Renu from U.S. Beholds Purposeful Beginning of a Change in Tribal Areas
Smt. Renu Rajvanshi Gupta, a journalist and US based Ekal volunteer, has described her experience of Van Yatra to Ekal Vidyalayas functioning at the outskirts of Karnataka-Kerala-Tamilnadu region. She has witnessed the changes that are taking place in the life of the tribal people due to Ekal Movement.
Family and Friends Celebrate Pallods' 25th Anniversary
25
th wedding anniversary of Smt. Sushma and Sri Vijay Pallod was celebrated with great pomp and show in the presence of a large gathering at Safari Ranch in Richmond, Texas.
A Young Donor Prefers Donation than Gifts on her Birthday
Shreya Ahuja, aged 13 years, a regular donor to Ekal, chose to have her guests donate to Ekal instead of obliging her with gifts. Her kind gesture was widely acclaimed by one and all. She has set an example for the other young children to follow suit.
Overwhelmed by the strenuous work of Ekal, she has written few lines which explicitly reveals the depths of her feelings, as follows:
Dear Ekal Vidyalaya,
I have heard about your foundation many times before from my dad. Consequently, as my birthday approached, I immediately snatched up the opportunity to help the children of rural India. My family is blessed to be living such a fortunate life. We have much more than we need, and my parents are constantly reminding to give rather than take. However, of all our worldly riches, I feel that education is the most important. Literacy of any kind is the basis of a productive life. I must thank you for opening my eyes to the many cases of misfortune in the world. I have always taken education for granted because ever since I was born, my mind was constantly processing a variety of information. My sister and I have been given the privilege to acquire great schooling, and I sincerely feel that all other children should as well. Every child has the potential and aptitude to attain whatever they choose; they merely require support and encouragement. I sincerely hope that the underprivileged children in India enjoy and value their chance to fill their minds with the wonderful facts of life.
Thank you,
Shreya Ahuja
Plano, Texas 75025
The Hockaday School
13 years old/7th Grade
Subhash Gupta, President EVFUS Strives for Social Service Through Education
Sri Subhash Gupta, President, EVFUS has pioneered in the field of social service and has taken up the task of spreading the concept of Ekal Vidyalaya in whole of the US.
Comments from Sri Chandak on Ekal Tour
My wife Asha and I have been the volunteers of Ekal movement in USA for the last decade. We have been meeting with many Ekal Karyakartas from Bharat in USA and in Bharat. Meeting with them and learning about the Ekal movement has always been inspiring. As compared to a large number of NGOs from USA and from Bharat, I felt that Ekal was the best in responding to the donor, providing detailed information about the project in general and the schools adopted by the donors in particular. I felt Ekal was a benchmark NGO. Year after year their work, efficiency and responsiveness have been consistent and improving where required.
I thought the success of Ekal Organization was due to its grass root volunteers and their commitment to the noble cause. Therefore, we became eager to see it first hand. We registered for the Ekal Global Learning tour. This tour is a wonderful idea. We visited villages in Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. We met villagers, their children, and the teachers (Acharyas). We were amazed with their confidence levels, commitment and volunteerism dedicated to making Ekal a successful movement.
In addition, we met Karyakartas at the sub-cluster (up-sanch), cluster (sancha) and all the way to the State levels. Organizing administration at 10, then 30, then 90 villages and higher levels such as State and National was found very effective. Interesting enough was that grass root workers had moved up the ladder from Acharya to National leadership. This meant that they all believed in the movement deeply and were willing to make it happen at all costs including personal commitment for the lifetime.
We met many young men and women who made Jeevandani commitment. Listening to them speak so passionately about it was remarkable and moving. Meeting with the National core team of 10 and the National Core Toli of 100 was an eye opener. The flow of knowledge, information, instruction, and all relevant actions between the topmost level to the last Acharya and students was the most streamlined. The National leaders although raised from the grassroots levels, were functioning like executive graduates of the best business schools. This may be attributed to their deep love and commitment to the cause of Ekal.
The support -emotional and financial- organized by the urban support committees was equally critical to the Ekal success. I found so many prominent industrialists, businessmen, and professionals involved in the movement so passionately and so committed to the larger cause of nation building. They appeared so well connected with the local Karyakartas and the village dwellers that the brotherhood-sisterhood was reflecting everywhere. There was no differentiation on the basis of economic or any other basis. This is an ideal movement to bring true equality amongst all people of India.
I could go on with the most wonderful experience of our life, inspiring and moving as well.
But in the interest of brevity, I must submit that we both are 100% energized with first hand Ekal's field experience to double our efforts in USA. As a result of the tour, we are much better prepared to inform, educate and inspire our volunteers and donors in USA.
The loving and friendly images of the villagers, students, Achryas, Karyakartas and urban supporters will be in our hearts for ever as we return to USA.
In nutshell, the experience has been most educational, emotional, spiritual, and deeply convincing that Ekal is the best way to serve our most needy and those neglected too long.
We wish all the best to all involved in Ekal movement in India.
Shrinarayan Chandak
Bloomington, Illinois, USA
