23 Aug 2010 Vrindavan, India
Category: Charity
The last days I have been writing about schools in general and our school in particular and as we have a very special school without fees for children, where children get books, uniforms and daily food for free, in which casts do not play a role, in which no child is being hit and everybody is treated equally, I like to describe it. I want to give you a better idea of our school and the children who learn there.
Purnendu told me the story of one of the older girls who joined the school this year. Her name is Rajbai and her and her family’s story moved me so much that I decided to let you read about it, too.
Rajbai is a 13-year-old girl who was born in a village in the countryside, 700 kilometers from Vrindavan. Purnendu met the girl the first time in the end of June when she entered the doors of the Ashram together with her father Roop Singh. He had come to ask Purnendu for work, not only for him, but also for his father-in-law, his sister-in-law, his daughter and his two sons. He added that his sons may still be young, nine and six years old, but they would do whatever they would be told to do.
We got to know that his wife Rukmani died of kidney failure two years ago. When she had fallen ill, they had been told by a doctor that the only way to help her was with an operation. But operations are costly and Roop Singh could not afford it. After her death the situation of the family worsened and he felt the pressure of feeding his three children, his sister-in-law Mira who took care of them when he was at work and his father-in-law Halku, who had difficulties finding work due to his old age. There was nobody else to support him, his brother was just as poor as him and not too long later committed suicide in his despair. That is when they decided to come to Vrindavan and try their luck here.
When Purnendu heard this story, he looked at Rajbai and with a smile he said to Roop Singh ‘I will not let your children work here’. When the worried father wanted to object, Purnendu added ‘They can go to school here. And we will find something for you, your father and your sister-in-law.’ He kept his promise and employed Roop Singh as a Rickshaw driver for those children who live further away from the Ashram, Halku as a warden and Mira as an assistant in the kitchen.
This is how Rajbai and her brothers Rajendra and Narendra are now studying at our school. They eat lunch that their aunt has helped preparing, they see their grand-father taking care of smaller works in school and when they walk home from school they wave good-bye to their classmates some of whom climb into the Rickshaw on which their father is already waiting, ready to take them home.
It is beautiful to see their happy smiles now in their new surrounding, to see how Rajbai laughs with her girlfriends and to know that we are able to help this family find some stability and happiness here in Vrindavan.
Rajbai and her brothers are not the only ones who found help in our school and we wish that all the children whose education we support, will have a bright future based on their time in our school. We know that all of this is only possible with the help of our sponsors and donors and want to thank every of our child sponsors, food sponsors and simply everybody who is connected with our project through good wishes and thoughts for their love and support!
As always I would like to invite you to our Ashram and our school to meet this family, these children and of course many more.
Tags:: Ashram, Children, Charity, Family, Food, Happiness, School, Work, Death, Vrindavan, Sponsor
3 Comments
Posted By Swami Balendu
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What a touching story! This family was so lucky to have come to Vrindavan and found your ashram. There are many many places that this family could've gone and been rejected or less fortunate. One thing that blows my mind is the fact that this ashram ignores the caste system that has drawn so many lines in society, separating those who deserve love and good fortune, and those who do not. This dedication to equality and transcendence of old ways is certainly changing the world! Much praise to this ashram for revolutionizing Vrindavan.
Reply By Emily on October 08, 2011 11:53
Purnendu, Tanya and I are sitting here together talking about how much we love and adore you. And we wanted you to know. You are beautiful.
Reply By Jesse from USA on October 30, 2010 02:58
Today was the last day of the school year 11/12. The children got their report cards, the olde...
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Why are holy religious scriptures full of violence and blood?
SourceIf you see the typical lifestyle in the west, it is all about freedom. Freedom there does not usually mean freedom of the mind, of decision and independence of negativity but often means physical distance and financial independence.
SourceIt is normal to have ‘negative’ emotions like anger, sadness or jealousy. Allow them, accept them and let them go. If you fight and struggle you will suffer more. Find a reason to be happy again
SourceA miraculous healing is usually not any miracle but just the natural strength of the body. The full credit goes to the healer who pretends that it was him who could heal.
SourceIt is a collective decision to believe something that everybody has always accepted. It is tradition, it is normal, it is what everybody thinks. It was never questioned and even if someone questioned it, the doubts had to be rejected because that is simply ‘what we believe’. Always keep on questioning these things - they are the most likely to be wrong!
SourcePeople often have different faces, for work, for home, for friends and so on. That makes it difficult for you and others to understand you. Just be who you are!
SourceDoes God accept bribes from criminals?
SourceI love the flexibility of religious belief! You can say any nonsense you like and you will definitely find religious arguments for it, proving your point.
SourceI heard Jesus is not usually an angry or short-tempered guy. He, too, believed in love instead of punishment.
SourceMany people try with force and effort to keep happiness away because they want to be victims. They are always sad and hurt, no matter what happens.
SourceBoth, good and bad Karma binds you. Offer whatever you do. In this way you will be safe of the disappointment that comes with a bad result and safe of the ego of having achieved a good result.
SourceReligion is like politics. It is a dictatorship with the Guru or leader being the dictator setting the rules. Start a spiritual revolution and come out of this suppression. Go towards real spirituality, towards democracy, where your voice is being heard.
SourceI do not like rules. I said many times that we are always living in rules but we should make it a rule to break one rule daily. But that should be your decision and not controlled by anyone else.
SourceWays of worship like feeding a statue of God would be a big thing to laugh about, was it not a systematic plan of religion to keep you in a numb state of mind where you will not question an order even if it is complete nonsense. You are requested to switch off your mind and follow what you are being told.
SourceSwami means master or owner and I believe that I did not give any religion or guru the ownership of myself. I am my own master and owner and in this way I believe there is nothing wrong if I keep the ‘Swami’ in front of my name. And if you are free from any foreign master, I would not object if you did the same.
SourceI don’t believe religion was previously good and pure. On the contrary, I believe it was made with the purpose to manipulate and control people. When religion was created, people were afraid of things they could not understand. Religious people gave explanations and could thus control them, taking their fear like a leash. That is not pure, that is not good!
SourcePeople who judge often have an inferiority complex and believe others judge them. If you are in your full love to yourself, you don't need to judge others.
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SourceScriptures were written by men, in a male-dominated society, when war, killing and fighting was a daily occurrence, when people were tortured, women were beaten and slaves were being held. You cannot call that holy.
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