Vivekananda Seva Mandal Dombivli Registration No: MAH/364/95/THANE Public Trust No:F/4661/THANE A Hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up, the gospel of equality, then there will dawn the resurrection of India.”Swami Vivekananda. Address: c/o Shri Hemant Gokhale, 101, Trimurti Apartment, Tilaknagar, Dombivli (East), Dist. Thane, PIN 421201. Phone number. (91-911) 430363 E-mail: [email protected] Brief history of Vivkananda Seva Mandal (VSM): : In the year 1989-90, a few ambitious, value driven engineering students who perceived Swami Vivekananda as the embodiment of quest for truth, passion for service and love for adventure rolled into one, decided to make an attempt to translate the message of Swami Vivekananda into action and follow his footsteps. The seed of VSM was thus sown. Today, with more than 2500 members, VSM has extended the activities in rural & urban areas through successful initiation of various socio-technical projects. VSM is sincerely concentrating on the total development of the Youth on educational, social, cultural and national dimensions. Interweaving all the youth in a string of mission i.e. ‘Seva Project’, VSM serves the Vanvasi brothers living in the interior part of the Thane district. The aim & path of VSM is regeneration of personality, of society and ultimately of country in its true sense. VSM activities comprise of programmes and projects in various field like: History, Modern Engg., Economics, Medicine as well as multifold Cultural, social & Service activities. VSM is growing with active participation of students and wholehearted, encouraging support of their parents and well wishers. VSM at a glance: Huge Library of Engineering Books, stationary Cell Project GOAL Project Vihigaon Rural Development Project Agricultural guidance. Medicinal help in vanvasi area ‘Diwali Sweet’ & ‘Bhau-Beej’ scheme, Aid to Vanvasi hostels Tree Plantation and Water conservation. Regular Programmes: Group Discussions, Seminars & Lecture series, Abhyas Varga, Swami Vivekananda Jayanti, Career Guidance Program, Gudhi-Padva, Poojan (15th August), Vijaya- Dashmi (Anniversary of VSM), Raksha Bandhan, Shiva-Jayanti, Srujan Sohala. Salient Features: Commendable & consistent achievements of many students in Diploma, Degree & Competitive examinations like GATE, GRE, TOEFL, CAT, CET etc. Close interaction with various Industries & Professionals. Recognition & generous help by many organizations like Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Friend of VSM Holland & USA, Ganesh Mandir Sansthan, Mumbai Education Trust, Marubai Gavdevi Mandir Matunga, Alumni of Vivekananda School etc. We need to have three things; the heart to feel, the brain to conceive, the hand to work. Swamiji Library Project: Started in the year 1989-90 with 50 books and 15 members, the library as of today has a versatile collection of more than 5000 engineering books and has more than 2500 members. Library acquires its most of the books by way of Donations. Address:- Guru-Daivat Society, Opp. Godrej Showroom, Manpada Road, Dombivli(East)-421201. Timings: 6:00 p.m., to 8:30 p.m., Every Saturday, Sunday. Nature of Work:- Purchasing, Binding, Registration & maintenance of books, Home issue and returns, Record keeping, Collection of fees etc. Regular users: Around 800 students per weeks.Regular subscription of many Magazines & Journals. Reasonably low fees. Working Committee:- 20 students, Stationary Cell: Year of Starting: 1996-97, Type of stationary:Drawing sheet, Graph papers, Journal papers, Pencils, other drawing material etc. Price: Reasonable. (No Loss No Profit Basis). Number of active members handling the cell:- 10. My Faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problems, like lions. Swamiji Vihigoan Project : ‘Vihi’, a small Vanvasi village in shahapur Taluka, Thane District, is located 15 Km away from ‘kasara’ and has a population of 1500 spread over 12 small padas (hamlets). Vihi, with all the population much below the poverty line. has been facing acute problems such as water shortage, unemployment, illiteracy, total lack of communication, medicinal facilities, proper agricultural guidance etc. This miserable situation instilled VSM to undertake a rural development program in Vihigaon in 1995. Since then with a view of total upliftment of the village VSM has initiated a multidimensional seva project as described below. : Medical Services: With the help of ‘NIMA’, an NGO run by socially dedicated doctors of Dombivli, VSM regularly organises a medical camp at Vihi on the fourth Sunday every month. Hundreds of villagers including ladies and children make use of this camp for the free medical treatment & medicines. VSM also organises a specialised camp once in a year with the help of different health organisations and doctors. Medicines required for this purpose are donated by chemists, doctors & hospitals or are purchased by VSM. Educational Services: VSM has played an instrumental role in extending the primary school in the village upto STD VII. Active workers of VSM help the students in learning subjects like Science, Mathematics, English etc. VSM has started a library for Vihi-students, comprising of more than 200 books. Sports & sanskaras help a lot in their development. Many other educational programmes are also organised by VSM throughout the year. Sympathy for the poor, the downtrodden, even unto death this is our motto. Swamiji Self -employment: With a view of providing self- employment to the villagers VSM has initiated projects like making candles & paper envelopes. Projects like Madhu-makshika (honey- collection) project, scented sticks project, medicinal herb cultivation project are down the pipe-line. Small-size Dams: In view of the acute shortage of water, VSM members have, from time to time, constructed small size dams with the help of the villagers. VSM members had surveyed the site and submitted the detailed technical report to the government for a permanent small dam, which will partially solve the problem of water shortage in the village. Women’s Wing, Small Saving Scheme: VSM has formed a group of 15 to 20 women of Vihi and implement a small saving scheme amongst them. A few projects which will help them financially, are being undertaken by VSM. Agricultural Guidance: Vsm, with the help of institutions and experts in the agricultural field, conducts guidance programmes like “Chatusutri” for the farmers of Vihi which help them to increase the yield. Believe in India and in our Indian faith. Be strong and hopeful and un ashamed, and remember that with something to take, we have immeasurably more to give than any other people in the world. Swamiji Other Activities include Plantation of trees, Cleaning the wells, Literacy drive, Cleanliness drive, First-aid training festival celebrations etc. More than 50 active members have dedicated their energy, time and money for the pious Seva- activity. Two members stayed in Vihi for one month and another one has devoted himself for one year as a Full-timer, leaving away his job for this Mission. Many more are in the queue to devote part of their life for this pious cause. Visits to Hostels in Vanvasi Area: In order to experience the pathetic situation in the Vanvasi are and to take its share in helping the Vanvasi brothers, VSM organises a visit to the hostels placed in remote area of Thane dist. More than 60 members participate in this visit. VSM extends its help in the form of food-grains, uniforms, books & notebooks, medicines etc. to the hostellites, to extent of Rs 20,000/-. Diwali sweets & Bhau-Beej scheme: VSM takes pleasure to share its Diwali happiness with Vanvasi Families. Every year VSM distributes SWEETS among them and give Sarees to the Vanvasi sisters. Hundred of the members actively participate in this activity. Rashtra Poojan & National Independence day Lecture-series: VSM makes it a point to express pious feelings towards our beloved Nation by organising every year a “15th August Lecture Series”on Historical and National subjects and oberves “Rashtra Poojan” on 14th August. This programme provides inspiration to all the members for all their activities. So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor, who having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them. Swamiji. Srujan Sohala: 20 to 30 artist-members of VSM enthusiastically take efforts in organising and presenting this high standard and qualitative cultural programme, which includes mono-acting plays & skits on current socio-cultural issues, instrumental concerts and melodious orchestra on historical, cultural & national themes. This programme creates a motivating atmosphere amongst the audience and members. It help to project VSM activities to the people. Project Goal (Go for Absolute Leadership): VSM intends to develop the college Youth who will ultimately possess an excellent academic brain along-with a tender heart full of social attachment & blood filled with the national pride. It is this youth, which VSM expects to lead the society and country in future. In order to achieve this goal, the following activities are organised by VSM: Establish relations with the Industries and expert professionals and consultants. Arrange guidance lectures of these experts for members. Arrange industrial visits. Organise seminars, debates and group-discussions on various subjects. Present case studies. Keep the members updated regarding latest issue in various fields etc. Undertake some small projects in Vihi(Rural Area). A working committee of 20 active members concentrates on this project. Other Assignment undertaken: Well equiped Study centre, reference library, seminar hall and auditorium, Provide appropriate technological alternative to the rural area by undertaking projects like watershed management, solar energy applications, etc. Co-ordination between many similar NGOs working in socio-cultural fields.