi is a highly educated man, holding multiple Masters degrees in different areas of human rights. He works tirelessly, 7 days a week, seeing his family infrequently, though they understand and are inspirationally supportive. “My dad is a hero” tells Ravi’s son.

To date, all Ravi and ARV has accomplished has been funded by Longitude, a lone-star 501c3 USA non-profit organization founded by teacher and traveler Shawn Rubin. Since 2005 Longitude has been sending ARV international volunteers and money gathered through small donations of friends and family. This has helped ARV to accomplish a lot, and at the same time the size of Ravi Kumar’s dreams require much, much more.

ARV is an ill-funded organization, not because they are anything less than effective – they are in-fact incredibly effective with the little money they have – but because Ravi Kumar and his small staff are still quite unknown.

iPartner India, aUK based charitable organization, has recently taken on ARV as an organization to support, because they share Ravi Kumar’s dreams for human rights in India.

With the proper funding, ARV can help thousands more people of Kolleru Lake to be made aware of their rights, to register for their deserved benefits and compensation, to have work, food and clean, drinkable water.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

At a meeting on Friday, August 21st in Gummallapadu village, representatives of the 22 villages ARV is now focused on helping gathered to listen to Ravi speak on his hopes, dreams and plans to help them. Each representative got a chance to voice their concerns and ask questions. Before the meeting adjourned, there was a vote on the three biggest issues facing the villages. In order of importance, their results were:

1. Employment Opportunities
2. Clean Drinking Water
3. Children Education

Ravi and ARV have plans for helping with each of these issues.

1. Employment Opportunities – Advocacy & awareness, networking to help villagers take advantage of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, which promises 100 days of work to each Indian citizen.
2. Clean Drinking Water – Currently seeking funding to bring in professional advice on the best solution.
3. Children Education – Provide an after-school teacher in each of 25 villages and provide school supplies to the children.

© Copyright Jeremy Chu - www.jeremychu.com

The story of Kolleru Lake and the lives of the people who call it home it is a sad and unfortunate one. The story of Ravi Kumar and his organization ARV is inspirational.

Send your financial support and you can be part of relieving the suffering in the Kolleru Lake region.

Tell your friends and family these stories and you can be part of Ravi Kumar’s inspiration.

Donations over  £100 received before September 30th, 2009 are eligible for 100% matched funding by the Reed Foundation.

If you are considering helping then please donate now, because even a little bit will help.

The relentless doubt…the inner battle during the mountain climbs and the long stretches of hot black pavement…was a serious mental challenge.

I got to know my mind better. I often found myself to be an observer, floating over my bike, watching the argument between the strong and weak parts of me and their arguments with the bike and the road.

You take something from every challenge you face and when you focus on one challenge for long enough a period of time, having to face it repeatedly, day after day, you will take exponentially more from it. Distractons strip away and you are left only to focus on the raw polarity of the problem at hand.

And from the cycle of those thoughts, around and around and around, burns a new pattern in your neurology, which you can take with you into a new and better life after the ride.

I was also incrdeibly moved by the tragic stories of genocide and systematic destruction of educated role models I heard while I was in Phnom Phen.

That’s why I choose to fund the construction of a library for kids in Cambodia.

The experience and success was, for obvious reasons, incredibly rewarding. In addition to the undeniable satisfaction from helping people, I also cherish the learning and self development that came from adopting what was then such a lofty goal – raising US$14,000 for something simply because I believed in it.

I learned people you thought would join you and help, wouldn’t. And people who you wouldn’t have expected to care, to care and help a whole lot.

I learned inspiration is the most powerful way to affect change. Some teachers were inspired to inspire thier students to inspire their friends and family to help. The change there was a lot bigger than just the donations. It was the space between the dollars that I was also very excited about. The learning, curiosity and emotions experienced by those who took the time to listen and consider…and maybe even inspire others.

Learning first hand how to move people to move others, even without the unmatched rewarding feeling, easily makes raising funds to build a kids library in Cambodia one of the top 100 things I’ve done.

Construction of the children’s library I decided to raise money to build in Cambodia has finally been completed. It is located on the grounds of Hor Nam Hong Preay Nhear Primary and Lower Secondary School in Batheay District, Kampong Cham, Cambodia.

In the story that drove the fundraising I explained why I believed there was a drastic need for such a library in Cambodia specifically. (You can hear this story via the YouTube video at the bottom of this post.) Thanks to Room to Read and a long list of people and organizations, over 1300 kids in Cambodia now have access to books in both English and Khmer.

“We really appreciate Room to Read and their donor who brought this project to our community. We thank them for providing materials and resources for building the room, and I pledge that we will do our best to run and maintain the building. This is a very important addition to our community. We want every one to know that they can read books in the library and also at home. This is the first time that the school and community have had a beautiful library building and library resources. This would not have been possible without Room to Read.We hope the colorful illustrations in the books will inspire the students to stay in school.”
- Hor Nam Hong Preay Nhear School Director

“I am so happy to have a library building. I never dreamed that I would have access to so many books and knowledge. I am especially excited to read about the world and improve my reading skills. By studying, I hope to further my education.”
-12 year old student

I won’t personally accept praise or thanks for making this happen. It would have been impossible without even one of the number of people or organizations involved.

What I will say is that I saw a problem in the world, I sought a solution I believed in and then when I found it, I did my best to inspire others to believe with me.

The lesson I learned…

Inspiration is a currency of change.

I hope that you will take this with you. I hope that you will take the time in your own life to become an active proponent of inspiration and change in your community, your country or your world.

Thank you all so very much.

Live, love & travel well,

- JP Morgan Jr

The dedication plaque affixed to the Constructed Reading Room.

The Constructed Reading Room has enough space for the students to comfortably gather and read the new books.

The children are excited to grab new books from their library.

In addition to books, Room to Read provided educational games and puzzles.

This student has selected a new book to read.

This young girl has found a quite corner in which to read a new book.

A student reads her favorite book.

This student has selected her favorite storybook.

The students gather in the library to read and play games.

Even the youngest students enjoy the colorful picture books provided by Room to Read.

The AMAZING PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS that made the 85% funding of this library possible:

The story that drove the fundraiser at OneOldPen.org
Pro-bono video production by friend Eric Anagnostis at BLAMO! Studios.
Pro-bono music by friend Mike Gertrudes.

These words I have set down in many an autograph collector’s book.

They are, I think, true words. I know that through travel I have possessed the world more completely, more satisfyingly than if I had acquired the whole earth by purchase or by conquest. There is no implication of selfishness in the kind of possession of which I speak. Whoever possesses the world through travel takes nought from any man. No one is the poorer because you have made the whole world yours.

You have gained everything, but you are no monopolist. The wealth is there for all to share. It is not yours alone. You may invite all men and women to travel with you in imagination and they too may feel that they, like you, are rich in vivid mental pictures of places worth going to, of people worth knowing, of things that are world famous.

I have tried to convey to others with the spoken word the enthusiasm for travel that has been mine. I have done my best to make my hearers SEE the things that have thrilled me in the course of my more than sixty years of travel.

Now I am asked to do this without the aid of pictures glowing on a screen, without the help of the spoken words which can be made to mean as much by a shading of a tone or the stress of an inflection. Now I am at work with nothing but a sheet of paper and a pen to help me re-create the atmosphere of “otherwhere,” to help me make real to those who have not seen, the things which I have seen and can still see so vividly with the mind’s eye.

Word pictures are hard to paint. We are told that “words are the only things that last forever.” Therefore words should be the most durable pigments with which to paint pictures of the things that have seemed worthwhile, the things that have become one’s property, in the sense in which travel endows one with a title deed to the entire world.

One great advantage of possessing the world through travel is that one may enjoy all the satisfaction of possession without the responsibilities of ownership. Now, in days when our most valuable assets become or threaten to become our most crushing liabilities, it is good to contemplate property which cannot depreciate but must increase in value, property which cannot be taxed by federal government, or state or city authorities, property which calls for no repairs or alterations.

Everything from real estate to diamond tiaras has had its vaunted worth reduced to pitiful and sometimes complete inconsequence. Stocks, bonds, and all manner of gilt-edged, beautifully engraved certificates of value, to secure which we have slaved and saved and denied ourselves the joys of travel, may sink in worth to such a point that it will seem absurd to pay the rental charges on a safe deposit box.

The only things which are still worth what they have cost me are my travel memories, the mind-pictures of places which I have been hoarding like a happy miser for more than half a century.

I have done my best to convey with “word pictures” the things I have seen and can still see. I have been aided by all the increasing wonders and beauties of photography. I still recall with pleasure my first camera, a heavy clumsy box with six double holders for 4×5 glass plates purchased in 1883 with my life savings of $10.00.

In the past I have reproached myself for my extravagance, my lack of foresight, for my disregard of proper provision for the future. My wise friends saved and economised, went without things they wanted, denied themselves the costlier pleasures of the table, the bouquet of vintage wines and the, to me, supreme joy of going places and seeing things.

And now where are we? We, they and I, are all at the same dead-end of life’s highway. They are weighted down by all the leaden burdens of their golden hopes gone wrong. They have their memories, but these are memories of wise, dull and frugal days of piling up with hard earned dollars in safe places where those dollars would increase and multiply and be there to console for all the pleasures that their owners had denied themselves and all the fun that they had missed.

I, too, have nothing but my memories but I would not exchange my memories for theirs. I have a secret treasure upon which I can draw at will. I can bring forth, on the darkest day, bright diamonds of remembered joys, diamonds whose many facets reflect some happy dream come true, a small ambition gratified, a long-sought sensation, caught and savoured to the full, a little journey made, an expedition carried to success, several circumnavigations of the world accomplished.

Yes, it has been a good life. And it is good to rest, with nearly all of one’s dreams realized. Dreams of going, seeing and doing most of the things that seemed worthwhile – good to know that I have, in my own way, possessed the world.

- Burton Holmes 1953

—

Howdy!

My name is Luis Lopez, on June 6, 2009, I will climb to the summit of Long’s Peak (14,255 ft.) in the Colorado Rockies to raise money that will benefit at-risk teens nationwide. I am participating in a Summit for Someone climb as part of a benefit climbing series supporting Big City Mountaineers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit recreational mentoring program for at-risk teens. Big City Mountaineers provides urban teenage youth in need of positive adult mentoring with a challenging and safe wilderness experience led by qualified adult volunteer guides.

I am summiting for youth that I feel a genuine understanding for. My experiences with the wilderness during my youth were few and far between, I realize now that they were among the most important factors of making me who I am. The truth is, all it really takes is a few genuine experiences for a profound positive impact to grow out of. My own experiences were so powerful just the few of them were enough to ignite the desire inside of me to constantly challenge myself, the physical challenge of climbing a real mountain makes you want to take on all the rest of life’s mental, emotional and financial challenges. For the at-risk teens who will participate in Big City Mountaineer’s programs, the feeling they will have at the top of a mountain is what will empower them to strive for the excellence they otherwise won’t aim for. These kids can grow up to do great things, but they need a taste of greatness to inspire them first.

Now more than ever, when the world is realizing the true importance of Nature and our place within it, Big City Mountaineers is repairing the disconnect between our youth and the world they belong to by making the wilderness available to those who otherwise wont have the opportunity to know the world beyond their own neighborhood. The programs that Big City Mountaineers provides open up an entire world outside to inner-city youth, and you’ll agree that just as importantly, they open up an entire world inside of the youth themselves.

I will be climbing Longs Peak with 5 other people and a guide. This challenge will test me physically, emotionally and mentally. To reach the summit will take me three days and two nights of climbing, so I will be training for the next 6 months in order to prepare for the climb. I am excited to be committing myself so strongly and to be giving so much towards something so real, worthwhile and valuable.

You and I may know the sublime awe of participating in the grandeur of nature, the thrill and wonder of exploring untread wilderness, the healing contrast between an overcrowded city and a pristine forest. You and I may know the taste of triumph and it inspires us to produce the best in ourselves –the teens you will help do not know this privilege yet, after your support they will.

To do my part, I have committed myself to raising $3,600 for Big City Mountaineer’s valuable youth programs, and that’s where you come in. I think you’ll agree, it’s never a comfortable thing asking for money and supporting me will make a positive impact on the lives of many teens. We each put in what we can, and together we will solve big problems.

Be sure, even a little bit will help. Your tax-deductible support will take teens beyond the limits of the world they know, in turn, this will produce a tremendous effect. To give towards this great cause, click this link and donate to my climb.

When I reach my goal, standing above the clouds, looking over all the obstacles I will have overcome, I will feel something greater than my own triumph. I will look forward and see the countless other triumphs of the teens that will be empowered to climb their own mountains. The ones who will be provided with what troubled teens need the most, a true challenge to reveal to them their true untapped potential.

I want to thank you in advance for your supporting this incredible journey, on behalf of  myself and those teens who I am climbing for, who otherwise won’t have a chance to believe that they had the ability to ascend to great heights in life. I’m also asking that you take a visit to Big City Mountaineer’s website (www.bigcitymountaineers.org) to learn more about what they do for youth and to read the great response the youth are giving to the programs, and the Summit for Someone’s website (www.summitforsomeone.org) so that you will be inspired by their personal, dynamic and progressive fundraising approach. In addition to investing your own support please do this for me too, forward this letter to as many people you know, and talk to as many people as you can about my climb, because making more people aware of this awesome cause will help empower that many more at-risk teens to push themselves beyond their limits towards their greatest potential!

To give you an exact picture of how far your donation will go, here are examples of how much your money accomplishes:
$50         Supports a Teen for a Day
$100       Supports Two Teens for a Day
$250       Supports a Whole Youth Group for a Day
$400       Supports a Teen for His/Her Entire Trip
$2,000    Supports a Whole Youth Group for their Entire Group

For every $1 Summit For Someone Donation:
$0.77 – BCM’s Recreational Mentoring Program

$0.23 – For Someone Fundraising Program Costs

Climb on! & Donate Here!

I have another story for you… and this time I am asking for a favor in return.

Please continue to travel with me by supporting my project. It will be VERY much appreciated.

Even a little bit will help…

CLICK HERE -> OneOldPen.org

As for upcoming travel adventures…a friend and I are seriously considering a month-long rowing journey down the Guadalquivir River in Spain this spring…