TOPtoTOP expedition reports

Ladakh pencil project

Here some feedbacks from the TOPtoTOP solidarity project in India for students in Ladakh affected by the flood:

"Dear TOPtoTOP
We are on the 2nd day of our campaign...and it's a huge hit! we targeted class 4th to 12th and got amazing results!! the juniors especially are very enthusiastic about it, they never get tired of climbing stairs to give me pencils even though I've put up donation boxes. Thursday is the last working day and I'm sure by then we'll have enough pencils. the children of ladakh just went through a major disaster, i think this is one of the best ways of bringing them back to school and cheer them up. Thank you so much for your help and support. if there is anything else that i can do, please let me know.

Yours sincerely
Souparnika Krishnan"

Report on the 3rd of October:
"Sir
we have successfully completed the donation campaign, you would be pleased to know that my school contributed a lot. the pencils were packed and sent to the headquarters of Amity, from where they will be shipped to Ladhak. once again sir i would like to express my heartfelt gratitude towards you and your organisation without which this project wouldn't have initiated. Thank you so much.

Hoping to be a part of TOPtoTOP again.
Yours sincerely
Souparnika Krishnan"

pencil campaign for students in Ladakh

When we were kids all we needed was a crayon or a color pencil to get lost in our imagination and forget the world. I think every kid deserves this period of bliss. Especially the children of Ladakh, they just endured a major disaster, it would be nice to add some color back in their lives. And I intended to do just that. I am Souparnika Krishnan, a student of class 9 in Amity International School. Sec 43 Gurgaon, I knew I couldn't conduct something on a large scale, so I started with my school and the results were amazing. The idea of a pencil donation campaign came to me when I was attending a presentation by Mr. Dario about his trip around the world, creating awareness about climate change and helping people overcome it. He briefly described the need of proper stationary in schools of Ladakh and that's where it all started. I discussed the idea of a donation campaign with Mr. Dario and he was glad to help. I got back to him a few days after; he forwarded my mail to Ms. Jyoti Arora head of education department of Amity and with their support and guidance I launched a pencil donation campaign in my school on the 26th of September. I and my team went from class to class to raise awareness and urge participation. We targeted class 4 to class 12 and it was an instant hit. The next day, the 3 donation boxes were full of not only pencils but also other stationary. On Thursday the 30th of September we segregated the contents of the donation boxes and packed them in one big carton. We had been able to collect more than 400 color pencils, 250 pencils, 200 crayons, 100 erasers and sharpeners. We sealed the carton with the message 'with love from Amity'. I couldn't help but feel immense pride and contentment as the carton was sealed. I was helped my Umang Manchanda, my best friend who helped and supported me throughout. Pallavi Vemuganti and many others also extended a helping hand. Ms. Sanggeta Sethi, our event co-coordinator also supported us a lot. I hope to be part of TOPtoTOP again, soon.

Thanking You
Yours sincerely
Souparnika Krishnan

South India

In the last time we were busy to visit rural schools and schools in the slums in the Bangalore area. Thanks to swissnex India based in Bangalore we made a change in their daily life. Swissnex organised also some interviews. Read the article here.

The Government Children's Home was a place we never have seen before! This prison for kids has no toilet!! We will try our best to get Geberit involved to supply with toilets. Luckily there is a local NGO, Peace Child India. They try to find the parents of these poor kids, who normally got kidnapped by kids dealers in Northern India and Nepal and send to Southern India to "work". When they can escape they are on the streets in the big cities where they get cached by the police and send to prison.

Clean up in Coxtown

Slumschool in Coxtown, a Swiss initiative!

Thanks to swissnex India, all was very well organized. Many thanks to Janis, Rebecca and Silvia!

While Dario, Sabine and Noé were busy in the schools around Bangalore, Salina and Andri joined Gaia Preschool

We visited mostly schools in the slums

Noé starts receiclying

Drawing contest at the Dream School

Still alive!

Colourful India

Indian traffic!

Proud students of Vikasana, a rural center of education, after a cean up.

We were able to stay in Silvia Hostettler's house in Bangalore, head of swissnex, where Salina, Andri and Noé had a great time with Noé and Ela. Thank you very much.

Best birthday present

making the birthday cake

Dario's Geburi

We are just back on Pachamama to celebrate Dario's and Andri's birthday with some good news. WE ARE GETTING A NEW CREW!

new crew

Please note: Schwörers on Swiss TV this weekend...or watch the Trailer

... latest news: Noé just needed to go to the hospital. He is very sick and has to stay there with Sabine!

Noé's leg

Vorankündigung für die Sendung vom 23./24. Oktober 2009
Samstag, 23. Oktober: 17:15 Uhr auf SFzwei, 18:30 Uhr auf SFinfo
Sonntag, 24. Oktober 11:45 Uhr auf SFzwei, 17:45 Uhr auf SFinfo

Familie Schwörer: Klimareise mit Kind und Segel

"Wenn einem der Arbeitsplatz unterm Hintern wegschmilzt, kann man nicht einfach die Hände in den Schoss legen", erklärt der Klimatologe und Bergführer Dario Schwörer, 42. Vor elf Jahren gründete er mit Freunden den Verein TOPtoTOP. Das Ziel: In alle Klimazonen der Welt segeln und die höchsten Gipfel der sieben Kontinente erklimmen - angetrieben durch Sonne, Wind und eigene Muskelkraft. (Infos zum Projekt: www.toptotop.org)
In der Pflegefachfrau Sabine Ammann, 34, findet und heiratet der Glückspilz die passende Hälfte für die exklusive Mission. Und 2002 wird aus der Vision Wirklichkeit.
Wo immer sie können, klären die Schwörers Kinder und Jugendliche über den Klimawandel auf. Gemeinsam erarbeiten sie Umweltschutz-Konzepte und legen auch selbst Hand an, reinigen Strände und Gelände von Unrat - zuletzt den Mount Everest.
Die Liebe zu Gott, zur Schöpfung und zueinander ist das Band, das die fünfköpfige Familie zusammenhält.
Wie lebt es sich auf so engem Raum, in ständig wechselnden Kulturen und in Abhängigkeit von Wind und Wetter?

Radio Life Channel vertieft das Thema im Kompass.