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.

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• providing primary school education for disadvantaged children.
  

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On 1^st July the academic year recommenced across India. To celebrate the beginning of a new academic year, Sandipani Muni School held a special assembly for all the children and teachers. At the assembly, the principal of Sandipani Muni Secondary School, Mr Rajendra Singh, gave a welcoming address to students and teachers. The welcoming address was followed by a traditional song by Lalita, who is entering into the 9^th grade this new academic year. Students and teachers also participated in a traditional Indian celebration that included offerings of flowers, incense and books and singing about Saraswati, Hindu Goddess of learning. Pictures of Saraswati are found in educational institutes all over India and, through prayers to her, students are reminded of the divine nature of learning.

Food for Life Director Rupa Ragunath, Sponsorship director Nikunja Vasini and one of our Sandipani Muni School students, Puspa Sharma from 9^th Grade, recently had a meeting with the Honorable Member of Parliament, Mr Rahul Gandhi. Rupa said, "The meeting was quite brief but we were glad to meet such a young renowned political leader and have the opportunity to invite him to visit Sandipani Muni School." Help in arranging the meeting was provided by Srimati Lajwanti Srivastava, ex-Chairperson, Social Welfare Board Haryana. Mrs Srivastava and her son, Vikrant Srivastava, have visited Sandipani Muni School on several occasions. They are working with Food for Life in a voluntary capacity, helping the organization get the recognition and public exposure it deserves.

15^th July saw the opening of Food for Life Vrindavan's first Eco-School. The principal of Sandipani Muni Secondary School, together with one of the children enrolled in the Eco-School, cut the ribbon to mark the inauguration of the new school. The construction of this simple and ecologically friendly building has enabled Food for Life to quickly increase its capacity to educate children whose parents are desperate to get them into the organization's schools. The construction of the Eco-school, which was completed at minimum cost and within a few months, serves as a model for low cost, ecologically friendly schools. Only around 1/3 of the children admitted in the Eco-School are from Kiki Nagla village, where the school is located. 2/3 of the children admitted in the school live in the township of Vrindavan. The children from Vrindavan who attend the school will be transported every day on the Sandipani Muni School bus. Rupa Ragunath, director of Food for Life Vrindavan, said, "There are poor families in the villages but most families at least have some kind of solid building for their home. We have 600 Vrindavan families, most of whom live in slum areas in Vrindavan, who are desperate to get their children into Sandipani Muni Schools. The board of directors made the decision to transport children from Vrindavan to the village school so that we can fulfill our mission of "caring for the poorest of the poor." 150 children are being admitted in the Eco-School. The Eco-School provides tuition for prep. and first grades. After this academic year, the youngsters will graduate into second grade and their classes will be relocated into a double story primary school building that Food for Life is currently building in the village. When the entire primary school complex is complete, the Eco-School building will be utilized for extra-curricular activities such as music and dance lessons.

While most schools enroll students before 1^st July, Sandipani Muni School waits till all the other schools have finished enrollment and takes in the children whose parents have been unable to get them admitted into any other school. On Enrollment day at Sandipani Muni School, hundreds of people try to push their way into the school. This year the numbers were so large that the gates had to be closed to keep out the crowds. Nikunja Vasini, Child Sponsorship Director, said, "Enrollment has been like this since the school opened in 2003. It is terrible to have to lock the gates on children who are desperate to come to school but we are powerless, we can’t take them all." Visakha Dasi, who also works in the sponsorship department, said, "It is terrible to witness children trying to squeeze through the school gate but encouraging to see that the children who are granted enrollment have a real sense of victory. Although they are only five and six years old, their sense of victory suggests that they have some conception of the difference that getting admission in Sandipani Muni School will make to their lives.”

Now, for the first time ever, Sandipani Muni School has the equipment for variety of sports, including basketball, badminton, volleyball and table tennis (and a tennis court in the making). In India, usually only exclusive private schools have access to such sporting equipment. The purchase of the equipment was made possible by project GANESH, California, USA and their supporters. Richard Stocker, co-founder of Project GANESH said, "project GANESH is delighted to be able to assist the children of Vrindavan experience a normal childhood, to be able to play without concern for the troubles of their daily lives. To give the gift of innocence, of allowing a child to simply be child, is a great blessing and we are grateful for the opportunity to assist the life-changing work you are doing. "In praise of Sandipani Muni School’s work, Stoker said, "You have provided an education, food and love. Now playful exercise is also part of the gift you are giving the children of Vrindavan. This well-rounded approach to the well-being of the children will certainly pay huge dividends."

On 25^th July, all parents of newly admitted children were asked to attend a parents meeting. The director of Food for Life Vrindavan, Rupa Ragunath, said, "It is important that parents understand the value of the education we are providing for their children. Their life is already a struggle to survive and we are asking them to make further sacrifices for the sake of their children's future." At the meeting, the school principal, Mr Rajendra Singh, appealed to parents to do what they can to facilitate their child's education. Parents were asked to ensure that their children attend school regularly, do their homework and come to school with their uniform looking neat and clean. After the meeting, parents were provided with homemade lemonade and biscuits and were invited to visit the school regularly to keep updated on their child's progress.

Every year we are visited by hundreds of people from all around the world, each of whom brings their unique contribution to Sandipani Muni School. Volunteers and guests help to broaden the perspective of students, giving them an understanding of the world and an insight into the practices and ways of life of different cultures. July saw the visit of Laura Branco and Nina Morgan, who treated the children to a Capoeira demonstration at morning assembly. Capoeira is a mix of dance and martial arts moves created centuries ago by African slaves in Brazil. Recently, the popularity of this dynamic martial arts/dance style has increased, not only in Brazil but all over the West. Now, possibly for the first time, Capoeira dance has reached Vrindavan.

ARC (Alliance of Religions and Conservation) recently held a conference on the world water crisis in Salisbury, UK. The aim of the conference was to share information on locally appropriate solutions to the problem of water shortage and discover how faith based schools (i.e. about half of all schools) can be part of the solution to the world water crisis. Presenters included conservation activists from various religious groups working around the world; including representatives from Catholic, Islam, Buddhist, Hindu and Zoroastrian faiths. Also present were innovators, United Nations officials and UK Government officials. The director of Food for Life Vrindavan, Rupa Ragunath was invited to the conference to discuss the organization's work in providing clean water to villagers and educating children to be environmentally aware. Victoria Finlay, in her report on the conference, Finlay contrasted the willingness of faith based organizations to engage in conservation work with the more conditional willingness of governments. She said, unlike Governments, faith based organizations "don't say: "we'll only do this if another faith does this, or if the government does this," they simply say: "this is what we can give and this is what we can do." For more information on the "Faith in Water" conference, please follow the conference link