FFL Vrindavan is dedicated to the poorest of the poor, educating and guiding them in pursuance of a fulfilling life, enabling them to become exemplary members of society. FFL Vrindavan is also dedicated to protecting and developing Vrindavan’s natural environment.

Our work includes:

• food distribution
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• training courses for women
• drilling for drinking water and constructing water tanks
• assistance to the elderly and the disabled
• distribution of clothes
• environmental projects and education
• taking care of cows
• providing primary school education for disadvantaged children.
  

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e-News Archive

June 2007
July 2007
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October-November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008

FFLV's director, Rupa Ragunath, recently went to London to appeal to Indian-English business leaders to help him build a third school. At the Asian Achievers Award night, Food for Life Vrindavan was chosen as the charity of the night. Rupa gave a moving presentation about the work FFLV is doing and won the heart of many of the attendees, who donated generously towards the construction of a new school. The attendees at the awards night were the top Indian businessmen in London. Special guests included Bollywood actors such as Nitin Ganatra who also got behind the cause and encouraged others to contribute towards the expansion of Food For Life Vrindavan's work. Rupa said, "Before the event, we were apprehensive about how much we could raise in these difficult economic times. The Asian Achiever's Awards exceeded my hopes and expectations." He said, "I will be returning to India with a joyful heart, because now I can answer the six-hundred odd children who tug at my sleeve every day, asking when I will build them a school. Thanks to Gujarat Samachar, CB Patel and London's Asian community, construction of a new school can start in early 2009!

Responding to the needs of residents, Food for Life recently held a major cleaning campaign in the area outside Radheshyam ashram, Vrindavan. The community got involved to unblock drains, and clean up garbage that was causing a stench and attracting feral animals. This work was done as part of the Vishwas cleaning program, which is funded by the United Nations. Food for Life Vrindavan's Vishwas program has been cleaning the streets of Vrindavan since 2006. Thanks to the efforts of the cleaning staff and Food For life general manager, Neeraj Saigal, FFLV has been awarded funding to continue the Vishwas project for the next two years. Funding from the United Nations small grants project has been obtained for Rs.20 Lakh (US$ 4,500) to continue keeping the streets of Vrindavan clean and safe for all.

A fifteen strong legal forum, with eight legal advocates, and backed by the Aroh foundation, recently met at Sandipani Muni school to discuss ways of gaining legal rights for women farmers. The forum decided that Food for Life Vrindavan would play a leading role in organizing a rally against discrimination of women farmers.

According to Act 171 of the Indian constitution, even when a man is married, property remains solely in his name and he can sell it without consent of his wife. In cases of gambling, alcoholism and financial mismanagement by their husbands, women are left landless. The aim of the forum was to discuss ways to lobby parliament to put more systems in place to protect women farmers. Food For Life Vrindvan has joined a league of 70 non government organizations, working across Uttar Pradesh to raise awareness of the need for legal rights to land ownership for women farmers.

On 10^th December, the Ministry of Labour Welfare and Employment and Food for Life Social workers joined forces to hold an education day for unorganized workers. Unorganized workers have no job security and are amongst the most downtrodden groups of society. In its efforts to support these workers and break the cycle of poverty, the Ministry of Labour Welfare and Employment runs "Quality of Life" meetings. Lifestyle issues such as gambling, drinking, smoking, lack of family planning, lack of monitoring of children's school attendance are discussed at the meetings. This latest meeting was a follow up from a meeting held 6 months, ago also held in conjunction with Food for Life Vrindavan, where workers were encouraged to make lifestyle changes. Many of the attendees reported that they had made changes in their lives since the last meeting. One man reported that he had given up smoking; six women decided to join Food for Life's adult literacy training, one woman said that she had taken an increased interest in her children's education and eleven people formed a habit of making savings deposits through Food for Life microcredit groups.

Thanks to the contribution of one of our regular donors, Taj Bassi from Scotland, we were able to give out 100 shawls to needy women. Many women come to Food for Life's 5pm kitchery distribution wearing tattered and threadbare shawls or without any winter clothing despite temperatures as low as four degrees. On 12^th December, all the women who attended the food distribution program were given new shawls. The shawls that were left over from this distribution were given to the hard working cleaning ladies at Sandipani Muni School.

In conjunction with the Indian Government agency NABARD (National Bank for Arboriculture and Rural Development), Food for Life social workers recently conducted a training program for microcredit group leaders. Through these groups, villagers who have never had bank accounts, gain the opportunity to make monthly savings and take small loans. Microcredit self help groups are groups of between 12-20 individuals who get together to manage their own banking. In order for microcredit groups to be successful, they each need to open and maintain a group bank account. The purpose of this special training session was to inform group leaders about issues related to bank accounts. Many of the microcredit group leaders were illiterate before they attended Food for Life Vrindavan literacy and numeracy courses and few had any idea of how to do banking. They are now being trained in how to help themselves and others gain financial security and independence. The success of microcredit members in running their own accounts and setting up microenterprises (i.e. small businesses) is truly testament to the ability of individuals to help themselves get out of poverty when given the chance.

On the 23^rd of December 2008, Sandipani Muni School had its first ever Sports Day. The day was organized and funded by a donation from Juliane Brunner, a German Masters Student who has been volunteering at the school for 6 weeks. The day was enthusiastically attended by students and teachers who whole-heartedly competed in the events and supported their teammates. It was hard to tell who was more competitive - the students or the teachers. The day included 6 events: dodge ball, bucket ball, tug of war, "worm game" (a team building exercise where one student has to lead 4 blindfolded students), a sack race, and a three legged race. At the end of the day points were tallied and the winning team was awarded a sum of money that they will decide how to spend by democratic election. In order to continue the festivities and promote physical exercise, at the end of the day each student was given a ball to take home.

Sundipani Muni school students and the Food for Life social work team participated in a 7 day event organized by the Vatshalya Gram organization to wipe out the practice of female embryo killing. The Food for Life social work team gathered over 1,500 signatures from locals declaring their dedication to create social pressure and end the practice of female embryo killing. Sandipani Muni school children attended a gathering of 25 local schools which was addressed by speakers such as Mrs. Laxmikanta, Health Minister of Punjab State, and Smriti Irani, TV actress. Pooja, from 8^th grade, who attended the event, said, "the speeches were inspirational and I am glad that Food for Life is working to help stop gender inequality."

Thanks to a kind donation from Gangotri, Loy bazaar Vrindavan, Sandipani Muni school now has six acres of land at its disposal for the next ten years. Food for Life's director, Rupa Ragunath das, has decided to turn the land into a sports ground to give the budding athletes of Sandipani Muni school a chance to stretch their legs. The sports ground will include a running track and facilities for playing basketball, football, cricket and badminton. The equipment comes from a donation from the Project Ganesh Fund raising event held in Santa Barbara, CA., every year. Last Sunday (27^th December), a group of Sandipani Muni school students volunteered to go out to the field with Rupa to clear the field of any small plants and weeds in preparation for laying the sports track. Taj Bassi, a volunteer from Scotland, who also helped out on the day, said "I was really impressed with the way the children worked towards making their own playground. It was really hard work but everyone pitched in, the children, the teachers and even the bus driver who took us there."

This year’s New Years Eve program was a mix of traditional and modern art-forms and was attended by hundreds of local and foreign guests as well as many of the children and their parents. The program started with the traditional Ganesh Vandana dance, followed by a local folk dance. There were several modern dances and a traditional dance from Rajasthan. Several students went on stage to tell jokes and art club students displayed their newest designs. All agreed that the highlight of the performance was the drama. Children acting as Rupa and Neeraj described Food for Life's achievements in 2008 while other children acted out what they were describing. The children pantomimed doctors treating patients at Food for Life's new medical center, acted out riding on the new school bus, and pretended to be making paper at Food for Life's paper recycling factory. As well as looking back on 2008, the children talked of the exciting projects coming up in 2009, in particular, the new school!

Happy New Year to all!