Train fare keeps winners from contesting finals

DARJEELING, Nov. 6: Nine underprivileged children in spite of having won laurel for their city at the East Zone Rock Climbing Competition at Kolkata are not certain whether they would be able to go for the national final round since they cannot afford the train fares to Delhi.

The national final round is scheduled to be held in a fortnight in Delhi. Raised under the care of the Edith Wilkins Street Children Foundation in Darjeeling, All these young rock-climbers had come either first or second in their respective races amongst the 25 participants from other parts of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar and Sikkim. “We are so proud of our children. This accomplishment is not just theirs' but for the whole of Darjeeling,” said Ms. Edith Wilkins who runs the foundation for the upliftment of street children. They might look like any other child but each one has an extraordinary tale of surviving torture and sexual abuse to tell. Rock climbing had initially come as a therapeutic exercise but they soon became experts and were being sent to participate in the competition since last year.

Being trained free for just two days a week at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and guided by a local trainer they are determined to come back with gold medals. “Last year we did not have decent clothes. We used to swap the few clothes and shoes, we had, with each other before each match,” said Anu Rai.

For 13-year-old Laxman Thapa belonging to a modest family of tea pluckers, this is his chance to prove himself. “Please make it possible for me to participate in the competition and I promise not to let you down”, he said