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
• basic medical assistance
• 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
August 2007
September 2007
October-November 2007
December 2007

The New Year gift festival is FFLV’s traditional way to welcome the New Year. At this festive gathering, gifts are given to the school children of Braj district.
Allowing us to carry on this tradition, many old friends and supporters have renewed their pledges and new people have come forward to help. Together we are putting smiles on the faces of the children - many of whom have never had a gift or a toy to play with. This year we were able to give out over 4800 gift bags including school bags, balls, pencils and snacks...
Twenty four architectural students from the University of Minnesota were here to share in the giving experience. They came with us to the village schools - their first experiences of rural India.
In fact, this year we have had many newvolunteers and visitors who have had a very rewarding interaction with the kids. Two young graduate students, Kitty and Kajal, fresh out of University in London gave their time and talents to the SMS students for a week. They were inundated with thank you cards from the kids, who were very sad to see them leave.
Presently, we have quite a few volunteers caught up in joyful and fulfilling exchanges with the kids.

A young midwife from Switzerland spoke to our older girls about the problems arising from early pregnancy. Our girls were most responsive to the talk, relating how they had witnessed difficulties in the lives of girls in their own families, who had become pregnant as early as fifteen years old. Talking to our girls, answering their questions and encouraging them to take control of their lives is the only way to break the strongly entrenched social custom of early marriage. We were able to prevent one early marriage taking place last year but we lost two girls to early marriage.
We believe that talking to our girls about the physical and emotional difficulties of early pregnancy will help them to stand up to pressure from their families to marry young.

Eleven schools of Vrindavan participated in the annual art competition organized by FFLV. This year the event was sponsored by a group of architectural students from Minnesota University who also judged the competition. All art materials were donated by the students and the children were asked to express their understanding of the word environment. Sujata, a 7^th grade student from Sandipani Muni School, won the first prise.
Dr Virajeta (Professor of Architecture, University of Minnesota) gave a speech where she appealed to the children to become protectors of their environment. She asked them to take the message home to their family and their community.
The City District Magistrate’s wife also visited the school and was very impressed to see the children’s thoughtful illustrations.

According to our door to door survey, in Junai village, out of 250 households there are only 38 toilets. Everyday many villagers walk around 1/2 km from their village to open fields. This is a problem, especially for pregnant women and girls. In addition to the embarrassment and inconvenience, human waste on farmland causes the spread of disease.
On Sunday evening our social development team organized a meeting with village people to awaken their awareness of the need for toilets and explain the process of installing one in the home. We are working together with the local government and a social activist called Mr. Lalit on this issue.
The government grant is Rs 1,500 (US$40) This money is given in order to motivate people to make toilets while the real cost of a basic septic toilet is around Rs 3,500 (US$92). This grant is only given to families who are judged to be below poverty line (BPL). There are many families who do not meet these criteria but who do not have a toilet.
We received a donation from Mr P.L Dhanuka to help with the construction costs. This allows us to boost the amount of money that the government is providing so that BPL families will have to contribute only Rs 500 (US $13.15) for the construction of their toilet. For the families who are a little better off, FFLV will contribute Rs 1,500 (US $40) so their minimum contribution is Rs 1,000 (US $26).
The first stage of the project will see the construction of 20 toilets. We will evaluate the success of the project before continuing the construction.

With a contribution from the Minnesota University Students we set up two hand pumps in two villages, the students attended the inauguration which allowed them to see life in the villages and get an insider’s view into the everyday lives of villagers.
Villagers flocked to the inauguration to show their appreciation for the service and many brought water jugs so that they could take the first water from the new pump.

Construction on the FFLV Medical Center in Kiki Nangla has begun. The project, sponsored by the Mulji Family from Kenya & UK will be dedicated to Late Govindji Mulji. He had a strong desire to help impoverished Brajabasi and now his family members are fulfilling his desire to the benefit of the poor. The project will be inaugurated in October 2008 and will serve the medical needs of 9 villages. Due to the water scarcity in the area we have dug a small lake (kunda) which will harvest the rain water and recharge the underground water bed.
Construction of Medical center (left) and small lake (right) in progress.