[Galleria images=”galleries/photos/2023/ Expanding Positive Running Program/

The Positive Running Program is a comprehensive healthcare model that has been designed to positively impact the physical and psychological health of individuals who participate in the program. The program was initiated on August 21st, 2021, at Snehagram, in memory of Rishi Shet, a young teenager who was passionate about running. The Rishi Children’s Fund, administered by Johns Hopkins University, provides the necessary support for this program.

This program builds on the existing framework by incorporating routine running activities, appropriate nutrition for children, and necessary equipment for running training. In 2023, the program will expand to include more children by initiating the program at two additional institutions in Bijapur, namely St. Joseph’s Children’s Home and Nava Sanidhya. Both institutions have demonstrated keen interest and support for the implementation of the program.

St. Joseph’s Children’s Home in Bijapur is a residential facility that currently houses 31 boys aged 8-18 years. The home provides educational and medical support for the residents and offers extra-curricular activities for the children. The implementation of the Positive Running Program will enhance their current activities and further support their physical development.

Nava Sanidhya in Bijapur is an orphanage that supports 27 girls aged 10-20 years. The sisters closely monitor the girls’ education, health, and well-being. The initiation of the program at Nava Sanidhya will help improve the girls’ health and build their confidence.

In addition to expanding the program to these two institutions, the program will also increase its participants at Dayabhavan in Tumkur. Currently, the program has 25 participants involved, and in 2023, the program will add another 14 children, increasing the total number of participants at Dayabhavan to 39 children aged between 10-21 years. The addition of two new institutions and the expansion of the program at Dayabhavan will enable the program to reach a total of 168 children within institutions and 39 children in the community, for a total of 109 children.