Finisher’s medal – GHR Ooty (2015)

At Go Heritage Runs, we love to promote local arts and culture while also enriching your run experience. One way we do that is by partnering with local self-help groups when designing finisher’s medals. And with less than two weeks to go until Run Day, we thought now would be a great time to introduce the two organizations behind the Ooty finisher’s medal.

Shalom Ooty is a self-help group supporting local Toda tribal artisans in the Nilgiris. The group was started in 2005 to enable these women to strive for some degree of financial freedom to enhance their self-worth and independence within the constraints of their daily routine. The group has now grown in size and has 120 members. The group markets its products through a wide-range of outlets and women from a wide range of age groups benefit from Shalom as it gives them the opportunity to earn an income without compromising on the demands of their households.

The Arise Prison Ministry is a voluntary service offered to women prison inmates and their children by concerned citizens. The ministry trains prison inmates paper craft and helps them generate an income while in prison. The ministry also helps provide for education expenses of the inmates’ children.

Arise Prison Ministry has been helping prison inmates grow physically, mentally and spiritually, through counselling, moral education and encouraging them to practice meditation. Another goal of the ministry is to help former offenders reintegrate into society. By helping prisoners in these ways, Arise Prison Ministry believes it is providing a service to Ooty and to the nation.

So what does the medal look like? We’re keeping that under wraps for now but all shall be revealed at the finish line on the 31st of May!