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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A local university has chosen to send its students to Sandipani Muni School for their practical examination. Eighty students from BIMT (Bon Maharaja Institute of Management and Technology) came to Sandipani Muni School to take practical exams and gain their teaching certificates. For their practical exam, each candidate was given the chance to demonstrate that they are able to handle a class of students. Priti from class 6^thA said, "It was interesting to be in classes with the new teachers, I hope they all do well in their exams and come to teach at our school."

Knowing that village women are often anemic or have dangerously low iron levels, Food for Life Vrindavan organized a day of free hemoglobin testing at its Kikingala Village Medical Center. The tests were conducted by medical center staff assisted by several volunteers (Jagveer Singh, Desh Raj and Hoshiyar Singh). Over 200 women were tested and results showed that 75-80% of them were anemic or had dangerously low iron levels. Those who had low iron levels were given a free supply of iron tablets and nutrition advice. Food for Life outreach health guides will encourage them to return for re-testing after three months to monitor improvements in their condition. Partha Sarathi from Food for Life Vrindavan social work team said, "It is alarming how many village women are anemic, the practice of women eating after everyone else in the family is still prevalent in villages and these women often don't get enough good food to eat."

Dr. Vartika Agarawal, from the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, recently visited Sandipani Muni School. Dr. Agarawal spent the day talking to Sandipani Muni school girls about health issues and answering their questions. In her presentation, Dr. Agarawal used Power Point presentations and 3D models. Her vibrant presentation style ensured that the girls listened with keen attention and were able to benefit from the expert health advice and information. The girls were encouraged to write down on a paper any questions that came to mind and they asked many good questions that undoubtedly is food for thought for all of us. Some of the questions asked included: "Why must girls get married? Sometimes we refuse but we are forced by our families."; "Why a girl is considered paraya dhan (someone else’s wealth/property)?"; "Why do girls not receive their rights?"; "Why are girls considered to be sources of difficulty and anxiety?"; "Why are girls burnt by their in laws?"; "Why is dowry necessary?"; "Why is it always the girl’s fault?"

Demand for paper products from the Food for Life paper recycling plant has recently increased dramatically and several orders have been received for paper carry-bags and boxes. Orders for recycled paper carry-bags have been received from the Indian Government, Center for Environment Education. An order for paper carry-bags was received from a local store, Radha Govind Clothes Store, Loi Bazaar. Pleased with the quality of product coming from the paper plant, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), who sponsored the set up costs of the plant, has ordered 250 gift boxes. Food for Life carpet making plant is also doing well and several new designs are now being produced. Food for Life Vrindavan staff has produced a color catalog of the paper products and floor mats available.
To receive a copy of this catalog, email to secretary@fflvrindavan.org

The team at Food for Life's medical center ran a health camp on 30^th May focusing on pregnancy and gynecological issues. Around 100 women attended, including forty pregnant and lactating women. Food for Life health guides, Pinky and Puspa, held women's meetings in the villages to inform women about the upcoming health camp and explain the necessity of health checks, especially during pregnancy. Registration cards were filled out for each new patient and women were encouraged to attend the center regularly for check ups and for childbirth.Pregnant and lactating women received vitamin tablets and other medication, free of cost. Food for Life Social workers held an information session on hygiene and women's health and, after the session, the attendees were served fruit and cookies. Several pregnant women were referred to larger hospitals to have ultrasounds as the Food for Life Medical center does not yet have ultrasound equipment. Madhuria Bhakti, one of the Food for Life social workers who organized the event said, "we were extremely pleased with how it went and hope to hold more health camps covering different aspects of health care". Almost all the pregnant women who attended were having their first health check up since being pregnant and one woman found out that she is pregnant with twins.

In all schools across India, students are required to take "board exams" at the completion of 5^th and 8^th grade. Through these government exams, schools can see how children's academic performance compares to their peers across the state. We are pleased to report that the results show that Sandipani Muni school students are doing extremely well. 99% of the students at Sandipani Muni School who took the board exam were placed in First Division, putting them among the top students in the country.
The remaining 1% got Second Division passes and there were no failures. In 5^th grade, the top two students, Reena and Sharda, both scored 90%. The next highest score was attained by Shivani who managed 88.3%.
From 8^th grade, we congratulate Pushpa, Sujata and Chaitanya who scored 77%, 76% and 75% respectively. These results are very encouraging, especially when you consider that the students at Sandipani Muni school live in environments where doing homework is almost impossible due to: lack of encouragement from parents; overcrowded living conditions and intermittent electricity connections. In a special assembly, the top students in every grade were awarded prizes. Because we know that not every student cannot be top in the class, prizes were also given for good behavior and spotless attendance records. The prize winners each received a gift pack with art supplies and stationery, as well as a round of applause from fellow students, teachers, and the parents of the organization - Rupa Ragunath and Nikunjavasini.

In the most adventurous school excursion to date, two bus loads of 35 children went to Nainital in the Himalayas. On this trip, for the first time ever, the group set up tents in the forest and had a real back-to-nature experience. Being from the dry plains of Vrindavan, the children could hardly have imagined the lush green mountains of the Himalayas. Interestingly when the bus reached the foothills of the Himalayas I the late afternoon the children saw the dark silhouettes of the mountains and one girls asked, what are those black things?? She, as many of them had never seen a mountain before. Rupa Ragunath said, "Many of the Sandipani Muni school children live in plastic huts and to stay without a fan, in the Vrindavan heat, is unbearable. This year also we had the opportunity to take some of the well deserving kids to our yearly summer camp in a cooler climate and give them a special treat. All the kids at Sandipani Muni School know that if they perform well in school, they will get a chance to go on the annual 'Sandipani Muni School summer camp'. It gives them something to work towards, which is important because often their parents don't understand the value of education or encourage them much." For more photos, please visit our photo gallery