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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August 4^th-5^th 2010, Vivek Oberoi and Sushmita Sen graced Sandipani Muni School with their presence. The children gave them a grand welcome including a welcome song and rangoli (sidewalk art). In the evening the children performed for their special guests. Ms. Sen danced with the children to her song "Mahboob Mere" from the Bollywood movie Fiza. Ms. Sen took the stage several times throughout the evening. Addressing the school’s director, Rupa Raghunath, she said, "I would like to sponsor as many children as you will allow me to sponsor." She also announced the Sushmita Sen Scholarship Fund for higher education. Ms. Sen secured the scholarships, which will cover full costs of attendance for ten students per year, during a short visit to the GLA Institute in Mathura. "I am powerful." This is the motto of Project Devi, a cooperative venture of the Yashodhara Oberoi Foundation and Food for Life Vrindavan. Project DEVI aims to assure dignified upbringing, safety and medical care, and improve the conditions in which so many Indian children live, especially the girl child that is considered the lowest of the low in the rural patriarchal society. Studies have consistently shown that investing in girls’ education and helping women become economically self-sufficient are among the most effective means of bringing families and communities out of poverty. As Mr. Oberoi said, "Girls are the key to the future. Educate a girl and she shares her knowledge with her whole family."
To see photos from the visit, please follow the link to our photo gallery.
To find out more about Project Devi, click here.

Although rains in Vrindavan were relatively moderate this monsoon season, torrential downpour upriver, and the subsequent release of water at Okhla Barrage, caused local flooding of the Yamuna River. Theriver returned to where it flowed half a millennium ago, embracing the heritage ghats along the borders of the ancient city center. The high water levels created severe hardship for citizens of low-lying areas. In particular, the section of town known as Pani Ghat was hard hit. Some homes were destroyed while others were filled with water. It's hard to sleep in a flooded house, and cooking is nearly impossible when one's clay stove has dissolved into mud and the cooking fuel is soaking wet. Thus, Food for Life Vrindavan stepped in with crucial support supplying 2,000 meals per day to the residents of Pani Ghat. FFLV staff members and student volunteers brought food and supplies by boat through flooded streets.FFLV's Dr. Sanjay Pisarodi, Dr. Jha, Dr. Gha and volunteer medical students Iain and Shane (UK) provided free checkups, first aid and medicine for hundreds of affected residents. Shane Jackson, volunteer medical assistant, says of his experience, "I think the main point that struck home to me was that without FFLV almost 500 people would have been at severe risk of further infections and complications from the flood water and living conditions. The drugs given out meant that minor illnesses did not become more serious and debilitating, and that the villagers could still have an improved quality of life despite the impending flood."
Click here for more photos...

A third Sandipani Muni School is set to open in Kikinagla Village—approximately three miles from Vrindavana town—on October 23^rd. The new school building is bigger than the first two put together, and will serve an additional 1,500 children whose families cannot afford their education. It's launch festival began on October 21^st with a stage program at the Sandipani Muni Intercollege (SMI) in Vrindavana. At 9am on October 22^nd, an auspicious ceremony, or yajna, been held at the site of the new school, with another cultural program at SMI in the evening. A groundbreaking ceremony for the fourth Sandipani Muni School, being built at the sacred hill Govardhan, was observed on the morning of the 23^rd, while the late afternoon and evening will see the ribbon cutting and stage program for the Kikingala school's grand opening. When it's opened in October, the third school will serve village children from rural areas such as Sundrakh and Kikinagla villages, as well as from Vrindavan town itself. The fourth school will be located near the sacred lake Uddhava Kund, and will serve the residents of Govardhan and Radhakunda villages.

Education, healthy diet, medicine, career training! At FFLV, the poorest of the poor are getting the opportunities that will raise the standards of their whole community. For these children to have a full chance at a better life, they need to know English—and at a very functional level. Unfortunately, the books generally available in India to teach English are of very poor quality in every respect, including lacking a systematic way of teaching. The result for the children is that many hours and years of study often yield only a meager harvest of practical English knowledge. There is new a solution in a new reading series—Dr. Best Learn to Read. The books combine the best professional learning systems, world-class printing, and illustrations by published artists and animators, with traditional stories of India as well as with modern stories of Indian children who combine their culture with modernity. Children who go through the Dr. Best Learn to Read book series, from start to finish, will progress from the English alphabet to fluent reading. Most amazingly, the 83 books use the cutting edge technology of a MagicPEN that makes the program interactive and incredibly fun. With the MagicPEN, lightly touching a page allows one to hear the text in English, or one of 24 other languages. Touch characters and objects in the pictures with the MagicPEN and they speak or sing. With the MagicPEN's recording features, children and adults can have the characters in the illustrations speak in their own voices, too. This technology makes it easy for children of any age who have English as a second language to learn English. And in the activity books/guides there are hundreds of educational, devotional, and fun activities to make this a complete learning program. To sponsor a series for FFLV's Sandipani Muni School children, please go to click here... For more information on the books themselves, please see www.learntoreadenglish.co.uk or www.illuminationeducation.com

On July the 13^th, 2011, four students and three members of the staff flew to the UK to visit schools there. This twinning project began during the summer of 2008 and has gone from strength to strength over the past three years. The purpose of starting this project was to give students from both schools the opportunity to learn about globalisation and diversity. During the visits teachers and students from both schools have had the opportunity to experience life in the UK and India. The children of Sandipani school seemed motivated and confident on their return from this trip. They leant about the work culture and curriculum in the schools of the UK. They also noticed how clean and green their surroundings were and they want to make similar changes in Vrindavan too. Students from The Discovery Academy(UK) in particular have spoken about how they value life more. They said that the spiritual life and attributes demonstrated by students at Sandipani has impacted their lives in a wonderful way. The students on the trip were Poonam, Mithlesh, Kuldeep and Sangeeta, the members of staff who went along were Seemant Sharma, Monica Goswami and Brijesh Chandra. Last year also three members of the staff from our school visited UK.

The school organized a drawing competition on the 21^st of July, 2011. The theme was "I am powerful". The children from grade I to X participated in it. The judges were Mr. and Mrs. Oberoi who were to come the following day. The children made beautiful and artistic drawings that enchanted the minds of everyone. Since in was an open ended theme, the children came up with quite different and unique ideas of power.For some mother was the most powerful, for others nature was powerful and yet for others God was the most powerful.This competition allowed them to pour their minds on a piece of paper. This also gave us an insight of how much education has changed these children. Now they can also say "I am powerful". Their colourful efforts got attention of everyone along with Vivek and Priyanka. The winners were chosen and the result is yet to be declared.

Vivek Oberoi brought his new wife, Priyanka, to see his "angels" at Sandipani Muni School for the first time this Friday. Mr. Oberoi felt at home in the intimate setting of Vrindavan. This time, a shorter invitation list and less public presence allowed Mr. Oberoi to spend more quality time with the children. It was clear to all present that Mr. Oberoi has not only joined the FFLV team in word, but in deed as well. He brought his own personal guests and gave them a tour of the school, describing our programs with a depth of perception that only one deeply given to the cause could muster. Not only that, but he personally explained to the visiting District Magistrate what FFLV is, what we've achieved, and what we need from the administration in order to continue. Mr Oberoi said,"World over we have psychoanalysis and children who go through small issues in school in our urban environments. We talk about kids who go to psychiatrists and talk about…you know..deep rooted problems and issues that are affecting their lives, and then on the other hand I see kids here… who have been abandoned at the age of two or three, kids who have been abused, little girls…little beautiful angels who have just been thrown out to die. And just with this atmosphere, with the grace of the almighty Lord, with the grace of Krishna, His lila, with the power of the Brajbhoomi…divinity of this bhoomi, they heal…they transcend…they just serenely become the transition into these beautiful angels that are so happy…so rich…so full that they give you more than you can ever receive in any material form."

The new session of the school started on the 1^st of July, 2011. Although the school remains open during summers to offer food and shelter to the students, the students have an option to go for a Vacation with their families. The children were so excited to be back. With the new school up and running at Kiki Nangla, classes from 7^th grade and above were moved to the new building there. Although the school started, there were certain unfinished jobs in the new school. For example, distribution of the new session books and notebooks in each class. However, the senior kids were so enthusiastic that they couldn't wait and started helping the teachers and workers with the distribution. It was evident that the children are so attached to the school and they really feel like this is their school. In a conversation with the principle of the school Mr. Rajendra Singh, we came to know that all children of the 10^th grade passed their exams. Mr Singh also said that this year , keeping the same syllabus, better quality books have been purchased from a private company. He said that this year they did not rely on government supplies because they are usually slow and the print quality is not so good. We also have the science stream approved for 11^th grade from the state board of education. Approval for the commerce stream is also in the pipeline.