My Charity Work

What is my charity work?

My children know that their dad is engaged in some kind of “Social Work”. Like most of my friends, acquaintances and relatives, they don’t know what exactly I do. They know I am doing something to help people. I have talked to my children about the need for us as a family to help the less fortunate amongst us. We, meaning people who can read this blog, are truly blessed. Knowing that half the world goes to bed hungry is very sobering. That we can walk, talk, see, have a roof over our head, and have food on the table is a great blessing. Having grown up in a third world country like India, I don’t take anything for granted. Everything is a gift from God.
I look around. I look into myself. I see a lot of suffering, a lot of pain. There is a great philosophical debate about “free will”. How much of the suffering that we see or experience is truly a choice we made. That is the will of God. We are helpless. It appears that in certain areas I have it better than some. But suffering is common to all of us. Fortunately, some of that suffering can be alleviated. We can do something. For example, how can elderly people fend for themselves? What can a child do if it is abandoned or both parents are dead? I know that seniors are a neglected lot. Some seniors are neglected because their children are abroad. In some situations seniors want their independence and in some cases neglect is due to economic reasons. I have met and I know many such people.

I was involved in charity work in an unorganized manner for a few years prior to meeting His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswati the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in 1989. Being a Sanyasi and a Peetadhipathi, his idea of helping people by going to their communities is absolutely revolutionary. Starting schools, colleges, hospitals are all his ideas. At his behest I, along with a few others, formed the Kanchi Kamakoti Seva Foundation (KKSF) and obtained a Sec. 501 (C) (3) tax exempt status. Later in 2000, I was involved in the formation of AIM for Seva, an innovative idea in education, particularly for tribal people and residents of remote villages, started by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. I would never have the opportunity to meet some amazing people or see the “other” side of some people, but for my charity work. These people have influenced my thinking a lot. Also, my two daughters, who are idealists and would like to help the whole world, have always shown their concern for the downtrodden.
I have visited orphanages, senior citizens homes, school for autistic children, Veda patasalas, schools and hospitals. There is a crying need for us to do something. Presently, all my charity work in India is done through SODEWS. Helping me in this matter is Ramu Uncle. He heads SODEWS, which does remarkable work in Tamilnadu and has taken under its wing a school in Uttarakhand. Poornima assists Ramu Uncle in his work. Poornima has a Masters in Social Work. Great people, great team, great souls.
We are on the lookout for a five to ten acre parcel of land. The idea is to build an orphanage to house 100 girls, a senior citizen center, a Goshala (for cow protection), an NRI center so that volunteers from across the globe can stay and work, a recreation place, computer / library center. There will be regular classes in Yoga, meditation, religious chanting, bhajans. The search for acquiring land has been going on for at least a year. In India, buying land is not easy. We always find out at the last minute that some hidden legal problems exist. There is no concept of Title Insurance.

If you are wondering why I would want to combine senior citizens with orphans, it is to give each an opportunity to show and receive love. The senior citizens will feel a sense of self worth. They will also be involved in gardening, landscaping and all other activities generally denied to them for a variety of reasons. The orphans will receive the most important ingredient in their formative years, love. The orphanage will be unique in many aspects. The girls will have all the comforts which my children had growing up. They can dream big and money will not stop them from getting into the school or college of their choice. NRI children will be transformed as a result of their interaction with our girls and seniors. They can share their talents and knowledge with children who will love and respect them, unconditionally.

Please pray that Ramu Uncle and Poornima are successful soon in acquiring the land we are looking for in and around Jolarpet. We chose Jolarpet because land prices are still affordable. Also, Ramu Uncle lives in Yelagiri, a beautiful hill station, about 3500 feet above sea level, which is a forty five minute car ride from Jolarpet. Jolarpet is half way between Chennai and Bangalore. You have to go through fourteen hair pin bends to get to Yelagiri. Land prices in Yelagiri have shot up through the roof. The going rate in Yelagiri is about Two hundred thousand dollars an acre. In fact, a kind soul from the west coast of the US has agreed to give us two acres of land in Yelagiri. God Bless him. We may use that land to build a senior center and for NRI’s to stay. Let us wait and see how things shape up.