Isha Outreach Report 2018-19
Isha Yoga Center Velliangiri Foothills, Ishana Vihar Post, Coimbatore - 641 114
isha.sadhguru.org | +91 83000 83111
2 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 4 5 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 7 Isha Outreach Report 2018 - 19 Welcome Message Over the past three decades Isha Outreach, the social initiative of Isha Foundation, has brought to fruition path-breaking environmental, educational, health and community revitalization e orts in rural India. As well as addressing fundamental individual human needs, our award- winning Outreach projects have received global recognition with our environmental and educational models being adopted around the world.
Working towards Sadhguru’s vision for Isha Outreach has been a process of my humanity unfolding within me, as well as for the thousands of volunteers involved with the project. It has been a path for us to experience life intensely by touching millions of innocent rural lives.
And so we are delighted to present you our Isha Outreach annual report for 2018! is has been a truly eventful year, in terms of the range and scope of our campaigns, the number of people we have touched, as well as milestones and awards we have received. Our projects are broadly divided into the categories of: raising human consciousness, rural education, community health and wellbeing, and environment.
We begin our report with the highlights of 2018 for your quick perusal, before providing you with a brief of each of our initiatives in a nutshell, including several of the heartwarming stories that have happened in the last one year. We hope you are as touched and inspired by these stories of human impact as we are.
Our generous donors and the committed involvement of 9 million volunteers from India and around the world are the key to our success. It is an inclusive e ort where each contribution received enriches the lives of all. When one life is changed, the ripples spread through the whole community and afar. What may have been an overwhelming initial e ort soon becomes a self-sustaining movement.
We look forward to making this happen through your continued support.
With gratitude,
Swami Kalaghata Project Director, Isha Outreach
2 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 3 Table of Contents Welcome Message Foreword 2018 Highlights
Raising Human Consciousness Isha Yoga Programs Youth & Truth
Rural Education Isha Vidhya Government School Support Program
Community Health and Wellbeing Action for Rural Rejuvenation Disaster Relief Farmer Producer Organization Isha Gramotsavam Rural and Tribal Welfare Kayanta Sthanam
Environment Project GreenHands Rally for Rivers
4 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 5 Left to myself I would like to only be a spiritual source to people because that is the thing I know best. But if you want to talk spirituality, you have to fi rst ensure that people are at least eating reasonably well and that there is some sense to their basic life format. If this basic work was done by society, the Guru would have the pleasure of just doing the spiritual part of the work. Otherwise, we will unfortunately have to take up that work as well. I am not some kind of a social reformer, but when there is such an express human need around you, you cannot ignore it. is is not social service – just an expression of our Humanity.
Isha Outreach is an attempt to re-engineer social situations that have gone bad so that human beings can fi nd a conducive atmosphere to blossom. e basic scope and aim of these projects are to make people’s life situations Foreword worthwhile so that they can fi nd their full potential in whatever they are doing. is project is not just aimed at improving the economic conditions of people, though that is one of the major issues which needs to be handled. It is a way of raising the human spirit and inspiring human beings to stand up by themselves.
When we are not inspired, we tend to function only within the limitations in which we are placed. Only when we are inspired, we go beyond and do things that human beings would not normally do. Only then, the society surges ahead and does something worthwhile. Unfortunately, that happens only when there is strife. Generally, most leaders in the world have always inspired people by creating an external enemy. If you create an external enemy, you can have everyone afi re on the street, ready to stake their lives for the country. But it is very important that in normal peaceful situations people are inspired. at is when true change can happen.
Our projects seek to assist and inspire the disadvantaged rural populations to take charge of their lives. May you also fi nd inspiration in these pages to contribute in whatever capacity available to you to create a better world for our future generations.
6 Isha Outreach Report 2018 2018
Highlights
8 8 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 9 Isha Gramotsavam
Khel Protsahan Puraskar Awarded by the Government of India
Khelo India Accreditation received
ree-Fold Increase In participation compared to last year
3000+ Teams in 2018
Rally for Rivers
Detailed Project Report Drafted for revitalization of Waghari river in Maharashtra
162 Million People supported Rally for Rivers
Launch Of United Nations’ Decade of Action for Water
O cial Partnership With UN Environment for World Environment Day 2018
10 10 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Project GreenHands
3.5 million Saplings produced
31 Nurseries across Tamil Nadu 84 Di erent tree species
Disaster Relief
19,771 Patients treated in 111 Medical camps across 100+ Villages in Tamil Nadu and Kerala
68,000+ People supported and reached by the Disaster Relief Volunteers
12 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 13 Farmer Producer Organization
First Ranking in Tamil Nadu
9th Ranking in India
200% + Increase in annual turnover from last year to INR 7.91 cr
Youth and Truth
A campaign to reach out to the youth of the country 10 Cities 34 Events held in premier 15 Student campuses universities over
561 million 27 Impressions Days
14 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Action for Rural Rejuvenation
3 Mobile Health Clinics in total 52,000 Patients treated through Mobile Health Clinics in the year 2018 35 Health Camps over the Past Year Eye: 12, Dental; 16, Neuro: 4, Diabetic: 1, General Health: 2
Isha Yoga Programs
Siachen Glacier Sadhguru with Indian Army for International Day of Yoga
2-week Training program at Isha Yoga Center for Indian Army and Border Security Force 40,000 People were taught Isha Kriya and Upa-Yoga courses free of cost at the Isha Yoga Center
16 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Raising Human Consciousness
Isha Yoga Programs and Youth Initiatives
Isha Yoga programs provide powerful tools for inner exploration. At Isha, yoga is taught in its full depth and dimension and is communicated on an experiential level. The programs provide methods for establishing oneself in a way of life that a rms wholeness and vitality.
An array of programs are conducted regularly by Isha worldwide. These include programs conducted for the Indian Army, rural communities, and prisoners. From incarcerated inmates, to humble villagers and heroes, the benefi ts of yoga are quite universal. These programs involve simple postures, meditations and powerful ways of transforming one’s energies.
18 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 19 Yoga for Soldiers
On International Day of Yoga 2018, Sadhguru was at the highest battle fi eld in the world, the Siachen Glacier, and addressed senior o cials of the Indian Army on the value of yoga for the armed forces. He wanted to make these ancient tools of wellbeing available to our valiant soldiers who protect the frontiers of the nation in the most adverse climatic conditions and hostile terrain.
Following this, 63 personnel from the Indian Army completed their fi rst training experience at the Isha Yoga Center in November 2018. is program creates a self- sustaining possibility to spread powerful yogic practices to each and every Army personnel across the length and breadth of the nation. Additionally, the Border Security Force (BSF) has sent 3 training batches to the Yoga Center till date. e participants who have completed the course are now able to transmit the ancient science of yoga within the Indian Army organization or throughout the ranks of the BSF.
“ These practices are particularly benefi cial for soldiers posted in high altitudes who face unpredictable and often rough conditions. We can beat stress in these tough situations by being meditative and calm. I had never practiced Hatha Yoga before, but all of us in this training immensely benefi ted from the workshop. Being exposed to yoga here for the fi rst time has brought physical stability and mental balance within me. In the future, we will teach it to the Army at various levels.”
Major Nitin Joshi Army Physical Training Core (APTC)
20 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 21 “ When young recruits come, it’s a challenge “ Soldiers experience a lot of mental stress. A to keep them motivated. But now I know kind of monotony sets in even if there is no how to inspire young soldiers and approach war happening because of various things, them in a better way. Earlier we just taught one of them being staying away from them discipline and etiquette, such as family. My mind has never been at peace how to sit, how to stand, or how to walk. and in silence. I have always felt puzzled Very little e ort went into understanding and unstable in my mind. But practices like them. Now I will approach them in a better Nadi Shuddhi and Nada Yoga, along with way, with more empathy. I realized here experiencing the classroom ambience, that there is a deeper dimension, an inner has really brought tranquility to my mind. Hatha Yoga Training for the Indian Army at the Isha Yoga Center, June 2018 dimension, about whatever activity we These practices train your mind and do. From now on I will tell young soldiers empower it in such a way that you are able about this aspect also. I will give my to deal with these challenges.” full e ort in practicing Hatha Yoga and teaching it to others.” Major Vishal Hooda Army Physical Training Core (APTC) Major Dannapa M
I realized here that there is a deeper dimension, an inner dimension, about whatever activity we do...
22 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 23 Rural Yoga Programs
Isha Yoga distills powerful, ancient methods from the yogic sciences for a modern person, creating peak physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. To ensure it reaches all people, Isha Yoga is conducted in various villages, towns and cities so that people from all walks of life benefi t.
Isha is dedicated to the vision of empowering people with a stable inner climate that is beyond strife and stress. e process of Isha Yoga o ers a true sense of inner wellbeing, and helps individuals build a foundation of joy in their lives. e Isha Yoga programs in rural Tamil Nadu are heavily subsidized thanks to your donations.
“ After attending the Isha Yoga program, my life has been transformed. I had been su ering from a thyroid problem. After completing my 48-day mandala, I had blood tests that showed my thyroid was normal. My energy dramatically increased. I used to feel tired and low. I couldn’t walk fast. Now I’m able to play and run around with my children. I avoid quarrels and feel a sense of calmness and peace within me. Both of my children were provided scholarships at Isha Vidhya. The di erence in their speech and behavior is noticed by people in my area.”
Rajeshwari from Selvapuram
24 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 25 “ The fi rst day of the program was unbelievable. that the yoga brought down my sugar. I lost It felt more sacred than visiting a temple and weight, gained energy, and now my face shines “ I was able to live a peaceful and happy life gave me goosebumps. The fi rst class completely because of increased blood circulation. I used instead of being worried all the time. I used changed my habits – I stopped having tea, and to have a short fuse, but now I don’t get angry to be short-tempered before, but now there I quit being unhealthy. During the program, easily. Yoga brings a sense of responsibility, is a sense of clarity within me. My husband there was a Sunday where we played games. less anger and so much clarity about life. I was has transformed. We used to fi ght a lot, The last time I played like that I was a boy. I liked a completely di erent person with a di erent but these days we don’t really fi ght. We are the class so much that I wanted to share it. character prior to yoga. I feel the world would able to forgive each other, and the problems Therefore, I made my wife attend and enrolled change if everyone sat for a yoga class with between us are resolved. Within four days of angavel my kids in the children’s yoga program. I had Sadhguru.” doing the class, my body became loose and certain unwanted habits that I dropped after fl exible. I’m able to sleep well every night. I
doing yoga. My diabetes also came under Thangavel, ilagamani used to take gutka, but I stopped after doing Grocery Store Owner from Alandurai control. My sugar levels were high and after my the class and I tell others around me to stop kriya mandala I happened to check my sugar using gutka. I’ve already infl uenced 3 or 4 levels and they were normal. I told the doctors people to quit.”
Thilagamani, Grocery Store Owner from Alandurai, Wife of Thangavel Yoga brings a sense of responsibility, less anger and so much clarity about life. I was a completely di erent person with a di erent character prior to yoga.
26 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 27 Yoga Programs in Prisons
For more than 25 years, Isha has conducted yoga programs in Central Prisons all over Tamil Nadu for prisoners and police alike. Since 1992, prison programs have served approximately 15,000 participants. ese programs were established by Sadhguru in order to provide inner freedom for the imprisoned as an o ering for a forgotten segment of humanity.
e yoga programs help inmates develop emotional and mental balance, responsibility, acceptance, and communication skills. ese learnings not only improve their lives while incarcerated but provide tools to successfully cope in society once released. Prisoners develop an inner awareness which helps them examine the roots of their aggression and violent behavior and handle the complexities of their imprisonment. ese life-transforming programs have touched the very core of the prisoners and have helped them bloom into a natural state of love, freedom, and joy – free from anger and hatred. Over the years, these programs have transformed many hardened criminals into sage-like beings.
An Appeal Currently, Isha is in the process of training dedicated volunteers known as Ishangas to teach the Isha Yoga programs in Tamil Nadu prisons. After the training, the prison program initiative will be poised to expand throughout Tamil Nadu. Isha Foundation seeks opportunities and funding to expand this possibility to additional prison systems throughout India.
“ There are people who realize there is a certain way to live. And there are some who think they can live whichever way they want to. I chose the latter and ended up in a prison. This spiritual science has now shown me the way to live responsibly, to live totally.”
R. Kumar, Coimbatore Central Prison
“ I no longer let outside forces control my emotions or my decision making. I realize that I am in full control of what state of mind I want to be in. The things that are out of my control are much easier to accept now. I feel I’ve improved as a person.”
K. Mohan Raj, Salem Central Prison
28 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 29 In 2018
1568 Prisoners were taught Upa-Yoga 700 Wardens were taught Upa-Yoga in Vellore and Coimbatore 250 Prisoners were taught Yoga Namaskar and Isha Kriya 400 Prison wardens attended the Isha Yoga program
30 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 31 “ Isha Yoga is not a teaching – it is transmitting a live method to enhance human perception. e more you perceive, the better you will live.
Sadhguru
Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 33 “ Youth are natural seekers of truth. Time to empower them with the needed clarity, commitment, and courage to fi nd their truth.
Sadhguru
34 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 35 Youth & Truth
More than half of India’s billion plus population is under 25 years old, making it the youngest demography in the world. However, India also has one of the highest youth suicide rates on the planet with a student committing suicide every hour. In a month-long campaign, Sadhguru visited some of India’s top educational institutes “ The experience here was overwhelming. I never thought I candidly o ering clarity on a range of burning issues that concern the youth, such could connect with a person of age above 60 with so much as career, sex, addictions, and relationships. e movement covered a wide range of enthusiasm. I don’t think we have got a youth icon as such institutions such as IIM-A, IIT Bombay, JNU, NALSAR University of Law and others. in India. There may be pop stars, but they don’t answer our questions – they have their own life. Life strikes us, so we have Youth and Truth is an empowering youth movement which is not about gathering these questions what should we do, when should we do, how data or providing social service – this is an unparalleled o ering to the future should we do? So, youth is connecting with Sadhguru because generation. With 561 million impressions across di erent media and over 100,000 we want somebody who can answer all this. He is like Buddha questions submitted on social media, Youth and Truth became one of the top to us now, who we can ask questions to.” trending topics among the youth and one of Isha’s most exuberant initiatives. Neha, PhD student, JNU In India today, almost anyone who speaks, reads, or understands English has heard something about Youth and Truth. Having visited MIT, Harvard, and Oxford in the past, there is an exponential increase in the number of international universities that Sadhguru receives invitations from. With your support, the natural next step for Youth and Truth will be to go global.
“ I used to think people with midlife crisis listen to Sadhguru, but I have seen this emergent phenomenon in which students are going gaga over Sadhguru. I think the reason for this is that Sadhguru answers the questions that even their parents can’t answer. So, the questions which youth are supposed to ask their friends, they are asking Sadhguru. Sadhguru has become this new friend of the youth.”
Anjili Yogi, BHU
36 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 37 In the Media
34 Events held in 27 days across 10 cities 15 Student campuses Students lined up in overwhelming numbers to participate in Youth and Truth. Most events had multiple LEDs installed for the crowd that had gathered outside the venue.
1.1mUnique visitors online
The movement garnered attention from various media houses. 68mViews
Youth icons Sunil Chhetri and Vijay Deverakonda 561m in conversation with Sadhguru. Impressions
Sadhguru’s interaction with popular YouTube infl uencers BeerBiceps and MostlySane.
Isha Outreach Report 2018 Rural Education
Isha Vidhya and Government School Support Program
Transforming rural literacy since 2012, Isha Vidhya has busted the myth that you must lower standards to educate children in poverty. For four years in a row, Isha Vidhya students have achieved a 100% pass rate in their 10th standard public exams.
The scale and scope of Isha Vidhya transcends such numbers. With innovative pedagogies, Isha Vidhya nurtures a child for the diverse needs of India’s future. Innovative English methodologies through Power English and computer instruction create a foundation upon which the child’s development is rounded with nutritious lunches, library visits, laboratory experiments, art, games, sports, and yoga. In this school, the student is the center of attention and the goal is empowering their true potential and their capacity for joy. By inspiring the youth of rural India and giving them the necessary tools to seek gainful employment, this e ort will be a vital contribution to the country’s growth.
40 40 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 41 Isha Vidhya Facilities is past year, Isha Vidhya students continued to excel in their SSLC board examinations. 10th and 11th standards were able to achieve a 100% pass result with exceptional grades, averaging 408/500, and in 12th standard, all but one of the 102 students passed.
Key Highlights In 2018-19, 198 Isha Vidhya students won prizes in Zonal, District and State level sports competitions, Nutritionally balanced Medical check-ups, Extra-curricular activities Nature awareness through 2018-2019 meals, fortifi ed with sports activities and daily like dance, music the ‘Little Green Hands’ both in individual and team events, including essential vitamins yoga practice and karate project athletics, discus, archery, long jump, throwball, volleyball, kabaddi and kho-kho.
e Isha Vidhya team bagged 4th place in the Chola Trophy throwball tournament. 100% 48 volunteers from omson Reuters, Ahmedabad Pass result with exceptional grades dedicated 20 hours to creating learning aids for for 10th and 11th standards Multi-sensory, English-medium Interactive, Extensive libraries Isha Vidhya students in a 2-day event. activity-based learning instruction and learning discussion-based classes in print, audio, video stimulating learning on emphasizing language promoting analytical and with digital classrooms and 200 supporters and 170 employees from 7 multiple levels fl uency at a young age critical thinking skills computer materials corporates participated in the Tata Mumbai Marathon on 21st January 2018 to create awareness and raise funds for Isha Vidhya. Our Volunteers48 from omson Reuters, Mumbai supporters ensured that Isha Vidhya was Isha Vidhya – Year by Year Growth of Student Enrollments Ahmedabad dedicated 20 hours to the NGO that raised the 3rd highest funds in the creating learning aids Mumbai Marathon in 2017 and 2018, for which the United Way of Mumbai presented a trophy.
Isha’s annual golf jaunt in support of Isha Vidhya took place in December on a misty pleasant 8132 7859 morning at the Oxford Golf Resort in Pune. Eighty- 7142 eight corporate leaders and golfers, including golf 6384 Supporters200 and 170 employees from pro Anirban Lahiri, came to rejoice their teeing 5799 7 corporates participated in the Tata moments in the presence of Sadhguru. 5126 Mumbai Marathon to create awareness and raise funds for Isha Vidhya At the 69th Republic Day celebrations held at 3998 Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, 6 Isha Vidhya team 3436 members received commendation certifi cates 2776 from the District Collector P. S. Pradyumuna 1868 for their services in the implementation of the 1214 Government School Support Program (GSSP) in 733 261 the district. We are honored and will continue to deliver our promise to bringing holistic modern education to rural underprivileged children.
42 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 43 Isha Vidhya at a Glance 9 Isha Vidhya Schools 8132 Total number of students 47% Percentage of girl students 60% Percentage of students who are on full scholarship
44 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 45 Rithin
A teenage son of a tea seller from a non- descript village in Tamil Nadu participates in an international spelling bee. What may appear to be the tagline of a Hollywood underdog drama is actually one of Isha Vidhya’s most spirited impact stories.
Rithin, a 14 year-old resident of Samichettipatti village, was able to join Isha Vidhya thanks to your donations. An 8th standard student, he has shown a propensity early on for Math and English. His principal shared, “Two years ago, Rithin participated in an international spelling bee competition. It required hard work to participate in such a competition, that too for a boy from an interior village in Dharmapuri district.”
At Isha Vidhya, a teacher introduced Rithin to mathematical games and thus began an intense love a air with puzzles. at day, Rithin spent his entire time obsessively trying to solve the Rubik’s cube and the Tower of Hanoi. “I was able to solve the Tower of Hanoi and Rubik’s cube within a day after my History teacher used them to motivate us in class. But it took hours of practice to master them,” he says. While others found her son’s newfound addiction slightly disturbing, R. Amutha encouraged Rithin to spend more time with the puzzles, as he was receiving equal encouragement from the Isha Vidhya teachers. Today, Rithin solves the Rubik’s cube in an astounding 55 seconds. He solves the Tower of Hanoi with three disks in fi ve seconds, four in 11 seconds and fi ve in 22 seconds, which is a testament to the opportunities Isha Vidhya provides its students.
46 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 47 Ganga explains the story of her di culties: When asked about Isha Vidhya, Ganga “My father, a man already married, got recollects a holiday week from the previous my mentally challenged mother pregnant year: “I missed my school so much that I cried with me and then abandoned us. I assumed incessantly for hours. Nobody around knew responsibility of the house at an early age. why! Will I ever be able to give back to Isha? I Our neighbors consider us outcasts and don’t know.” have always subjected us to constant jibes When asked if she feels upset about living a life and snubs. During the holidays, I work at a di erent from her peers, Ganga proudly asserts, nearby farm where I earn Rs. 250 a day. In 4th “My mother gave birth to me. It’s my privilege standard, I started observing people in the to take care of her.” Only because of donors like kitchen and taught myself some basic cooking you, Ganga is able to take care of her mother Ganga Devi skills. I get up at 4:30 am every day, cook for and we are able to take care of Ganga. my mother (she loves greens!), wash both our clothes, get ready for school and leave,” says Ganga in fl uent English on par with any urban child studying in a private school in Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Ganga explained that the reason for her absence from school that time had been on account of her mother, since Ganga had to bring her to the hospital for medical treatment.
As principal at Isha Vidhya Coimbatore for the last 6 years, Sumitra Akka is a woman fi ercely devoted to her 1000+ kids. In what defi es gender norms in rural India, her husband commutes for more than 2 hours to his Akka workplace every day just so Sumitra can stay close to the school. Sumitra has a whole stock of powerful stories that convey Isha Vidhya’s
Sumitra Sumitra impact on the lives of its students. ere is one story in particular that caught our attention. Sumitra recounts an episode in the life of an 8th standard student named Ganga Devi, who was notably absent from school for days without explanation.
“In our school when children are absent, we take it very seriously. In Ganga’s case, we couldn’t fi nd her at home and even her neighbors weren’t willing to talk. She fi nally showed up to school one day revealing a secret she had concealed for years,” says Sumitra.
48 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 49 A 7th standard student with a penchant for boxing, Subiksha is on full scholarship at Isha Vidhya. She recently lost her father, the sole breadwinner of the family, but she still saves Rs. 30 every month from her pocket money and gives it back to the school. “Every day I save a rupee or two. On a good day, even fi ve. My brother wants to steal the money from me to buy Kodi Malar lives a dual life of epic himself some bajji, but I fi ght it out with him and make proportions. For one half of the day, sure I give back to the school I owe so much to!” she lives in the heart of the forest Subiksha in a tribal community, which is one of India’s most downtrodden populations. For the other half, Kodi is dressed in a crisp uniform, speaking impeccable English, and aspiring to become a space explorer. For the kids at Isha Vidhya, no matter where they come from, even the sky is no limit! Kodi Malar Kodi
Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 The Isha Vidhya Di erence
Isha Vidhya is truly grassroots. From the bottom up, Isha Vidhya innovates. With proprietary or precisely-sourced textbooks, pedagogies, outcome assessments, and training materials, the Isha Vidhya way succeeds where other attempts have not. ese in-house methods are not only replicable, but have already been tried and tested in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh through the Government School Support Program. Isha Vidhya’s 10th school is currently under construction in Karur district and will be open for the 2019-2020 school year.
An Appeal Isha Vidhya envisions establishing an active school in each of the 33 districts of Tamil Nadu. You can o er support by donating for classrooms and laboratories or even for educational content.
You can also become a Friend of Isha Vidhya and o er support as a volunteer or refer someone you know to the many opportunities available, which encompass anything from helping IT services, developing curriculum, starting fundraising campaigns, participating in marathons, joining as a teacher, or In 2015, the fi rst batch of Isha Vidhya students took the 10th class board exams and all enhancing Isha Vidhya’s public profi le through networking. Additionally, companies can also partner of them passed with a whopping aggregate score of 89.6%. Some of these children are with Isha Foundation as part of their CSR initiatives, to give children in rural India a brighter future. now studying in Medical and Engineering schools.
52 52 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 53 Government School Support Program Quality education is the“ only ladder that we can provide these rural children to help them and their Isha Vidhya is uniquely equipped to transfer their expertise to public schools in families climb out of the economic and social pit. rural areas that cannot achieve the outcomes expected by the government. Critical interventions into currently existing schools are cost-e ective because infrastructure and personnel are already in place, and are quite necessary as a means to help the Sadhguru most number of children in the shortest span of time.
In 2018, Isha Vidhya also took up a pilot program with 90 child care centers or anganwadis in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, impacting 3400 children.
Isha Vidhya uses some key strategies to put government schools back on track:
Happy Classrooms
These are teacher support training workshops meant to reshape attitudes that open pathways allowing happy teachers and happy students to emerge. This means evolving pedagogies towards student-centered, student-positive models. Teachers learn yoga practices for their own wellbeing and receive ongoing support through peer and mentor groups.
Remedial Programs
Special attention is given to government school children who are behind their levels to accelerate their learning. Most are mainstreamed within one year of intervention.
A Culture of Assessment and Review
These are ongoing protocols that measure the accountability of the school and of personnel. In this way, if the students are being short-changed in the classroom, Isha Vidhya will reorganize the structure to maintain ideals.
An Appeal Beyond the academic interventions, Isha seeks to bring the same commitment to holistic education as it does in its charter schools. In these rural areas, students lack basic nutrition and joys that we take for granted in our daily lives. Whenever the support is available, Isha will enhance the child’s schedule with sports, yoga, environmental education, health awareness, and other engagements to help inspire them to grow to their full potential. Many times, the most signifi cant impact is achieved by the construction of proper toilet facilities or providing the children with their only nutritious meal that day. Currently the project is active in 4 districts in Tamil Nadu and 1 district in Andhra Pradesh, impacting 130,000 children. We seek your support to expand this project to further districts in the coming year. There is a range of ways to o er support, including providing sponsorships for teacher training sessions, tuition classes for students and textbooks for Power English classes. Committed organizations can also be a part of o ering this possibility to more children in rural India.
54 54 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 55 Government School Support Program at a Glance
3032Government Schools 130,000 Students 10,500 Teachers
Percentage60% of remedial students who are mainstreamed within one year of intervention 95% Percentage of teachers who shared they would be able to create a happier classroom as a result of Isha Vidhya’s training
56 Isha Outreach Report 2018 “ Close to 10 million children study in the government schools of Tamil Nadu. Right now, the situation is not so palatable, but we can change that. It only takes a small amount of intervention to get them inspired, educated, and skilled. With a little bit of involvement, a lot can be done.
Sadhguru
58 58 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 59 Community Health & Wellbeing
Action for Rural Rejuvenation
Isha’s Action for Rural Rejuvenation (ARR) has fi fteen years of experience solving problems in rural communities. This pioneering social outreach program has sought to transform the lives of India’s rural poor. Initiated by Sadhguru in 2003, ARR began by taking a comprehensive approach to the complex challenges faced by rural communities through the implementation of a range of health, livelihood and community revitalization programs. The legacy of ARR is that some of the original limbs of the project have today grown into separate entities of tremendous impact, such as Isha Gramotsavan and the Isha FPO (Farmer Producer Organization).
60 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 61 Mobile Health Clinics
Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) are specially designed and equipped to access populations deprived of adequate roads and basic healthcare facilities. ey o er free primary and minor emergency care on a bi-monthly basis, at the doorsteps of villagers. Each MHC team, which includes a doctor, paramedical assistant, pharmacist and driver, provides free examinations and treatment (both allopathic and traditional medicine), and refers patients to partnering local hospitals for advanced care. Each MHC covers approximately 40 villages in a month.
e ARR mission continues to inspire. Recently, a team has put together their considerable expertise in creating a “Model Village” project to revitalize rural landscapes. e pilot for this concept is being proposed in the block of ondamuttur, which is already primed to play a cooperative and participatory role in the implementation. Committed partners can help this project become the catalyst that can transform the lives of 850 million rural Indians.
An Appeal Through your generous donations, we are able to reach out to the health needs of local villages and tribal communities. We also welcome donations of medicines and medical equipment from individuals and organizations, as well as mobile health vans to expand our reach. Our stationary health clinics require constant updating of infrastructure and equipment, such as hospital beds, IV stands, stretchers, medicine storage cabinets, pharmacy racks, X-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, and immunology and hormone analyzer equipment. Donations towards these or towards expanding our existing clinics or emergency kits would help us provide these important health services to more rural communities.
Community-Based Health Clinics
Isha Rural Health Clinics (IRHCs) have been established to respond to the community’s need for a ordable, high-quality, round- the-clock and easily accessible health care. Equipped with a lab, a pharmacy and facilities for minor surgery, each IRHC serves approximately 45 surrounding villages and treats an average of 100 patients daily.
Health Awareness and Specialist Health Campaigns
To augment the work of Isha’s mobile and fi xed health clinics, health awareness events and medical camps are taken directly to the underprivileged in rural and urban areas. Focused on prevention and self-care, the camps share talks on general health and hygiene, recognition of disease symptoms and simple techniques to care for chronic diseases.
62 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 63 ARR’s Mobile Health Clinics over the Past Year 3 Mobile Health Clinics in total 52,000 Patients treated through Mobile Health Clinics in the year 2018
ARR’s Health Camps over the Past Year 35 Camps were conducted Eye – 12 Dental – 16 Neuro – 4 Diabetic - 1 General Health – 2 2923 Patients treated through these health camps
64 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 65 “ is project is not just aimed at improving the economic conditions of people. It is a way of raising the human spirit and inspiring human beings to stand up for themselves.
Sadhguru
66 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 67 Disaster Relief
rough its Mobile Health Clinics and network of volunteers on the ground, Isha Foundation is uniquely poised to o er swift and e ective interventions when disasters strike. In 2004, when the tsunami hit the coast of Tamil Nadu, Isha was involved in rehabilitation work and community-building e orts, providing medical aid for tsunami victims and support for the reconstruction of houses and boats. Yoga was also imparted to those a ected as a means to overall physical and mental wellbeing.
During the Chennai fl oods in 2015, Isha volunteers swung into action, distributing medicines, food, drinking water and clothing, besides conducting 345 medical camps and operating Mobile Health Clinics in Chennai, Villupuram and Cuddalore districts. Over 198,000 people received medical assistance and 150,000 people received relief materials.
“ Isha volunteers came to our rescue on 22nd August, when our resources to help 300 families in Ward No. 12 of Kotayail Kovillakkam fell short. Not only did we receive cleaning materials but also periodic follow-up calls checking on our progress. These 300 families have got a renewed vigour to work and clean up their homes If your humanity“ is in full fl ow, after they received abundant supplies. Thank you Isha, you are true champions serving the you will reach out to life around you. underprivileged.” is is not morality – this is the nature Priya Singh, Camp Coordinator, of being human. Cocoon Foundation, Kerala
Sadhguru
68 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 69 Tamil Nadu Cyclone 45 Relief Full-Time Volunteers
When the call for help came from people 111 a ected by the Gaja calamity, Isha Foundation Medical Camps was one of the fi rst to respond. Isha volunteers held 111 medical camps in 99 villages, providing treatment to 15,652 patients. ere were about 45 volunteers full-time on the 15,652 Patients fi eld, while another fi fteen doctors joined the team for short durations. Even though there was no electricity in these villages after the cyclone broke out, and the area was infested but that did not stop him from reaching out to with mosquitoes, our volunteers held the others. Ranga Swami, who lost his fi sheries and health camps until the late evenings. prawn farms, hosted all the volunteers for three days, giving the best of what he could o er. Some of the volunteers even kept their Balu Anna, another local businessman, not only personal losses aside and o ered themselves opened his house but also his o ce for the relief completely to this cause. For Dr. Surendran, work – he along with his entire family were the Gaja cyclone has been an ordeal, as it involved days and nights on end in organizing seriously a ected his family business. But and manning these camps. this benevolent doctor left it to his father to take care of the personal situations and joined Our heartfelt gratitude to these wonderful Kerala the camps to treat patients. Bala Kumar of volunteers working on the fi eld behind the 175 iruthuraipoondi had the misfortune of scenes for their selfl ess service and compassion. Isha Volunteers Flood Relief losing two of his close relatives to this cyclone,
is year, as Kerala reeled under its worst fl ood in nearly a century, 175 Isha volunteers and several 68,000Total number of people supported doctors were on the ground involved in rescue e orts, providing basic amenities, medical aid, and cleaning houses and temples. ey reached out with help and support to 68,000 people and were 120Stranded people helped able to help 120 stranded people by forwarding their requests in time to qualifi ed rescue teams.
Maintaining hygiene and sanitation was the toughest challenge in the fl ood-receded region, 100+Houses and temples cleaned so a group of volunteers moved to infection-prone areas to provide cleaning support for homes. ey cleaned more than 100 houses, the Adishankara temple in Kalady, and the Anjaneya temple in Deshom. It took 30 volunteers two days to clean each of these temples. A few volunteers even took the initiative to make food packets and personally drove to 8 camps to replenish the food supply. 70 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 71 Farmer Producer Organization
Isha’s Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) initiative aims to transform the Indian farmer’s life from one of debt traps, suicide and dwindling resources, to one of prosperity, market access and sustainability. Poised to be the engine of change that rural India needs, this initiative aims to support farming communities to organize themselves into profi table enterprises.
Isha’s FPO movement is fueled by a vision to fi nd micro- and macro-agricultural solutions to the farmer’s bottom line. While FPOs are self-sustaining once stable, the establishment of an FPO is a matter of extraordinary organization, sustained motivation and a stable seed fund. A transformation of this scope will raise nearly 60% of the population out of poverty. Lack of market access is one main factor driving farmer suicides. An FPO creates opportunity for aggregation of marketing, which gives the farmer more market leverage and the possibility to diversify crops without much risk.
An Appeal Next year the target is to have a turn-over of Rs. 12 crores for the FPO. Other aspirations are the implementation of drip irrigation, rain water harvesting, a value-added groundnut and gingelly oil business, a vegetable nursery, an organic group certifi cation, organic farming training, creation of model farms, and a neera (toddy) license. We seek your support to improve the FPO infrastructure, to expand the bandwidth of the existing FPOs, and to conduct further training workshops for farmers in the future. This is an opportunity for committed organizations to partner with Isha Foundation to empower the farmers of the nation and build an India that will be a model of inclusiveness, where agriculture is a sustainable source of livelihood.
72 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 73 Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company Ltd (VUPCL) – an Isha supported FPO
1065 members, The best FPO in 404 women Tamil Nadu farmers
12,000 Hectares Ranked 9th in of farmland the country
e greatest achievement“ in this country has been that of our farmers, who have managed to feed 1.25 billion people. It’s on us now to help them improve their livelihood, the soil quality, and our food security.
Sadhguru
74 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 75 What is an FPO?
Farmer Producer Companies are collectives 7 that consolidate smallholder farmers and o er them a competitive edge to achieve or Trainings were conducted in 2018 on water Year on Year Growth in Annual Turnover of exceed their fair market potential. In addition, Isha’s FPO (INR.) saving technology, intercrop cultivation, knowledge pools o er real time answers liquid fertilizer usage, crop insurance, drip irrigation, and vegetable export. from trained professionals as well as from 2017-2018 7,91,17,965 the wisdom of farmers within the collective. Furthermore, retail prices of produce are fi xed 2016-2017 2,37,80,661 at fair and profi table rates. e FPO instructs 2015-2016 1,04,68,363 on every aspect of innovation and e ciency 2014-2015 58,58,120 that avails the farmer of the greatest profi t for his e orts to feed the nation. 2013-2014 45,838 231 Farmers participated in the trainings and 38 farmers attended two exposure visits, Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company organized by Isha, to Delhi and Erode where Limited (VUPCL) is the name of the Farmer they interacted with other FPOs. Producer Company sponsored by Isha Foundation. Started in 2013, by 2017 it became Top FPOs in Tamil Nadu by Turnover the top FPO in Tamil Nadu in annual turnover S. and the 9th highest achieving FPO out of 769 State Name Name of Resource Institution FPO Name No. total FPOs in all of India. Since 2013, VUPCL Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer 1 Tamil Nadu Isha Foundation Company Ltd Crores has conducted 45 trainings overall with over 1,200 participants. e cooperative is Thoothukudi Pulses Producer Company 7.91 2 Tamil Nadu Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited (KTL) Limited Total turnover in 2018 for VUCPL specifi cally motivated to make pesticide-free
Salem Kanjamalai Pulses And Millet organic produce. 3 Tamil Nadu Erode Precision Farm Producer Com. Ltd. (EPFPCL) Farmer Producer Company Ltd From 2017-2018, the FPO turnover tripled in Dindigul Maize And Sorghum Producer 4 Tamil Nadu Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited (KTL) Company Ltd value. e majority of the FPO sales are in coconuts and VUPCL is capitalizing on every Karikalan Pulses Farmer Producer Com- 5 Tamil Nadu Erode Precision Farm Producer Com. Ltd. (EPFPCL) pany Ltd part and possible use of a coconut, leaving nothing of the tree to waste. Erode Pulses Farmer Producer Company 6 Tamil Nadu Erode Precision Farm Producer Com. Ltd. (EPFPCL) Farmers groups20 are running successfully, Ltd of which 19 are cluster-wise FIGs e small farmer is the success story and the Virudhnagar Millets Producer Company 7 Tamil Nadu Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited (KTL) (Farmer Interest Groups) and the other is a stakeholder of VUPCL. Isha Foundation’s aim Ltd women’s SHG (Mambadugai Women’s Self- has been to put more power in the farmers’ Namakkal Farmers Producer Company Help Group). 8 Tamil Nadu Erode Precision Farm Producer Com. Ltd. (EPFPCL) Ltd hands so they are no longer beholden to an unfair market or to the vagaries of weather. e 9 Tamil Nadu Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited (KTL) Salem Maize Producer Company Ltd VUPCL supported farmers with market farmers are able to oversee their crop not just linkages last year for the following products: from seed to harvest, but stand in the market 10 Tamil Nadu Erode Precision Farm Producer Com. Ltd. (EPFPCL) Tirupur Farmers Producer Company Ltd coconuts, coconut oil, neera, and 32 varieties as manufacturers and distributors. e scope of vegetables. of the FPO is powerful and has the potential to Jawadhu Hills Small Millets Producer 11 Tamil Nadu Kalanjiam Thozhilagam Limited (KTL) connect the small and scattered rural farmers Company Ltd and make them greater in their unity.
76 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 77 I’m an engineering graduate with 8 acres of land for farming along with 20 years of farming experience. After joining the FPO, life has become very stress-free for me, otherwise I would have found it extremely tough to balance my work and family. Now I have a house, car, tractor – everything of my own.
e greatest tension for the farmer used to be dealing with the vendors, who are basically the middle men between us and the market. Prior to the FPO, farmers had no choice but to give any price that was demanded in the market for products like coconuts. en it was Rathinavelu Sadhguru who spoke about it and spread the awareness of the need to form a community.
Initially, it took more than 6 months to get the farmers together. We had to create awareness in individual villages, knocking at every farmer’s door for half a year to create this FPO. If we call for a meeting, 50 people would turn up. Finally, when we made all the arrangements, including food and travel, only 20 would make it. In essence, forming an FPO is not as easy as it appears.
e one-time cost needed to start the FPO is I took up agriculture in 2010. In the initial a lot of stress and risk for our farmers. ey Rs. 10,000, which is our share value equaling days, farmers were very innocent and illiterate just have to put in a word that their produce is 100 shares. e main concept is that the and didn’t know about direct marketing. ey ready and the rest is taken care of by the FPO. system should be run by farmers and only used to harvest bulk produce, but they had a e pricing has become fair now, with the they can be shareholders. We have about very tough time with sales. ey completely FPO fi xed price being the golden standard of 1030 members now, and we have a waiting depended on mediators, and the mediators reference for other farmers too. Everyone has list of 200 people. e last fi nancial year, our were exploiting our farmers big time. I, too, begun to sell at this price. turnover was 7.91 crores and we are number 1 faced certain di culties. I didn’t know what in Tamil Nadu and number 9 in all of India. kind of crop I should cultivate at what time Direct marketing of vegetables is one of the of the year. It took me 3 years to learn those challenges we are facing right now due to its After we started getting more funds, we techniques. life span. Coconuts can be stored for a long reduced the membership cost. At present if period of time, whereas vegetables cannot. But anyone wants to join our organization then ere was an FPO functioning in a place called I believe in our unity to face these challenges. they have to pay Rs. 2500 for the membership Aayakudi. Sadhguru made them come to the at’s our strength. If we stay united, we can fees and they have to prove that they are a Isha Yoga Center and meet with us to explain achieve the best in farming. farmer with land. For some famers who can’t in detail about how they were working. a ord the fee, Isha Foundation supports them Only after that, we were inspired to plunge by giving more than 50% to help them join. into full-fl edged action. Isha has been the backbone of this FPO. I was present at the fi rst Saravanaprabhu meeting Sadhguru conducted for our farmers. He was telling us that the wellbeing of people Saravanaprabhu Sellakuttygounder from lies in the wellbeing of our farmers. Narasipuram joined agriculture after completing Rathinavelu is a co-founder and director of his M.Sc., and working 3 years in the software the Velliangiri Uzhavan Producer Company e FPO supports farmers from end-to-end by industry. Realizing computers were not his cup Limited (VUPCL) FPO. taking care of the required manpower from of tea, he became a farmer. The FPO was an plucking the coconuts, to removing the shells indispensable resource for his success. He is now and selling them in the market. So this saves one of the directors of VUPCL.
78 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 79 Kuppusamy from Semmedu is also an FPO director. From a farming family, he has been running his farm for the past 10 years, which has now become a busy hub for FPO activity. Since the VUPCL has started, he has experienced many amazing changes about the possibilities for coconut farming and beyond, especially how much agency farmers can retain over their harvests.
Mani from Semmedu had a talent for making coconut milk, and from that grew this small business of 7 ladies that she now leads. They make coconut milk, rose milk and sweets together. They get together in the mornings and evenings, taking turns Mani with di erent duties. They earn a profi t of Rs. 20,000-25,000 per month that they divide equally. The Isha Yoga Center has provided them a stall for their coconut milk, which is sold by a vendor.
Because I have a small farm, I couldn’t a ord coconut tree to fuel the cooking fi re. Before, to harvest the coconuts myself. I had to seek a the vendor was taking all of these parts, vendor’s help to cut the coconuts o the tree. including the coir, and so we couldn’t take en, I was forced to sell at whatever rate the advantage of the coconut’s multiple uses. vendor was determining as the price of the Now, we’ve started selling our own brand coconuts, which was half of what they were of coconut oil. We couldn’t have dreamt of selling in the market. having a product of our own without the First, what the FPO did was, they got coconut FPO. We would still just be selling coconuts. harvesters to cut coconuts every day from Now, we’re aiming at popularizing our brand. each farm. is was one advantage of the We make our own organic oil without using farmers being in a collective. Secondly, they sulphur or other chemicals to refi ne it. Now
Kuppusamy all got together and sold it to the mills directly that people are seeing the di erence in quality without using a vendor. between the typical store-bought oil and this organic oil, many people are converting to our Every part of the tree is useful in a coconut product. tree. We have to peel o the coir pith from the coconuts, and with the coir pith we can actually earn extra income. ere is also a part of the coconut that can be burned. Local village women have formed a small operation here at my farm. ey make coconut milk, and in the process they are burning parts of the
80 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 81 Azola Farming
e most recent workshop topic this year in the FPO was farming Azola. Azola is a highly productive algae- like fern, which grows on the surface of water quickly and in great abundance. It is organic and can be used to replace the usual cattle feed, which results in a savings of Rs. 2000-3000 a month. Azola is a highly nutritious feed for cattle, and ends up raising the quality of the milk, which then increases its price. And the best part is, farmers need almost zero investment to produce these results. Typically, farmers do not have a way of learning about these innovations. Now, the FPO can support farmers in learning new techniques that yield profi t with little investment.
82 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 83 Isha Gramotsavam A celebration of village life
Isha Gramotsavam creates the necessary ambience for men, women, and children of all ages in rural India to come out and play on a daily basis. As a result, sports have become the key to unlock wellbeing and to inspire and revitalize communities.
Gramotsavam is one of Isha’s most popular and high-energy outreach initiatives. Gramotsavam translates to “celebration of village life” and showcases the essence of rural Tamil Nadu through an elaborate display of rural games, art, drama, dance, music, and food. e event culminates in a state-wide inter-village sports tournament full of intensity and healthy competition.
In 2018, the Isha Gramotsavam tripled its participation over the previous year, by involving over 35,000 players from 3,000 teams throughout Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. e fi nals were held in the presence of Sadhguru, along with the chief guests Shri Banwarilal Purohit, Hon’ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, and Smt. Karnam Malleshwari, India’s fi rst female Olympic medalist.
An Appeal Isha Gramotsavam is creating a wave in Tamil Nadu, which is now spreading to Andhra Pradesh with the partnership of UNICEF. But more needs to be done. The vision is to make India as a nation play, and bring sport into everyone’s life. Collaboration with the state governments to conduct tournaments, strengthening the sports infrastructure at district and block levels, and platforms for sporting events are needed to create a culture of sport. We seek contributions and support from committed individuals and companies to take this sporting culture across the nation over the next few years.
84 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 85 1600Volleyball teams for men 301 rowball teams for women
Kabaddi 1320 teams for men and women
Paralympic16 teams
Villages6500 touched across Tamil Nadu with total prizes and awards worth Rs. 62 lakhs 30,000 People attended the grand fi nale at Erode 1 lakh + People engaged through online and on-ground promotions
86 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 87 Let’s bring games, sports,“ and playfulness into our families, neighborhoods, villages, and towns. A ball can change the world.
Sadhguru
88 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 89 Isha Gramotsavam is a living, thriving model of how sports can transform individuals and, in turn, entire communities.
Set in the delightfully picturesque hills of the village with a sari for a net and a ‘volleyball’ made Nilgiris, Moradakombai is a village with a warm out of old cloth. After much convincing, the local tale of struggle and triumph. In the monsoon Milk Society allowed us to use their ground to of 2018, an Isha volunteer set out for his daily play on, but our problems had just begun. The walk, and he noticed a bunch of men across ground was a thriving drinking spot for many di erent age groups totally immersed in a game unruly men. We would often be interrupted by of volleyball. It is not usual for countryside men men in inebriated states who also harassed the in India to indulge in a sport of western origin, women of the village. Resolute, we approached so he played the curious spectator. On closer the local Collector and later the media and got observation, he noticed the ball was actually a the wine shop closed down. Today, three former bunch of tattered cloths woven into a makeshift alcohol addicts who harassed us regularly are volleyball. Not able to contain his interest, he now core team members addicted only to the eventually approached the men after their game game. One ball has changed the course of our to understand the origins of this newfound lives! Every day we somehow ensure we reach sporting phenomenon in his village. the ground at 5:00 pm and play till we can’t see the ball anymore.” One of the players began to narrate their story: “Most of us here have temporary jobs, so we When our volunteer informed Isha about are always on the look-out for employment in this heartwarming story, we dispatched two nearby towns and villages. During one such volleyballs and a net to the village and urged trip, I noticed a bunch of men playing a sport I them to participate in Isha Gramotsavam. hadn’t heard of or seen before but which seemed Although they lost their fi rst match, the team beautiful. On enquiring further, I learnt the sport remains motivated. “Next time, we’ll participate is called volleyball. With only basic knowledge of with more practice and also a specially designed the sport, 2-3 of us began to play the sport in our jersey,” they said with a smile.
Kumudhapuram is a classic example of what Gramotsavam aspires to achieve. Sohail, a local mechanic, tells us why: “Our neighborhood is predominantly made up of people from Muslim and Christian backgrounds. e only time all of us shed our identities and abandon ourselves with total involvement is during a game of volleyball! It’s not just the boys; a local school is working on building a team of champion girls.”
90 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 91 “For the past 12 years I’ve been playing volleyball. ere’s no other sport like it. I Isha’s Rural Rejuvenation initiatives remember watching with awe as the others bring joy and exuberance back in the village played. I studied their warm-up into the rural experience. The for the game, their defense skills, and began taking mental notes. I wanted to demonstrate approach motivates villagers to my athleticism and spike the ball as hard as rehabilitate their communities possible. and steer the destiny of their
In 64 villages around alavadi, there are lives. The numerous initiatives 5 strong volleyball teams. We have at least include sanitation and solid waste 4-5 tournaments in alavadi every year, management, infrastructure, in which there are cultural activities and cultural programs as well. is is a chance for educational scholarships, and life- the village to celebrate. During tournament skills or vocational training. Isha also days, we all come together no matter what supports rural communities in the our caste or community. Everybody enjoys celebration of traditional festivals and waits in expectation of the prize winners announcement. and revival of cultural practices.
We want to bring the culture of sport into our village because it’s helped many of us become happier, and it’s exciting for our friends and family, too. It can change a person’s life. For example, I don’t want to name him, but there’s one guy we brought on our team because he’s really tall. We wanted him to play for us, but at the time he was smoking and drinking to the level of being an alcoholic. We told him to take advantage of his height and join our team. He eventually did and ever since, he’s become really healthy and plays quite well.
My ambition is to create one team of very strong volleyball players. I want to achieve something extraordinary. Someday, I hope our boys can play nationally or internationally. We were thrilled to take part in Gramotsavam, and that’s how we learned about Isha’s initiatives for rural development and we’re proud to say that we’ll do whatever we can to support them in the future, especially by continuing to participate in Gramotsavam. is tournament is like a village festival, and we look forward to it again next year.”
Amulraj, Teacher in alavadi village
92 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 93 Rural and Tribal Welfare
Isha’s Rural Rejuvenation initiatives bring joy and exuberance back into the rural experience. e approach motivates villagers to rehabilitate their communities and steer the destiny of their lives. e numerous initiatives include sanitation and solid waste management, infrastructure, educational scholarships, and life-skills or vocational training. Isha also supports rural communities in the celebration of traditional festivals and the revival of cultural practices.
Waste management
“Never in history have so many people had so much to throw away and so little space to throw it as the people of India in the second decade of the twenty-fi rst century,” – Excerpt from the book e Waste of a Nation (Harvard University Press)
According to the World Bank, India’s daily waste generation will reach an astounding 377,000 tons by 2025. If not managed e ciently, this could have an undesirable implication on our health and overall wellbeing. Help us contribute to a clean and healthy India through this initiative.
Research shows that if India continues to dump untreated garbage at its current rate, then we will need a landfi ll the size of Bengaluru.
94 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 95 We educate residents on the need for e cient waste Every morning, our sevadhars (5 women and We carry this waste in electric vehicles to a local At the dumpyard, the collected waste goes through management and the related benefi ts for their 6 men) visit each household to collect their dumpyard where our sevadhars wait for the another round of segregation by our sevadhars. e health and overall wellbeing. We then provide every segregated waste in larger drums. drums to arrive. inorganic waste is further separated based on type: household with two dustbins: one for organic waste white plastic, colored plastic, bottle caps, water bottles, and the other for inorganic waste. etc. e reusable and recyclable inorganic waste is then sold to relevant stakeholders. e remaining inorganic waste is then sent to a burning ground to be incinerated.
Daily waste management process in rural villages
After careful processing, the organic waste is then converted to high quality compost that our FPO farmers are free to make use of. We make sure no waste ever goes waste!
Isha Outreach Report 2018 Today, 30 such girls are there“ studying in Coimbatore, on full scholarships from Isha. 10 years ago, in twenty tribal villages, you might fi nd 2 or 3 people who had a degree...
Rural Scholarships
A Swami at Isha Yoga Center involved with the them dropped out within the year. It was Rural Welfare program shares his experience of shocking. Even I lost my desire to make any providing scholarships to children in the local more such e orts in the tribal village for the vicinity: next two years.
“In 2006, Sadhguru announced that he was en, one day I saw one of the girls who had going to start the Isha Vidhya School and I saw stayed enrolled. A remarkable change had that rural children would receive an opportunity come over her. How well she had grown up otherwise available only to urban kids. Next inspired me to renew my hope in these girls thing I knew, I was going door to door, from from broken families. To transform even a village to village, and I got sixty tribal children handful of lives was enough. to apply for admission. ere was an entrance Soon I learned the reason for the girls’ test and they all failed. en we decided that Vocational training exodus had to do with the loneliness they we’ll start the 5-year-olds in LKG. Again, I went Thangappan from Thanikandi is a benefi ciary felt being away from their villages. e two from village to village. We convinced 100 sets of Isha’s vocational training. He has been with girls who remained in school came with us of tribal parents to send their small children to the Isha Yoga Center since 1991. 28 years ago, as ambassadors back to their tribal villages to Isha on full scholarship, which provided for all he came to Isha as a day laborer. Soon after, he inspire new children, to help them see how to their needs. was assigned as a helper to do plumbing work. have the same courage they once had. Gradually, he began learning new skills. Over the In 2015, this fi rst batch of Isha Vidhya Today, 30 such girls are there studying in years, he has had a hand in the construction of students scored a whopping aggregate score Coimbatore, on full scholarships from Isha. most of the buildings at the Yoga Center. Some of 89.6%. Many of these tribal students in 10 years ago, in twenty tribal villages, you buildings were constructed in record time: “We this batch have gone on to Medical and might fi nd 2 or 3 people who had a degree. worked day and night, but I enjoyed it,” he says. Engineering schools. To me, the fact of this is Now, dozens are graduating every year. One Now he is a site contractor and supervises a an act of grace. of the original thirteen who stayed in school, dozen workers who come from local tribes. On the other hand, some of these kids graduated with a B.Ed. degree and teaches “I couldn’t have come to this level without the dropped out. eir home life was complicated now at Isha Vidhya. support of Isha. I would probably be a farm by some heart-breaking circumstances – no laborer if I hadn’t come here,” he says. “I’m earning She has come full circle and it makes me parents, a drunken father, or a mentally sick much more, and apart from that, I have enough proud to see her as the beginning of a legacy parent. e tragedy of it unsettled me, so I time for myself, which is not possible earning for many more tribal girls, who I dream will sought out donors. daily wages. My wife works with Isha too. I have complete their own similar journey despite it two sons who are both in school. We are living For thirteen of these girls who dropped being so di erent from the world they know.” a very comfortable life. Right now, if I went to out, I arranged full scholarships to attend a Coimbatore, I could easily get a well-paying job, boarding school in Coimbatore. Eleven of but I would never leave Isha. No way!”
98 98 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 99 Kayanta Sthanam
In ancient India, the handling of the deceased Currently, the Tamil Nadu government has was conducted with great care to ensure a entrusted Isha Foundation to undertake the peaceful exit for the departed. However, in operation of 13 crematoriums in the state. the last 100-120 years the basic maintenance More than 8500 cremations were performed and aesthetics of crematorium services have this year, with an additional two Kayanta been overlooked. It is in this context that Isha Sthanams renovated and opened in 2018. A has undertaken the running of crematoriums full-day retreat was also organized at the Isha in India that are designed and conducted Yoga Center for all the 76 sevadhars, which under the guidance of Sadhguru. e fi rst included yoga sessions, Sadhguru’s talks, food Isha-run crematorium opened in 2010 at and games. Nanjundapuram in Coimbatore District.
An Appeal This project aims to develop and maintain eco-friendly crematorium facilities across the state of Tamil Nadu, which are open to people of all socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The subsidized and fi xed fees keep cremations very a ordable. Currently, if you visit cremation centers throughout India, you will fi nd these sacred spaces have devolved into scenes of neglect: ramshackle structures, indi erent and stigmatized sta members, polluted and degraded natural environments. Help us revive this ancient tradition. Sadhguru’s vision is to adopt and re-beautify 1000-3000 crematoriums in India, with the current goal being to take on 3-4 new crematoriums next year. We seek your help in adopting crematoriums and making this service available to people.
As we have responsibilities“ for the living, we have responsibilities towards the dead. Location of Isha Crematoriums
Sadhguru
100 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 101 “I have 25 years of experience doing this job. I have been a sevadhar here at Isha for 8 years now. is used to be the only crematorium in town and still no one came here because it was so ugly and
R. Ravi smelled so bad. Ladies would not even dare to come here. So, in those days if someone died, families would just bury the bodies somewhere else. Today, after Isha Foundation undertook this crematorium, the place has become like a temple.
People come long distances to do the rituals for their loved ones. It doesn’t matter if they’re rich or poor or come from di erent castes or religions, there is no discrimination. It’s our job to take care of the dead, and we do it with reverence.
People treat me with a lot of respect now. Before they considered me as low class doing a low class job. But now people speak The beauty of the lawns and the fruit about me lovingly, that I work at Isha and vegetable trees even attract the crematorium. Isha has helped me in an neighbors to the Kayanta Sthanam. immense way with my personal life. I had all sorts of bad habits – you name it, I had it. And look at me now, I have been sober for many years. Mohan Raj and his wife Bhuvaneshwari have in front of the Bhairava shrine, after whom
taken their daily morning walks at Kayanta I have named my children. My son’s name is Six months after I started here, I got Sthanam without fail since 2012. He says, “It Rudra Bhairavan and my daughter’s name is an increment and then Isha o ered doesn’t feel like a crematorium to me. It feels Srishti Bhairavi. To all those people who say scholarships to both my daughters. e like a temple.” crematoriums have negative vibes, I say they sta receives two meals a day. Bus fare is must see only one thing – that one day we are there for those who travel from far o . Our “Even when one of my friends died, I brought all going to end up here, it doesn’t matter how medical insurance is taken care of. We get his body here only. He was a violinist, a good or when.” yearly bonuses and uniforms as well. We friend who passed away. When I spoke to one are even provided soap and towels, since of the Swamis here, he said to bring the body Isha trains crematorium sta in the operational we need to take a shower twice a day. If I for the rituals. He supported us throughout and sacred aspects of the cremation rituals ever have health issues, I never worry. ey and they are provided fair salaries, health the next day until we collected the ashes. always give fi rst priority to the wellbeing of insurance, and respect. Mohan Raj & Mohan Bhuvaneshwari ey have taken this place to another level. the people who work here.” I have made a lot of friends here. We come together and make ghee lamps and gather
102 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 103 Environment
Project GreenHands and Rally for Rivers
Project GreenHands (PGH) is one of the world’s foremost a orestation projects in a tropical context, with a goal to increase Tamil Nadu’s green cover to 33% by enabling the planting of over 114 million trees in the state. Launched in 2004, with over a decade of technical expertise and hands-on experience, PGH’s work encompasses an array of programs including rural and urban greening campaigns, agroforestry programs for farmers, and Green School movements, which involve people of all ages and from all walks of life.
At the time PGH launched, some alarming predictions were being made about the desertifi cation of Tamil Nadu. Sadhguru went on a tour of the countryside to witness fi rsthand how ancient rivers that had been full fl owing only decades before were now dry. There were droughts and the evidence of a sinking water table. Since the only solution was a massive increase in green cover, a mega-plantation throughout Tamil Nadu was needed. Sadhguru knew it wasn’t enough to create just a tree-planting initiative. Project GreenHands was born actually to change the hearts and minds of the people.
104 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 105 Trees are our closest“ relatives. What we exhale, they inhale. is is a constant relationship that no one can a ord to break or live without.
Sadhguru
e Early Days of Project GreenHands
“ e fi rst 6-7 years were spent planting trees in people’s minds, which is the most di cult terrain. Now we are transplanting with much more ease onto the land because the idea is standing on people’s heads. If we had not spent those 6-7 years of planting trees in people’s minds, today this work could not have happened.
I see that if anything has to happen, it is never going to happen by policy change. Unless people can emotionally relate to it, unless people can have an emotionally charged movement, there is no way anything is going to happen on the ground. So we went about creating the experience of how a tree is not a project for you; a tree is your life. It is an outside part of yourself. It breathes for you every day. It is more than your lungs; your lungs cannot do anything without trees. We made people understand this in very simple ways…” – Sadhguru
106 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 107 Trees for All
3,037,452 saplings were produced through 31 nurseries and distributed to farmers, the general public, youth clubs, and institutions.
Trees for Life
e agro-forestry team made 407 farm visits in 24 districts where 248 farmers have planted 196,575 saplings in their farmland.
Green School Movement
rough the Kanchipuram Green School Movement, school children from 226 schools were trained in sapling production and 401,335 saplings were grown and planted by them.
Isha Agro Movement
32 one-day training programs were conducted in 15 districts of Tamil Nadu involving 1,337 farmers.
2 million volunteers Indira Gandhi Consultants to Paryavaran state governments Puraskar
108 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 109 Trees for All
Saplings are o ered as part of education programs to teach people the many benefi ts of trees. 25.28 million saplings have been distributed so far, making it India’s largest network of organically grown saplings.
You can choose from 80 di erent varieties of saplings from any of our 32 nurseries in Tamil Nadu and plant them at a site of your liking. Saplings also make for a unique gift option.
An Appeal There are many ways for individuals and companies to help support the initiatives of PGH. You can sponsor our Green School Movement to establish nurseries in schools and enable young students to grow and raise saplings. You can help us to increase agricultural forest for Rs.100/$2 per sapling. If you partner with us to plant 10,000 trees, you will have a chance to watch your donation come to life: you can track the location where the trees are growing with GPS coordinates of the farmland and know what varieties of trees are planted. You will also receive the name and photo of the farmer growing the trees, and for 2 years you will receive reports and follow-ups from the farmer. Besides monetary donations, you can become a PGH volunteer and support us in planting trees and conducting awareness campaigns. If you are a greenie at heart and wish to o set your carbon footprint, you can plant trees online at giveisha.org/pgh
110 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 111 enur is just a regular village in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. For residents, their most revered milestone is Mahatma Gandhi’s brief touchdown in their village en route to Madurai in the summer of 1921. However
non-descript, this village is home to 29- Anthony from the local EB o ce received year old Karthigai, an ordinary wedding three trees from Karthigai during his photographer who is extraordinarily inspired. retirement function and that inspired him To fully understand what makes him special, to start planting fl owering trees in his
Karthigai Karthigai recounts a turning point in his garden. is new hobby started attracting the childhood when he was fi rst taught to plant curiosity of children in the village and now his saplings in school: garden has become well-known throughout his neighborhood. “As part of Project GreenHand’s Green School Campaign, a Swami from Isha had visited my school. I was studying in the 7th standard then. He explained to us the deep relation we share with trees. I spent most of my life studying under a tree, but that day my equation with trees changed forever.” Since ...I spent most of my life Radha and Mukunda had given up on their that day, Karthigai has gone on to singularly “ parental aspirations after years of trying and plant an astounding 3428 trees. “Maybe there studying under a tree, but then they met Karthigai who urged them to are more, but I only kept track of 3428,” says that day my equation with raise another form of life instead: a tree. is Karthigai with amusement. trees changed forever... faithful couple nurtured this tree and in a His profession requires him to capture twist of destiny, the couple conceived a baby memories from people’s birthdays, weddings, after all. e tree has grown up and they and retirement functions, but Karthigai adds have hung a swing for the baby to rock him to his clients’ memories in a unique way that to sleep every day. makes him extremely popular. Karthigai started inspiring his clients to gift their guests a sapling. Karthigai’s unique passion for planting trees has even made him the only authorized photographer for retirement functions at the local EB o ce. e o ce just won’t have anyone else!
112 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 113 Isha Agro-Movement
With almost a decade’s worth of experience, Isha Agro Movement (IAM) aims to accelerate the transition of farmers from a chemical-based system to a sustainable system of natural farming. IAM is a farmer’s movement and is focused on putting money in the farmer’s pocket. e numerous environmental benefi ts are the beautiful consequence of putting farmers’ livelihoods fi rst and providing technical know-how that helps them greatly diminish their overhead, create rich and fertile soil, minimize water usage, and become self-sustaining over time.
Isha Agro Movement is designed as an initiative where in-training programs are conducted to empower participants to have a deeper insight into the concepts of sustainable farming and to make a shift to natural farming through the guidance, interaction and support of fellow farmers.
When farmers shift from conventional, chemical-based farming to tree-based, organic agriculture, their incomes increase thanks to higher value produce, and their costs reduce due to lower input requirements.
114 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 115 “Initially, it was di cult to even spot changes in the farm. en there was an extreme drought, and afterwards it rained, and that’s exactly when I observed the di erence in the soil. Only then I learned to look at the ground and not the produce. e soil and vegetation gradually began to change. Now the farm is wonderful and the yield is abundant. e growth is unbelievable. e soil has transformed, all without chemicals.
e farm is becoming self-su cient as the years progress and its reaching a point that one day the gates can be closed and the farm will carry on by itself. e only jobs would be to harvest and sell the produce. Even today the revenue is used to meet the expenditures of the farm and every year I’m able to take 11 lakhs from the profi t and pay my son’s annual college fees.”
Valluvan is the owner of Pollachi farm, which “I was curious how to make farming feasible a leading agricultural journalist once called for the farmer and still give the consumer the best coconut farm he has ever seen. healthy, wholesome food. It seemed What’s more, Pollachi farm is all organic. An impossible to make both ends meet. I pursued Isha volunteer since 2001, Valluvan is a civil it anyway despite my doubts,” he says. In engineer by profession and has no background his quest to fi nd the solution, he invested in farming. in a farm in Vettaikaranpudur Village near Valluvan Anaimalai Hills. Everywhere, farm land was selling at slashed rates. Lack of rainfall, lack of yields, pest e Isha Agro movement launched in tandem, attacks, ill crops, and crop failure forced out and soon enough Valluvan was welcoming farmers who were not fetching reasonable Isha volunteers to his new farm. “ e Isha prices for their produce. Valluvan had heard volunteers visited my farm and the solutions Sadhguru speak many times on the hardships they gave weren’t appealing to me at the of farmers and the impact it has on society. beginning. ey seemed illogical,” he said. “In 2009, they started their work on the ground, and I resolved to follow them blindly since I knew nothing about farming.”
116 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 117 Trees for Life Duraiswamy from ammanayakanpatty PGH provided quality, organic, inexpensive village near Salem narrates how he got into saplings and taught me how to plant and e Isha Agro Movement (IAM) and Trees for Life have agroforestry: maintain them. ey advised about planting created a groundswell of support and interest among multiple species, so as not to encounter loss “My parents and siblings are all farmers. farmers across Tamil Nadu. Demonstrable success and if one species su ered a pest attack. PGH also I’m a doctor by profession, the fi rst in my word-of-mouth testimonies have wrought their magic, taught me the importance of mulching. I was family to graduate from college. In 1981, and new avenues to establish ecologically friendly, using a lot of water for irrigation and cleaning while I was posted as a government doctor in fi nancially remunerative paradigms for agriculture are up the dry leaves o the ground, thus making Pachchamalai hills, I began investing little by constantly opening up. To harness these opportunities it bare and exposing the ground to the sun. little in farm land, 2-5 acres at a time. Today I and ensure sustained success, IAM is working on a strong With the benefi ts of mulch, I was able to
Duraiswamy have 120 acres. resource base for technical know-how, hands-on help irrigate 13 acres of land in 5 hours, whereas and quality saplings. IAM is open to partnerships in before it used to be just 8 acres of land in 5 From 2000-04, for practical reasons, I began nurturing this environmental/economic program. hours. cultivating my land as agroforestry. I faced a lot of failures in nursing the saplings and ese trees are highly profi table, easily procuring quality seeds. Finding labor was maintained, and the market is there, since also a hassle. at’s when Project GreenHands we are actually importing 60% of the wood we came into my life. I had overspent in need from other countries. One sq. ft. of teak establishing this farm without the necessary wood sells for about Rs. 2000-3000. e prices knowledge and PGH has helped to bring down are likely to only rise in the future because the cost by 60%. of short supply. I have an average of 1.5 lakh trees. I must’ve spent 10-15 lakh rupees in total to purchase this land. Even if we estimate the rate of one tree to be Rs. 2000, the value of this property is 20 crores.”
118 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 119 Rally for Rivers
Our rivers and soil“ are being depleted. Recognizing a dire ecological disaster in the making, Sadhguru started the nationwide In the near future, we won’t be able to feed initiative Rally for Rivers (RfR), in which he personally drove across 16 states to raise awareness about India’s dying rivers. e project saw an unprecedented coming together our population and quench their thirst. of political leaders, farmers, industrialists, business people, students, professionals, e simplest and most e ective solution is journalists and others. e initiative expanded into an unmatched people’s movement to increase the green coverage. with the participation of over 162 million people across all walks of life. e rally culminated with Sadhguru handing over a draft policy recommendation for the revitalization of rivers in India to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since then, Sadhguru the Governments of 6 states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Assam and Chhattisgarh – have signed MoUs and Detailed Project Reports with Isha Foundation to work in their states.
120 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 121 Kaveri River in 1984 and 2016 (Google Images)
Massive month-long Revitalization of Rivers O cial Rally for Rivers in India – Draft Policy partner of UN campaign Recommendation by Environment Sadhguru to PM
Impact: NITI Aayog 500 million trees MoUs in 6 states 250 million trees for issues advisory to to revitalize reforestation of States Maharashtra’s Kaveri basin rivers
122 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 123 Water Action Decade
e United Nations has also been examining the Rally for Rivers model, as it is applicable for implementation in tropical countries across the world. On March 22, 2018 Sadhguru was invited by the President of the General Assembly to launch the United Nations’ Water Action Decade.
In addition to the river revitalization movement, Isha Foundation was an o cial partner with UN Environment for World Environment Day 2018, hosted in India. Erik Solheim, then Director of UN Environment, joined Sadhguru for a public conversation in Delhi on June 5, 2018, to create awareness and policy change to beat plastic pollution.
e Maharashtra government has plans of Reforestation reforesting the state by planting a total of 50 crore trees. e town of Yavatmal was identifi ed for implementation of the fi rst pilot project with inputs from government o cials and experts in the fi elds of agriculture, horticulture, watershed, geology and river hydrology.
Karnataka has committed to planting 25 crore trees. Subsequent to meetings with the Government of Karnataka regarding implementation strategy, a pilot project is being planned in the Kaveri River basin. e plan to revive the Kaveri is ambitious and far-reaching, and will use state-of-the- art reforestation techniques such as aerial seedball dispersal.
e Ministry of Water Resources and the Ganga Rejuvenation Program has committed to planting 10 crore trees.
e Ministry of Rural Development has designed a plan of action to be carried out through its MGNREG Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). 124 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 125 Activities and programs
Karnataka Field Visit
Rally for Rivers Board Meeting River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India; Mr. Pravesh Sharma, IAS, who On July 22nd, the national board meeting of Rally for last served as MD of Small Farmer’s Agribusiness Rivers took place in Bangalore. is was the third board Consortium in the Ministry of Agriculture, From 1-14 October, the Karnataka team meeting of Rally for Rivers where the distinguished Government of India; Mr. B Muthuraman, former conducted a baseline survey in 6 districts of members – Justice Arijit Pasayat, retired Supreme Vice Chairman, Tata Steel; and Dr AS Kiran Kumar, Karnataka for the project to revitalize Kaveri Court Judge; Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson & former chairperson of Indian Space Research River basin and implement the state’s target of Managing Director of Biocon; Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary Organisation (ISRO) – gathered to review the planting 250 million trees. General & CEO of World Wildlife Fund; Mr. Shashi progres s of the river revitalization program. Shekhar, IAS who retired December 2016 as Secretary of In the visit, the RfR team met range forest the Ministry of Water Resources, o cers, forest watchers, farmers and tribal communities to collect data and understand the present situation of the forests in 3 districts and Madhya Pradesh the possibilities for reforestation. Government Training Program
e Rally for Rivers team conducted a An Appeal fi ve-day intensive training program for We seek the support and contributions of committed companies to revitalize the 130 senior block-level o cers from the lifelines of India – our rivers – and avert this dire ecological crises in the making. Jan Abhiyan Parishad (Madhya Pradesh Government) from 7-11 May, 2018.
126 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 127 Nadi Veeras
During the rally, Sadhguru made a clarion call to the youth of India, urging them to support the movement. Nearly 6,500 people from all over India signed up to join Rally for Rivers as full-time volunteers for 3 years. e fi rst batch of volunteers, known as Nadi Veeras or “river champions”, have been trained and are now working on the ground to change the status quo of India’s rivers for the sake of present and future generations.
“Being a part of this movement, I see my life stay with the villagers for almost a month, we divided as before and after Rally for Rivers. found that village folk are inherently close to I was fl owing with the pace of life working nature and are much more conscious about for a multinational company in Bangalore. It their surroundings. Knowing them and their wasn’t bad, but every once in a while I would conditions closely, we realized how our lives feel isolated, as I was only benefi ting myself. are going to be transformed totally as a part of When I followed the Rally in September this endeavor. and when Sadhguru made the “Call to the Today I must say that, indeed, it is an Youth” to volunteer full-time, I saw it as an honor to be a part of a movement like this opportunity to contribute to something much which envisions the wellbeing of not only bigger. I knew nothing about agriculture or our generation but also those to come. the grim state of our rivers, but I made the I bow down to everyone who made this decision to jump in. In the last four months campaign a success and paved the way for the of my time at the Isha Yoga Center, Ethiappa revitalization of our rivers and the upliftment (who is our beloved training guide and project of our farmers. advisor) trained us comprehensively on various aspects of Rally for Rivers. rough his support Siddhant Sharma and the guidance from other technical and non- technical specialists from various fi elds, a new world has opened up for me.
We are now ready to be deployed on the ground and start our work. I was part of the team of twenty Nadi Veeras who went to Maharashtra for the initial survey on the place and the people. rough our work and
128 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 129 “ A world full of love, light and laughter – its time has come. Let us make it happen.
Sadhguru
130 Isha Outreach Report 2018 Isha Outreach Report 2018 131 Our Heartfelt Gratitude
is report is dedicated to all our donors and volunteers who have made Isha Outreach what it is today. It is thanks to their generous support and contributions that we are able to reach out and touch the lives of so many in rural India. We express our heartfelt gratitude to each one of them.
An Appeal
It is also our dream and vision to scale up these initiatives in the coming years and improve the quality of life for millions of rural and tribal people across the nation. Large scale social transformation cannot happen without the continuous and consistent support of a substantial group of committed people and organizations who are willing to put the wellbeing of others before themselves. We require your support in creating a better world for our future generations, where human beings can fi nd a conducive atmosphere to blossom to their full potential. Reach out to us if you wish to know more or get involved.
Rural Education Kayanta Sthanam [email protected] [email protected]
Action for Rural Rejuvenation Project GreenHands arr.backo [email protected] [email protected]
Isha Gramotsavam Rally for Rivers [email protected] [email protected]
Rural and Tribal Welfare Sponsor Care arr.backo [email protected] [email protected]
Farmer Producer Organization [email protected] +91 94425 04672
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132 Isha Outreach Report 2018