OUTREACH January - March 2018 Educating Rural India Vedic Studies I Education I Free Student Hostels I Schools I College Health Care I Special Needs I Community Development Projects Living for a Cause In conversation with our donor Shri. R.K. Shankar Krupa Home Residents Enthral Audience New Free Student Hostels In Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh Improved Sanitation Facilities In Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh TOUCHING LIVES EVERYDAY Dear Friends of AIM for Seva, Many corporate organisations are choosing us AIM for Seva has been educating and empowering for their employee engagement programmes children since its inception in 2000. Growth can be and partnering with us to unlock the potential measured in varied ways; At AIM for Seva, we of rural India. We have been able to make a measure it through the impact we create in the strong national presence with projects spanning lives of thousands of less privileged children. across 16 states; each project is directly Working at grassroots level, we create a administered by AIM for Seva. fundamental DNA change in every child spending With your continued support, we can extend over 8000 hours a year guiding, coaching and our reach; we can educate and empower every nurturing each child thereby transforming them child in rural India. into confident individuals. Thank you Facilitating innovative thinking and a learning ambience, we have a 95% pass rate across our 95 Free Student Hostels accommodating 3700 Sheela Balaji students. This year 15% of our students went onto Chairperson & Managing Trustee, AIM for Seva pursue higher studies and have found jobs in corporate houses like Sundaram Finance Limited, On our cover page: Children from Wipro, and Tata Consultancy Services. Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Free Student Hostel for Boys in Amreli, Gujarat Accreditations RECOGNITION Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 Awarded to Smt. Sheela Balaji, by the Honourable President of India Smt. Sheela Balaji, Chairperson and Managing Trustee of AIM for Seva and Swami Dayananda Educational Trust received the Nari Shakti Puraskar 2017 award from the Ministry of Women & Child Development for her contribution to the field of education, community development and sustainable living that has touched more than 20 million lives pan-India. The award was presented by the Honourable President of India at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi. The award is the highest civilian honour and is presented to iconic women in recognition of their exceptional leadership skills and exemplary achievement. “It is always a very positive feeling when there is recognition of the work we do - both humbling as well as a sense of wonder that one person's vision could have such far reaching benefit. Awards also inspire us to dedicate ourselves towards realising the full potential of Swamiji’s vision for creating a confident new generation - who believe and appreciate their cultural roots,” expresses Smt. Sheela Balaji. Smt. Sheela Balaji, received the Federation AIM for Seva Receives the of Indian Chamber of Commerce & FICCI FLO Award Industry - Ladies Organisation (FICCI FLO) Women Achievers Award 2017-18 under the Category - Social Entrepreneur (NGO) for 'Focus on educating rural India, community development, rural empowerment and support for differently-abled'. FICCI FLO acts as a catalyst for the social and economic advancement of women and society at large and endeavours to make women realise their strengths through its educational and vocational training programmes. Recognition by the body is an endorsement of all the work we do at AIM for Seva. Cover Story Living for a Cause Shri. R.K. Shankar one of our donors of Jaya Smrithi Dhama AIM for Seva Free Student Hostel for Boys in Udupi, Karnataka in conversation with the AIM for Seva team. Shri. R.K. Shankar is an example of high thinking and simplicity. Generously supporting AIM for Seva for the construction of the new block within the premises of Jaya Smrithi Dhama AIM for Seva Free Student Hostel for Boys in Udupi, Karnataka, his actions speak louder than his words. After a brief stint at the US where he acquired an MBA and worked in a multinational company, he came back to his roots in India. He joined Godrej as a trainee and retired as a Managing Director of a subsidiary company of the Group in 2016. When it came to giving back, he chose to support his home state of Karnataka. The new block for which he has extended support, is named after his mother as the 'Late Smt. R.K. Lakshminarasamma Block'. The septuagenarian believes that every child must be taught and made to feel a part of the society; only then would the child develop an interest and contribute to the society. A disciple of Swami Paramarthananda Saraswatiji since 1996, his relationship with AIM for Seva began in 2017. Here is a short excerpt of the interview with him: How important is educating rural India? Children are the future of the country. They are most receptive, innocent and productive. Why did you choose to contribute to AIM for Seva? I have been involved with charitable work for the the last couple of years, but I have never received such great satisfaction. With AIM for Seva I felt more connected. I was in cognizance to where and how my donations were precisely used. There is transparency and a clear account of my contribution and result. Any patron can walk into the Free Student Hostel anytime and interact with the students. It is a genuine organisation. Cover Story How has your experience with Jaya Smrithi Dhama AIM for Seva been? AIM for Seva Free The very fact that I know my money is in safe Student Hostel for Boys hands and I can see the results first hand is in Udupi, Karnataka satisfying. Project reports sent are helpful. I have had a number of sessions on placement training with college students studying in Swami Inaugurated in – 2008 Dayananda College of Arts & Science in Number of Children - 125 Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu. The students are curious Who are the children in this hostel? learners and enthusiastic. But we need to have more sessions with them. We are now conducting Children hail from villages like Vijayapur, a programme for the teachers there as well so that Belagavi, Bijapur and other nearby districts. they can engage with the students better. Which school do the children go to? The children attend Shri. R.K. Shankar has also been conducting S.V.H. Innange, Padubelle placement ready workshops along with his friend for our students studying in Swami Shri. Narayana Guru English Dayananda College of Arts & Science in Medium School Padubelle Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu. His workshop SDP Higher and Primary School, Bantakal focusses on resume writing, group discussion Kodu Shri Durgambica School, Panjimaru and personal interview and is designed to help students in domain knowledge as well What are the salient features of this Free as soft skills. Student Hostel? The workshop is open to all students of the The hostel is solar powered and has a college across all departments. Students considerably large garden space where shared that they found it very useful. Their children are taught the nuances of gardening. self confidence has risen and they have a They also play in the garden during the better idea of what they would have to face evenings after school. There is a library that at the job interview. finds students occupying it on Sundays. Updates Summer Camp In April 2018, 45 students from AIM for Seva Free Student Hostels in Nandyal, Pedapadu and Repalle in Andhra Pradesh started off the summer holidays with a fun and educative camp. In the 9 days camp held in the hostel, teachers, doctors and personality development coaches conducted interactive sessions for the children. The sessions included topics like crisis management, team work, effective communication, positive thinking, time management, natural disaster management and environmental preservation. The coaches used storytelling, lec-dems and theatre to teach the girls. A Place for Reflection The ‘Swami Dayananda Saraswati Memorial Centre’ was inaugurated on March 19, 2018 at Manjakkudi, the birth place of Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Gathered for the auspicious function were revered Swamis and Swaminis from across India, dignitaries and devotees of Pujya Swamiji. Located at the heart of Swami Dayananda Campus in Manjakkudi, Tamil Nadu, the centre has been carefully designed. Spread across an area of 3106 sq.ft. it is built of teak wood and has been dressed with sandstone flooring. The exterior brims bright with traditional red oxide floor, solid wooden pillars and a sunken garden area with granite that creates a picturesque welcoming view. Dipped in quietness, the Memorial Centre is a welcoming destination for Vedanta retreats, lectures, discussions and meetings of AIM for Seva. The centre has an archive of Pujya Swamiji's three-year courses, a library and is a complete aesthetic and spiritual hub. For further information on Vedanta retreats, please write to us at [email protected]. Spirit of the Earth - an Immersion Centre by AIM for Seva was started to celebrate nature and to give back to the Earth. Here, we shelve organic artisanal heritage rice grown in the lush fields of Manjakkudi, hand-crafted products by our differently-abled residents living in AIM for Seva Krupa Home and books authored by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. An AIM for Seva Initiative CORPORATE GIFTING OPTIONS Spirit of the Earth presents the ‘Box full of goodness’- a natural and classy gifting option for every occasion! These specially hand-crafted gift boxes allow you to customise your gift. Choose from our freshly harvested varieties of organic artisanal heritage rice, which have been cultivated using traditional harvesting practices. The box comes in four attractive shapes and sizes, along with recipe cards for the rice you 1/2 kg - Rs.