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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June 2007
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October 2008

Sandipani Muni children, locals and around 100 guests (including the main donors of the center, the Mulji family from UK) attended the opening of a brand new, village medical center. The center began treating patients on 14^th October and has been treating around 70 patients per day since then. FFLV medical services were previously operated as a mobile service going from village to village and treating patients in the open, so the medical center is a big step forward for FFLV village medical services. The first floor of the medical center is now operational and, when the second floor is complete, there will be several inpatient wards, catering for up to 20 patients. As well as the medical center opening, two kundas (water storage ponds) at the site were inaugurated. The kundas are named Govindji Kund and Palavi Kund. The kundas and the medical center are dedicated to departed members of the Mulji family. The family has gathered their combined strength to sponsor a medical center – quite an amazing effort for one family! 7 members of the Mulji family, crossing two generations, were present at the opening ceremony. One of the family members present said, "I had seen the photos but I didn’t realize it was so big. Now, when I see the center, I am quite amazed that we have built this". The Muljis participated in traditional Indian inauguration rituals as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony. The festivities were supported by SMS children who created a joyful atmosphere with their singing and dancing. In keeping with Indian tradition, after the inauguration ceremonies, all enjoyed a delicious vegetarian feast.

Now is the time that it starts getting cold in Vrindavan. It is only cold for around three months of the year in this region, but, with temperatures reaching as low as three degrees in January, it is quite cold. The worst affects of the winter are felt by children who don't have enough warm clothes. As well as feeling cold and miserable, these children also become very vulnerable to getting sick. Every year at Sandipani Muni School, to ensure our children stay warm, all are given two sets of winter uniforms, a bright red sweater, a pair of shoes and two pairs of socks. Sponsors for this year’s winter needs were: Dr. Luciano and friends, Italy; Ramesh Shah from UK; Namachintamani and Oleg Elate from Russia; Kirtan ras from USA. The children were all excited to get their new uniforms and are proudly wearing them to school and around town (many children wear their uniform even on Sundays as they have few other clothes).

Everyone knows that Sandipani Muni School children are superstars, but, to prove the point, a TV crew from Channel Nine (a government TV channel broadcast all over Spain) has been filming the children's daily activities for the last week. The crew is making a documentary about Food for Life Vrindavan's activities, especially Sandipani Muni Schools. The final product will be a forty minute documentary that will be aired in early 2009. The crew has made hours of footage of some of the Sandipani Muni School trademarks including the bullock carts, children happily singing and dancing at morning assembly and breakfast in the classrooms. They have also visited the homes of some children in order to show the contrast between the environment that the children live in and the clean and ordered environment at Sandipani Muni School. The channel nine film crew made contact with Food for Life Vrindavan through Fundacion Dharma, a Spanish organization whose activities they have been following for several years. Fundacion Dharma works in Spain to raise awareness of the work that Food For Life Vrindavan does for the poor in India.

The film crew first made contact with Fundacion Dharma when one of its founders, Krishna Das, adopted a physically handicapped Indian boy called Ajay. Ajay had serious facial deformities that made speaking and eating very difficult for him (for details, see Rupa's Vrindavan Diary (January 18^th 2008). As well as adopting Ajay and bringing him to Spain, Krishna das also organized for him to have extensive facial reconstruction surgery and is making sure that he gets an education that will guarantee him a good future.

"Now I also have a chance!" This is what teachers and volunteers read on the T-shirts worn by Sandipani Muni school children every day because we know that getting a good education is the only chance that these children have to break out of the cycle of poverty. To help us provide quality education to our 1000 Sandipani Muni school children, two volunteers have been training our school teachers in the latest teaching methods. As part of this training, Juliane Brunner, a volunteer from Germany, (M.A. in peace education, Language teacher) is currently running a 6 week training course for teachers at Sandipani Muni school. This week, Julianne was joined by Madayanti devi dasi (Maja Andric), a Bosnian devotee with experience of teacher training for the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Committee. Together they ran an intensive 3 day training course on practical teaching methods including teaching through role plays, map work and group work. These kinds of innovative teaching methods help children absorb information and also help them develop creative and lateral thinking.Julianne Brunner said "Our aim is to give teachers the methods that help them nurture students to become mature members of society, independent in their thoughts and able to make their own decisions in life".

A local Vrindavan organization, The Organization for Children's Development (Bal Vikas Manch), holds an annual three day event where children from schools all over Vrindavan gather and perform the art forms they have learnt during the last year. The yearly event helps keep local culture alive by encouraging children to learn and perform local art forms such as folk dances and songs. This year, Sandipani Muni school children performed on both the first and last day of the three day event. On the first day of the event, fifteen Sandipani Muni School children attended and performed two folk dances, one by older children and one by the younger kids. On the last day of the festival, twenty Sandipani Muni School children attended and performed a folk dance and a folk song. The event was held after school hours, but, the children were happy to attend. Today, back at Sandipani Muni school, the children were presented with their participation certificates and prints of works by local artists that they received as part of the celebrations.