There are times when a little thing goes wrong , then you feel a bit deflated, then it only takes another small thing to go right, and before you know it, your feeling right again. Well that in short was the story today. I had spent some time talking to potential sponsors all of whom thought the project a great idea , however they felt it was not quite for them or their business. Fair enough, but you must not give up . Just when I thought it was going to be a quiet day at the office, I got a sponsor , infact two and their sites will be going on the homepage in the next day or so. Added to this I had some great pictures from Find Your feet charity which you will see below.

PICTURES

Find Your Feet Charity supports vulnerable families living in rural communities to build lasting solutions to their poverty. They are currently working together with 19,700 vulnerable families in rural India to improve their harvests, set up small businesses, access clean water, healthcare and education. It is estimated that one third of the world's poor live in India. There are more people living in poverty in India than in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its emergence as a political and economic world power, unacceptable levels of inequality persist within Indian society. 350 million people in India live in poverty on less than $1 a day.

80% of India's poor live in rural areas. Find Your feet work in rural areas in some of the poorest states in India - Jharkhand, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Their work targets the most vulnerable groups in society - landless farmers, women, indigenous tribal people and dalits (formerly known as "untouchables") - who face a daily struggle to provide the most basic necessities for their family.

Like the majority of people living in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, Sujata depends on agriculture to feed her family and provide an income. However, without land of their own, Sujatat and her family were living in poverty, forced to work on someone else's land earning just £ 6 a month, with which they had to buy food and all other necessities. She says " Through FYF, I took out a loan of Rs1,500 (£19) and I used it to buy 0.25 ha of land. Its not much land but I grow rice and peas on it and it produces enough food for my family that we are self-sufficient. I am no longer bound to work on someone elses land for a pittance. I've received training in vermi-compost production and I'm just about to start using that to improve my harvest.

I repaid the loan within about three months and I'm earning enough money to send both my sons to school. I could not have afforded this before and I didn't see my children's education as a priority. It was through the group meetings that I came to understand the importance of making sure that they are well educated. When my daughter is old enough,I'll send her to school as well ".

Increasing Incomes- Phul Kuwar has always depended on the collection and sale of non-timber forest produce- spices, honey and medicinal herbs - to earn her living. However, a lack of access to markets means that she was unable to gain a fair price and she was forced to sell her produce to exploitative middlemen. With very few alternative employment opportunities, living standards in the area are very low; the average household income is just £ 8-£10 a month and 90% of people cannot read or write. Unable to earn a stable income from her traditional livelihood, she struggled to meether family's basic needs. Without stopping her work shaving bamboo sticks into long, thin incense sticks, Phul recently told us how she has been able to set up a profitable samll business that has improved life for her family.

Before FYF came, I had only seasonal work as an agricultural wage labourer and struggled to support my family. Everything we earned had to go straight to meeting our daily needs. If there was ever an emergency and we needed more money we were at the mercy of exploitative moneylenders that charged high rates of interest that we could not afford. Since joining the self help group (SHG), I have the opportunity to learn skills so I can set up a business. Three of us in the SHG have decided to set up a business producing incense sticks as that has year round demand. We took a low interest loan of 600 rupees (£7.50) to buy the tools needed and Planet arranged for a craftsman to come and train us in producing sticks. The business is now up and running and with the extra income I'm earning, i can buy better food and clothes for my children and pay for my son's education."

Giving Voice to the Voiceless - Despite being highly skilled artisans, the sari weavers living around Varanasi, India suffer exploitation and Descrimination. The majority of sari weavers are dalits, traditionally regarded as untouchables. Whilst laws are in place to protect the rights of dalits, they continue to be marinalised and 45% of dalits in India live in poverty. There are 500,000 sari weavers in Varansi who hand weave high quality Banares saris. However, their traditional livlihood is being threatened by flood on to the market of cheap, mass produced saris from China

FYF partner, HWA is mobilising the sari weavers to ensure their voices are heard. They have taken part in mass mobilisations, have lobbied politicians and have met with the Indian Prime Minister. Weavers working with HWA are developing the skills and confidence to draw attention to the issues they face. They are asking for protection from cheap Chinese imports and are calling on the government to recognise weavers as a formal sector of workers entitled to pensions, healthcare and insurance. previously ignored, they have helped to raise the issue of weavers rights and the government is conducting a nationwide survey into the situation.

Find Your Feet work hard in India but also work in Africa, and tomorrow I will tell you the story of their work in Malawi.

CO2 Report today, travel by car 35 miles.