Back to Balagurukulam

Bala Gurukulam, this name has a very great part in the History of Hastadharan, this House of happiness and care named Bala Gurukulam is the first Orphanage we visited when Hastadharan was formed. We visited this home again this month to see the progress they have made in the child care development. This place is situated in sylvan surroundings on the outskirt of Chennai in South India which houses about 50 children from the age group of 1 to 15 years. This Orphanage was started with 2 children. Every day here starts by 4.30 A.M with a cup of neem or alovera juice and they have an hour of deep and calm meditation and yoga session. Following this they start their routine mechanical life of school, books, lessons and home works.
The In charge of the house of care, Mr.Ranjith and Mrs.Sumathi, the former is an Ayurvedic Doctor and the latter was an employee of a MNC software company. The Children are educated in 4 different schools in and around Ambattur. On 13th of November we visited this place. As we reached the orphanage Mrs. Sumathi gave us a warm welcome, we registered our details with them and went running into the hall to meet our old friends like Saradha, Bharathi, Reshma, Rajesh,Aravindh, Bala to name a few, whom we met one year before. The Child Tamil selvi who was just born when we went last time has grown up to a level that she was having her food by herself and didn’t allow anyone to feed her. This was the level of maturity these people get from this home. The home doesn’t have any Television for entertainment instead they do crafts, paintings and learn thirukural and slogans.
Saradha the topper in studies and extra curricular activities who was very naughty had turned to be a very silent girl but her talent to bring name and fame to Bala Gurukulam still continues. Our day there started with Bharathi and Reshma reciting national anthems of 5 different countries, followed by Rajesh and Reshma reciting the name of countries, Flowers and Vegetables in A-Z order. Mrs.Sumathi told us that the children are in the progress of learning the names of Rivers, Fruits in A-Z order. She also showed us the photos of the children performing fancy dress and dance. After finishing our lunch with those tiny tots we left the place with a heavy heart.
Bala Gurukulam constantly needs financial support to help its children to enjoy the best of food, medications, books and other basic requirements. A constant funding of whatever we can will relieve them out some pressure. We got to know a monthly expense for vegetables alone reaches 6000 which I think WE as a Hastadharan team can do. Hastadharan will be deeply indebted to every one of you who make this happen.
Hastadharan wish every child at Bala Gurukulam to become a great record breaker, tread where no man has tread, hold their head high and succeed in their life.

Once again to Sri Saradha Seva Ashram

It was twilight when we paid a visit to Sri Saradha Seva Ashram in manivakkam .A juvenile boy greeted us at the entrance of their home with a smile and a Namaste. A Namstaey with a slight bow, hands pressed together, palms converged and fingers pointed upwards, front of the chest. Once we entered the home we could see the girls sweeping and cleaning the house and making arrangements for the evening prayers whereas the boys were seen playing outside adjoining the home. We also got the opportunity of meeting parent of Sadhu Yoga Kumar beneath whose supervision these children are growing up.

We were contentedly seated and were served with sweets and water, and only after this we were taken to see sadhu yoga Kumar who was seated in a thatched room which was also within the premises of the home. Sadhu who practices and preaches yoga didn't look older by a year from our previous visit but the children there had grown taller and smarter. Sadhu explained us that owing to the demand for yoga among the general civic, he has to take up extra classes and his disciple also conducts two or three classes to help him. With the revenue earned through this, they are overseeing the home.

All the kids of the Home formed a circle and gave us there introduction; we in turn introduced ourselves to them. We were also introduced to the caretakers whose number amplified largely from the last time. The reason could be the girls in the home are growing up and this demands more protection and care.

This year around 4 of them are in their final year of schooling, 2 of them will take up their 10th board exams and 3 of them doing ITI and 2 of them are about to finish their college.


We offered them some cricket and shuttle bats as well as skipping ropes recalling their gusto towards sports, whilst we visited prior. The kids, without more ado took these things and kept it in front of the god they worship. For them even these things need to be sanctified by god before they can be used; awe-inspiring devotion!

While rolling the dialect with the sadhu, we could hear to the children ovation while playing volley ball which attracted us and aroused the kid inside us .We too joined them and started playing; stopped only by the darkness drowning the earth.

After the play we were shown the painting of the boy vettri who's earlier works we posted for in our blog. When told this, he was really thrilled and wanted to see it himself, but desolately there was no internet connection in the home. We promised him that his recently drawn painting will also be posted.

After spending few more hours with them and feeling the gratification of being a child yet again; we had to say good bye …!!!!

Wishes from members on Our first Anniversary

Hi Team,

Kudos to all team members !!!

Lets congratulate each other in this memorable occasion and also for their
noble contribution to our society.

Regards
Srinivasan K

One of the greatest moments.....folks...wid all ur support....I feel so happy that we have completed one great milestone...the first..which s also the best :-)..Happy birthday to hastadharan,,...

-jegan
Hi to all th hastadharan members.....congratulation and appreciation for completing one successful year.....hope we have very very long life

-adarsh

happy anniversary hastadharan :) -divya

Happy B'day [:D -khushboo

An Orphan's Dream

She wakes me early with a smile
And she holds my head so high:
"Don’t you ever let anybody put you down
‘Coz you are little angel"of mine
Then she makes something yummy and warm for me to have
‘Coz it’s chilly out there, she thinks
Then she walks with me to school
though I ain’t no fool
I just think my mum is amazing
She makes me feel
As if I can do anything
And when she’s around me
There’s nowhere else I’d rather like to be
After school, she’s stands by the gate
I’m so glad that I just needn't wait

To rush home to tell her how my day
Eat the yummy food only that my mum makes
Then I wind her up ‘coz I don’t want to bath
No matter what I say, she gets her way
and make me do her say
I think my mum is amazing, amazing
When the dusk falls she tucks me into bed
And I wrap my arms around her head
Then she tells me a tale of a child far away -
Who became a princess one day
I’m so happy that I am with her
So she lies in bed with me
As I close my eyes and think
How lucky am I
To have a mum that’s so amazing and

Then I wake up in the morning ,she’s not there
And I realise she never was,it was all my dreams
And I’m still here in this lonely orphanage to be what I am to be
With so many just like me in the lonely orphanage

And as my dreams begin to fade where might my mom be
I try hard to look forward to my day and feel the pinch astray
But there’s a pain in my heart that’s a craving:
How I wish I had a mum that’s amazing, amazing
Would be amazing! would be amazing

But my lonely eyes see the sky
To see where god placed her,
I wish she comes every night
To give me my delights ,and
I would say again my mom is amazing

Source: From Hub's

Event 12 :Life Giving Home Charitable Trust

Hastadharan Team came around to Life Giving Home Charitable Trust in Sriperambudur, to affix one more gem to the coronet of hastadharan's safari account.


Life Giving Home Charitable Trust shelters the orphans and takes care of 30 children from the age group of 5 to 14. This trust is having its one more division located in Ayanavaram. Each dwelling accommodates 15 children. It encompasses the provision of nutritious food, shelter and clothing for the children.

Children are given the finest education in CSI corporation school of Sriperambudur. Summer camps are arranged for the kids where they have the full freedom of play indoor as well as out door games. Work of art is another indulgence which is prominently encouraged. Kids are given a huge box full of colors to elicit their thoughts on the piece of paper. Many more extra curricular activities are also made a part.

The orphanage revealed the sumptuous backing offered via some foreign group by flaunting the facilities including swimming pool, trekking games, swings, slides, see- saw etc .

The care takers pay special attention on the kids and make them feel at home with there tender love and affection. They give them what they need - Support, Love and Hope.

Our team with its motive to bring a smile on these kids face spent almost half a day with them, a blissful day.




"HAND THAT SERVES IS HOLIER THAN THE LIP THAT PRAYS" -Mahatma Gandhi

Home we have visited.....

IN the last twelve months we have visited 12 homes located in various corners of this city and here is the address of the orphanage.


ORPHANAGE LIST

1.Balagurukulam
1, Ashram St, Murugambedu,
Kallikuppam,
Ambattur,
Chennai, INDIA.
Ph: 044- 26580790 / 044-26864607


2.Udavum Ullangal Illam
No: 9 west karikalan 2nd Street
Adambakkam
Chennai - 88
Ph: 044- 22672236 / 044- 22673338


3.Compassion Children Home
No: 8, Lotus Street,
Shakthi Nagar,
Adambakkam, Chennai-88,
Ph No: 988433972 / 9381074974


4.Sri Saradha Seva Ashram,
C/O Sadhu Yoga Kumar
No: 1/3, North Mada Street,
Mannivakkam,
Land Mark: Near to Mannivakkam post office,
Chennai-48.
Phone no: 9840055354 / 9940208225.


5.Christ Faith Home For Children
No: 3/91, Mettu Colony,
Manapakkam,
Land Mark: Near to Manapakkam EB office,
Chennai-116.
Phone no: 044-22520588/65494647.


6.Mahalakshmi Foundation
21/10, 2nd Street
Kamaraja Nagar, Avadi
Chennai- 600 071
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Phone: 91-44-26557442



7.Aathiswar Orphanage Home
2/314 Swami Nagar
2 nd Street
Mudichur
Chennai- 48


8.Saraswathi Ammal charitable Trust
C/O Hemalatha
Old no: 75, New No: 41
2nd Street, Korattur, Chennai
Phone no: 9962513727


9.Bosco Illam
C/o Fr. Andrews
No: 6 Tharuvapalli Street
Krishna Murthi Nagar
Errukancherri - 118
04425352101/ 9444749309


10.Solaman Home for children
C/O Nalini
Old no: 13, New No: 78
4thCross Street, Anbu Nagar (Near Velan nagar),
Alwarthirunagar
Chennai - 87
Phone no: 9940053953


11.Nethaji Mercy Home
No.12, Pandithurai Street
Kamarajapuram,
Velacherry, Chennai – 600 042
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone no: +91- 98413 35951


12.Life Giving Home Charitable Trust
Door No: 368, VGP Ramajunam Town
Vadamangalam Village
(Opp Nokia Company)
Sriperambudur, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, India.
Phone no: +91- 9884095418

Event 11 Nethaji Mercy Home

Nethaji Mercy home in velachery, domicile of 20 kids, impressed many of our members। The two storeys home has all the amenities required for breathing. It gives an impression that the caretakers are undertaking whatsoever probable by them for these children.

The children are being educated in Guru Nanak School and a government school which are at walk able distance from the home। The kids here are also being trained in yoga and dance. The troop of these broods has staged for many corporate events.

Every Year the custodians plan to take these kids on excursions during the summer holidays based on the reserves they can formulate in the entire year। These expeditions aid in killing their monotony and also make these kids aware of the world around them.

The care takers are able to make the kids feel at home. Furthermore they are functioning in the direction of shaping their future with the funds donated by the philanthropists and the sponsorship from the corporate for staging the dance shows.

Heads you lose Tails you lose

Yes it is a strange title but it is true for any one born with wooden spoon.

A child born bright and exceptionally endowed is admired and perceived by all the people around him. They may be friends, teachers or any one knowing him. They contemplate that this child will accomplish whatever he/she hanker after. But many times as the child grows up these same people are flabbergasted to find him/her doing the meanest of trade for his/her endurance.
Why this does happens?
Is it a strange case?
No, it is recurrent in our society and, you who is reading this article may have come across people in plenty like this.

Why this happens, is the child at fault in ravaging his/her flair?
Perhaps it is can be true, if so also this may be a rarity.
What comes to my mind for such circumstances is that being impoverished all through his/her rearing is the focal cause for this. Lack of money, lack of needs strangulates a person's dreams. The harsh state of affairs makes life so difficult that dreams get the back seat in mind and slowly vanish. What matter at that time is Money, however you get, from wherever you get.

Being born poor is not a person's fault but dying poor is truly his/her fault. But making money through ways which presently propels you for money rather than inner pleasure is sheer waste. Doing a job for money which you never want to do, is like committing murder, murder of your dreams for the sake of money. You may become richer undertaking this but in the long race you are a loser.

The world today is very competitive, born with a silver spoon gives you an edge over a person born with a wooden spoon. There are always exceptions, but these exceptions are the rarest of rare, might be 1%. So let's be practical. Money isn't everything in world but it is something which will drive you to do things you would like to do and thus be a winner in life.

Abraham Maslow theorized that there are 5 levels of human needs. The highest level being the self actualization where the person is able to do things at full potential and with creative expression and the lowest level where gratifying hunger, shelter and clothing need is paramount.

There are many out there in our society amongst us who call for our monetary help to slowly climb the five levels of human need.
Let's bequeath a helping hand to those endowed offspring's to achieve and execute things that they would like rather than talking in future about the pathetic condition of their life and the dream which had died for the sheer need of money।

- आदर्श वर्मा ||

Event 10 Solomon HOme

Hastadharan during the month of February visited Solomon home located in the interior part of valsaravakam.

Solomon home a two storey building appears to be a satisfactory home for 30 odd children.

We had a wonderful time there with the children playing and being audience to their dance for the foot tapping numbers of the latest Tamil films. The children showcased the same steps shown in the songs and it is apparent that these kids are excellent learners. None of the kids had any inhibition rather they all were eager to demonstrate their flairs; only stopped to have their lunch.
Kids are imparted education in private as well as government institutions. The children studying in kodambakam schools have to travel a long distance.

The home is coping with the funds that they acquire from the well wishers and the donors.

Event 9 - Don Bosco Anbu Illam

200!!!!! Yes, we too reacted similarly when we heard about the number of orphans that the Don Bosco Anbu Illam cherished. But to all our surprise its true; and this truth is as equably overwhelming as it is astonishing.

This is the piece of information about our "Jan 2010 Hastadharan's Day Out" which flagged the beginning of the New Year.

Whilst we contacted them to be on familiar terms with their requisite and, in addition articulated our wish of attaining the victuals accountability for a day. They very courteously recounted that they are self-reliant in providing food to the children but they certainly entail some obligatory provisions of soaps and detergents.

As we became aware of their appeal, we were not sure of how to go about this, but then we decided that even if we facilitate them to get hold of half of the provisions they call for, we have indubitably helped them to an extent, the extent which marked our limit.

Being a squad of few members and having a meagre monthly contribution, whatever best we could accomplish, we made it. We offered them about 150 soaps and 10 to 15 toothpastes (Large combo Packs).

9^th January, was the day we visited their home. They have a massive playing ground and giant building for sheltering these kids. This particular place, that we visited was only for boys and the girls where housed in a different locations. All the inmates of this home were not orphans, some of them were semi orphans and a few were street children who ran away from their parents for various reasons.

Now to talk about the foundation Don Bosco Anbu Illam, as you might have guessed is part of Don Bosco group which runs various other educational and charitable organisations. The kids here are educated in their own school and also in a near by school. These kids require motivation and encouragement and the home offers them both by having regular sessions with the help of trained professional as well as counsellors. Here the kids have the freedom of opting there line of work. Once they finish their education they are sent to ITI's run by them (Don Bosco).

The home is into its 25th year of continuation and has ample staffs to take care of the children. The human resources are regularly transferred among their various institutions. Apart from this staffs they have volunteers from foreign country who stay here for a year and take care of the kids.

The home gets funds from the nearby people also from various other places. They encourage foster care wherein the sponsor can take care of the expenses of the kid and are also allowed to see them once in a month as well as during the child's vacation. The home however doesn't allow the adoption of the kids.

The children have a meticulous schedule and are disciplined in following the schedule. The children are expected to keep themselves and their surroundings clean.

Event 8 - Saraswathi Ammal Home

Hastadharan’s eighth leg in its mission saw itself at the Saraswathi Ammal home for aged and destitute children at korattur. The Saraswathi Ammal home shelters kids till the age group of 14, It takes care of 41 boys and 43 girl children under its cover and it has some 27 odd aged people. This trust solely stands like a pillar on the founder, Ms Hemalatha. This home is built on a single core value of compassion. She firmly believes on two values. One To build enough confidence and value system In the orphaned children which helps them to grow as a responsible children, Two to provide the support for the needy people and to make the evenings of their lives more interesting.

It is situated in a spacious building at the heart of the city and yet surrounded by calm and serene atmosphere the home nourishes a healthy relationship between the destitute children and the old people so that each other can draw strength from one other.

Apart from the basic needs of food shelter and care, the home strives to impart the best possible education so that it doesn’t deprive of something that is more than just an essential. The children of this home are admitted at famous schools in the vicinity of the home. The children have realized the importance of the studies and have taken them seriously and always keep the motto of the founder flying high.

Health is the next high priority at the home, It makes it a regular routine to get the children checked up for various illness and taken care of. The day we visited the home, the children underwent blood sugar tests and other regular checkups with the help of the volunteers from leading hospitals.

Apart from the regular activities the home also involves the children in to strict sessions of dance, swimming and other extracurricular activities which keeps the children involved and exhibit their talents at their schools with no inhibitions.

Hastadharan on its part offered to take up the cost of the lunch for the children for one day and contributed rupees three thousand towards the expenses. The team had a very good quality time with the children bringing smiles in to their lips in this festive season.

Thank you members for making this effort a great success... Looking forward to all your support in the coming year too…..