Our rin so it

Dreams can become a reality when fortified with courage, determination and the will to succeed

group of volunteers pull back their s h oulders and begin tbe tmm ense tas k of creating a township where only sand or soil exists Brick by brick, they rruse home after home An infrastructure is created tl1at includes tl1e supply of clean water, power and foo d. Access to education , medkal fac ili ti es and trans p o r t to tl1e rown are orgarused.

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Today, athletes come from the five inhabited continents and their participation is aptly symbolised by the five rings on the flag.

, BY · RANIJHALA

Cenruries ago, a group of athletes came together to meet and engage in competitions in friendl y rivalry. All discord was p m as id e for the duratio n , as O lympia saw the first of what came to be known as the Olympic Ga.mes Time saw an expansion in the number of athletes and nationalities. Today, athletes come from the five inh abited continents. Their participation is aptly symbolised by the five rings on the Aag - inter twined rings of different colours that symbolise tl1e f:ive continents unifying in fri end ship and equali Ly! The aim is co promote sportsman shjp and goodwill.

\Ve coo have om 'cbaUenge' coming up. i\1en and women coming together from chose same continents, fo r tl1e same duration, buc unlike the athletes that w ill fight for tl1eir p lace in history, we are collecting co creare ours.

There is Peter, the architect from Australia who, a decade ago, lost bis famil y to tl1e Roods. A s ingle m oment was all it cook for his e n tire world to coUapse around rum. When the water receded, he got his home back bur nor his precious belongings, nor hjs even more precious family. He told me once tl1at h e had faced two choices: drown in despair o r swim above it. He chose the latter. When he met our o r ganiser, he knew what d esti ny had planned fo r him a n d became our Asia -Pacific coordinator.

Ram, an ophtl1almologist beca m e our Asian Subcontinent co- ordinator. Rising from humb le beginnings, he had won a schola.rshjp t ha t saw rum rise to tl1e sta ru s of a world-class eye surgeon and head of a renowned eye hospital in Mwnbai. Never forgetting the past, now retired, he wants ro give back ro society in the best way he knows.

Abrahani retired from his prominent position in tl1e Un it ed Natio n s, and became the president of our organisation. He brought with him the social network ch at s aw our dream escala te from vision to reality His vast circle of assoc iations includes many gen tle and grac ious souls w h o are more than happy to assi st w ith rud and guidance.

Pierre is tl1e renowned chef who retired ro open his o,-,.,n catering company that suppJjes w h o lesome dishes packed with tl1e daily dose o f v itamins and rrunerals. He believes tl1ar tbe world bas enough food to feed every man, ,voman and child on tlus planet if it is not wasted or caught up in bureaucracy and reel tape. His motto is, 'Respect food today and it will nourish you tomorrow'.

Robert, a US citizen, is a landscaping artist fanious for hjs popular television series w here be travel.led t he g lobe, designi11g playgrounds for tl1e underpr ivileged An orphan himself, he began bjs career at tl1e age of t\vo, when h e shovelled dirt w ith his shoe and planted rocks in anticipation of seeing beautiful plants.

Abdul is the co-o rdinator of our African region Once the presi dent of his tiny nation, he has seen his country destroyed by war a nd farn.iJ1e. Undefeated, he got togetl1er a small band of volunteers to r ebuild hjs cow1cry, village by vil lage, rown by rown. Ir took him fifteen long ye ars, but he proved to the wo rld tliat w1icy and faith are strong bui lding bl ocks. It was he, who can1e up with tl1e idea of our 'villages'.

And so, every fo ur yea rs, the commfrtee ge ts togetl1er to choose locations on each of the continents a nd negotiates tl1e procurement of land. Then they band together their army of volllilteers.

Th e next follr ye ars sees rbjs

I r e.member the idea being scoffed at w hen we first began. It was said, "S poon feedjng will lead to a generation of idle and irresponsible citizens" and tlrnt " i t would be a financial failure". H ow wrong they were!

Tbis is o ur fourth 'cba.llenge' and in the twelve years, we hav e seen fifteen viUages set up, three children earn scholarshjps to h ig h schools and t\VO villages become totally self-sufficient. In bo tl1 places, a cottage industry was set up chat gave employment ro the men and tl1e women

Governments haYe now become invo lved, large companies have come forwa rd w ith donations an d raw m aterials, and political parties have offered their support

Abdu l had a dream one day, to rruse his nation from the ashes We have exte nded iliat dream We wane co create a world wh er e every crulcl can ca.11 a bu ilding 'home.', w h ere every m an has a source of inco m e and where every woman can seek education and equality

The road ahead is difficult. Wars make i t hazardous, but just as athletes d o not give up ar the first hurdle nor sir back o n past accolades, so too will we venture forward. Ail we ask is for yo u to wish us well as we create a m in i u topia for people who have never had a place to call their own.

\Ve name our 'villages' after me top five medal winne rs in the Olympics iliac year L ike us, these athletes have spent four long years preparing to make a dream come tr u e.

What keeps us going? Our rings of fruth!

''Wars make it hazardous, but just as athletes do not give up at the first hurdle nor sit back on past accolades, so too will we venture forward

After water, tea is the most w idely consumed beverage in the world. There are basically three types of teas - black, oo long and green, which all come from the leaves of the Camellia Sineusis p lant. Of these, green tea whid1 is muted as the healthiest drink in the market, is the least processed and hence harbours myriad of healing properties. The Chinese and lndians have known of the many health beneht5 associated with green tea for thousands of years, and recent studies and research has prompted even die sceptical western world to sit up and rnke note of this wonderful brew. 1n a bid to stave off various health problems, millions of people are now consummg green tea on a regular basis. Ir is fast becoming a popular drink prompting an influx in the market of products like handy green tea bags, green tea ice crean1, iced green tea and green tea 1ULxed with other Aavonrs like vanilla and strawber ry to make it more palatable. ln addition, cosmetic companies are cashing in on the trend and skincare products like moisturizers, band creams, deodorants and deansers containing green tea extract are appearing on the supermarket shelves. Here are some of the benefits of green tea.

Anti - ageing

Green tea is different from the b lack and oolong teas as it is made from unfermented leaves. The green tea leaves are steamed which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized and it thus contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Our body needs anti.oxidants co fight free radicals whi ch are the culprits caus ing wrinkles, cell death, damaged D 1 A and acceleration of the aging process. Drinking green tea regularly keeps our body's antioxidant reserve well supplied co neutralize free radicals and help reduce and even prevent the damage caused by them.

Cancer inhibitor

The polyphenol.s found in green tea are mainly responsible for most of it5 health benefits. These

INDIAN LINK are considered to be the most powerful and effective of all antioxidants and careclun, which is a subgroup of polyphenols, is found in abundance in green tea EGCG, one of the four main catechin substance is d10ught co be much more powerful than vitamin C and E. Th is miracle element has been shown to inh ibit the growth of cancer cells and de.5troy the diseased cells without affecting healthy tissues. It is found to be effective against many forms of cancer including breast, bladder, ovarian, skin and lung c.1.ncer to name a few.

Weight watch

A lot of research bas been done to prompt the condus ion that drinking green tea can play a vital part in weight management. Green tea extracts may boost om metabofom and aid in burning calories. Again, clinical studies credit catechlns for the fat-burning properties of green tea. Some researchers think that d1e fat-bm,ung characteristics of green tea derive from its caffeine content, but this is debatable as c(1ffee contains more caffeine and yet green tea helps the body burn more far than coffee.

Cholesterol check

Scientists aren't sure why, but green tea seems to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It lowers total cholesterol and raises RDL (good) cholesterol. le is thought that po lypheno ls in green tea may be responsible for blocking cho lestero l from being absorbed in d1e intestine. A population- based clinical study conduded that men who drank green tea were likely to have .lower total cho.lesterol than their non- tea drinking counterparts. Green tea lowers d1e levels of IDL and prevent~ blood clots from forming.

Diabetes control

Green tea may help regulate g lucose in the bodies of diabetes sufferers. It has been used traditionally to control blood sugar levels and is reputed to help prevent the onset of Type I diabetes. Drinking green tea is also said co slow down the progression of diabetes once it has developed. Some clinical smdies have determined d1at taking a daily dose of a green tea extract helped lower d1e haemoglobin A 1c level in borderline diabetics.

Bowel soother

Green tea has been used traditionally as a tummy soother for years. It relieves gastric pains, aids digesrion, reduces inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and, provid es relief for d1ose suffering from Inflanimato r y Bowel Disease (IBO). lt is also effective in preventing food poisoning.

Dental shield

Drinking green tea is said to help prevent dental cavities and guard against moth decay. lt.~ bacter.ia fighting abilities can also kill d1e bacteria d1at cause dental plaque.

The health benefits of green tea are countless but on the condition that ir should be used regularly. Ir prevents the symptoms of cold and flu, helps arthritic patients by reducing inflammation and slowing down tbe breakdown of cartilage. It has been used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine as a stimulant, to contro l bleeding, heal wmmds, improve heart health and correct mental processes. Green tea is also c redited \vid1 being able to help normalize blood pressme and strengthen the immune system.

''It has been used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine as a stimulant, to control bleeding, heal wounds, improve heart health and correct mental processes

Cosmetic companies are cashing in on the trend and skincare products like moisturizers, hand creams, deodorants and cleansers containing green tea extract are appearing on the supermarket shelves