NAIROBI SECTOR
AMSAI
Lusaka, Zambia
By Dada Pavananda
Three volunteers named Maniisha, Karla and Erica from Brazil, GT Sector came to our Amsai School in Lusaka , Zambia to volunteer for a few months bringing with them about 100 kilos of school materials including books, children’s games, paints, brushes, maps, pencils, ball pens and many more gifts for kids. They also printed calendars with photos of our School children which were distributed to all 110 children including teachers, members of Ananda Marga and sympathizers.
They also managed to renovate three toilets and one kitchen and also put ceilings on them. The school play ground received a swing and new grass was planted covering the whole area of the play ground.
The children benefited with their participation in many activities including learning new songs, dancing, drama and stories.
A farewell party was hosted for them and teachers, members of Ananda Marga and sympathizers participated. We played many competitive games and winners were awarded with prizes including T-shirts, towels, DVD’s, CD’s by the volunteers. It was a very exciting event and very interesting.
The visit by the volunteers was very fruit full and we hope that the volunteers will return back to Zambia soon.
AMSAI Lusaka currently has children from Kindergarten through Primary Grade 4.
Nairobi, Kenya
These photos are from our Sadavrata in Kenya. On Sundays around 1000 mothers and 1200 children come in the morning and lunch time to receive breakfast, lunch, food to bring home and clothes. It has been going on for 20 years! Talking with some of them I got to know that many of them have to walk around 3 hour to reach the place. The other photo is from our school in a poor area in Nairobi and their first experience with meditation.
BERLIN SECTOR
Bucharest, Romania
Marius revisits the kindergartens after 12 years!
By Didi Ananda Devapriya
Our kindergartens in Bucharest have been practicing “inclusive education” since their inception 16 years ago – not only integrating special needs children within a the kindergarten setting, but also giving special attention to adapting the program itself to be accessible and welcoming for all. Neohumanist Education looks for opportunities to celebrate diversity and to adapt the program to respond to specific needs of individual children.
This year, both kindergartens dedicated several weeks to the theme of diversity with the annual “Many faces, one heart” program. Human differences, ranging from skin color, to ethnic minorities, to different abilities were discussed in a variety of creative ways and reflected in the story telling, crafts, paintings and activities during that period.
One of the highlights was welcoming a very special guest to the kindergarten, Marius. It was not the first time Marius had been to our kindergartens – in fact, he was among the first children with special needs to attend many years ago. Now he is a very positive, optimistic, sunny and inspiring 19 year old young man! He was delighted to revisit the kindergarten and enthusiastically participated in the program – helping the children make fruit salad and lemon cake, giving them rides on his wheelchair, sharing songs, games and memories from his kindergarten days and answering their questions. The children absolutely loved him and they were very excited to play with him.
The Rasarit kindergartens have found this approach of creating opportunities for the children to get to know people who are different in a friendly and natural context, as a very effective method of breaking down and preventing the formation of barriers that arise due to lack of personal contact with diversity. We create a safe atmosphere for them to ask questions and find out that indeed – even if someone looks different -they are actually a lot like me!
We have also been very happy to welcome two new children to our kindergartens with social disadvantages. AMURTEL recently signed a partnership with Department of Social Services to receive social beneficiaries free of charge – counting on the generosity of our supporters to help us cover the costs. Both little girls have young single mothers that are staying in a special residential shelter where they receive help integrating into the work force and taking care of their children. The girls are integrating well into the program and learning lots! We also have another child that has been attending for free for the past 2 years, as she also comes from a disadvantaged single parent family. Her mother volunteers in the kindergarten and has been very active and involved.
Helsinki, Finland
By Dr. Sauli Siekkinen
On March 25th, I purchased the old mansion called Notsjö Gård (translated as Seine Lake Hall). It is a large 960 sq. meters mansion built in 1822. It has been abandoned since the 1980’s. My target is to renovate this building as a retreat centre and naturopathic hospital. We have registered a co-operative for alternative therapists called “Fountain of Life” and it is already part of the Ananda Marga Wellness Centres started by Dada Dharmavedananda. At the moment we are 15 therapists including two doctors, a nurse, psychologist and nutrition therapist. This hospital will also serve as the seat of the medical faculty of Gurukul University. The renovation will take two years and will be funded partly by the Finnish government and EU. The attached photo shows the mansion.
Stockholm, Sweden
Dada Shambhushivananda presented at a seminar on Local Sustainability Conversion Sweden, the Swedish part of the international Transition Towns Network. It was attended by 50 persons. Transition movement, started in Totnes, England in the autumn of 2006 is a popular movement encouraging communities and neighborhoods to come together to meet the challenges posed by the combination of peak oil and climate change and to establish strong and sustainable local communities.
Henk de Weijer and Dhanjoo Ghista introduced Sarkar’s theory of microvita at the international conference on “Toward a Science of Consciousness” held at Stockholm University from May 3-7,2011. Henk de Weijer spoke on “Consciousness and Energy in an Evolving Universe” while Dhanjoo Ghista provided a unified theory of consciousness, matter and mind based on Sarkar’s ideas on cosmology.
DELHI SECTOR
Madhepura, India
The AMURT sponsored NHE school in Madhepura which was started in March 2010, has since grown well with 135 students. In this short while the school has earned a good name in the town, due to its unique & holistic approach to education. Already five additional room accommodations located adjacent to the existing site of the school have been rented to accommodate the increased flow of new entrants.
The school follows the NHE curriculum. Regular Music classes are arranged for all the students. PT and parade is a
regular feature with the school’s own RAWA Music Band. All children practice meditation and yoga daily. Rhymes, Storytelling, Drawing and Gardening are a part of the daily routine. The school has already arranged its own auto vehicle which can accommodate about 10 children, to bring children from long distances.
The school is managed by a committee comprising of Ac. Kishan Sood, Dr. AK Bhaskar, Shrii Amarnathjii, and Shailesh Kumar as the Director cum secretary and Shrii OmPrakash as the treasurer.
Simra, India
An Ananda Marga Special Academy School (AMSAI) has been started in Simra Village near Patna. The land and the building were donated by the efforts of Ac. Shuka Dev Dharmmitram. After his demise five years ago this place was abandoned with no body taking care of the institution. It was run by a village family for a period of time. We have now taken up responsibility for the school again and the NHE syllabus has been introduced and the teachers are receiving NHE introductory training. More intensive training will be taken up soon. A managing committee comprising of Ac. Kishan Sood, Shrii Rameshjii, Dr. AK Bhaskar, Shrii Girijaji, Shri Satyadev has been formed to look after the affairs of the school.
New Delhi, India
National Seminar
A one day Joint National Seminar on Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji’s Contribution to Philosophy, Language, Literature and Science was conducted, at Vidyapeeth seminar hall, New Delhi on April 8, 2011. It was organised by Renaissance Universal (R.U.), an intellectual forum of Ananda Marga and the faculty of philosophy of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth.
AMSAI
Hetauda, Nepal
The AMSAI Dada managed school in Hetauda, Nepal has been running since 1996. At present from play group up to class 8 we have more than 250 students. In addition to the local government courses we teach Gurukula’s moral lessons and Yoga. We now own our building. Adjacent to the school is the accommodation for the Children’s home which has 14 boys.
Our projects were recently visited by AMGK Kulapati, Dada Shambhushivananda. Our students performaned well in interschool competitions and received 1st prize in the Marchpass event organised by the National Private and Boarding Schools Association. Our school is only one of its kind providing quality education having the lowest fees in the city. We are going to start a training course for High School students in
Composite Medical Care (Naturopathy, Yoga, Acupressure, Music Therapy with Prabhat Samgiita and Herbal Medicine) as a vocational curriculum. The present Principal is Ac. Omkareshvarananda Avt. RAWA is also getting popular. The public has a good opinion of our projects and support us in our service activities of AMURT Nepal. RAWA Renaissance Artists and Writers Association) is also getting popular. We hope for a bright future.
MANILA SECTOR
Laguna, Philippines
By Dada Bodhaprajinanda
AMSAI Ananda Kuranga started two years ago in the year 2009. It’s a community service project because most of our students are from below poverty line families and they can’t afford to pay tuition fees. Our school is providing education for them. Our schools is a kindergarten. For the smooth running of our school and continued support, thanks goes to Grace Chua and Alfred Gonzales from Manila. Our school is based on the Neohumanist Education system. Any assistance and support are welcome
Institute Ananda Marga Gurukula (IAMGK)
Bali, Indonesia
By Dada Mitrabuddhyananda
The Homeopathy Diploma Course of Bali was held from April 18-28th. There were 3 teachers from Singapore’s Wisma Perubatan Homoeopath Tutorial. They taught an intensive course for 5 students of IAMGK; 2 students from Germany, (Mrs. Silke Weber, Mrs. Hegde) and 3 students from Indonesia. (Mre. Styo Jono Kartiko, Dr. Edy Wahjono, Mrs. Yeni Wijaya). This was the first course of our IAMGK Bali.