Shantipuri Friends Foundation News

Christmas Letter from Puri

2009-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Swami Nirvanananda just sent us the Christmas newsletter from Fr. Kurian at the Beatrix School in Puri with news about the children. We thought you would enjoy getting an update from the source.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS & BLESSED NEW YEAR 2010

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. (Luke 1.12)

Dear Giorgio [Swami Nirvanananda] and Shanti Onlus Friends -- Sponsors of our children of Karunalaya Leprosy Care Center /Beatrix School,

Happy Christmas and Blessed New Year 2010. I join our children to wish you the joy of Christmas. We join you to celebrate Christmas with joy and gratitude to God and to you.

Children of Karunalaya/Beatrix School

This year there are 184 children from Karunalaya Leprosy Care Center studying from kindergarten to university levels. Among these 94 are studying in Beatrix School, 47 in various High Schools and 43 in colleges. They are aged 5 to 21. We have a good team of people closely accompanying them. Children/students benefiting from Shanti Onlus include a number children from very poor families in our neighborhood.

Special Assistance and Attention

Health care and emotional support are crucial for our children as many of them come from very difficult backgrounds. I regularly visit their homes and keep in touch with their guardians. Special attention is given to extracurricular activities. Regular classes are offered in Yoga, Teak wan do, music and dance. Our computer center provides them with an opportunity to learn the basics of computer.

Thanks to Giorgio and Shanti Onlus Team

Our heart felt thanks to Giorgio, Sylvia and all of you who are partners with in taking care of the leprosy affected people and their children. Dear Giorgio, children look up to you as Sanyasi and grandpa. The concern and the affection with which you have taken care of them have made them feel loved and wanted. On behalf of Fr. Marian and all your Beatrix School Children, my sincere appreciation and thanks to you and each of our sponsor friends who are part of your team and our mission. Our prayers for your continued wellbeing.

3rd Death Anniversary of Fr. Marian

Saintly Marian's third death anniversary was observed on the 30th of April with a peace meeting. People from all walks of life and religions participated in it. Our Archbishop, the Chief priest of Sree Jagannath temple, SVD provinical superior from Poland and Orissa, twenty people from Poland and Muni Baba were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

It has been a felt need and a long cherished dream for us to raise Beatrix School to the level of a High School adding classes VIII to X. Giorgio, with your encouragement and support we dare to take this major step. We believe it will be a great service to our people. Trusting in the providence and the accompaniment of Fr. Marin and all of you we plan to take this important step in the coming school year, starting with class VIII. Thanks for being with us.

Hope for the Future:

Dear Shanti Onlus friends, with your help our/your children see a star of hope and they are marching ahead. They will have a brighter future thanks to your vision, thoughtfulness and generous contribution. We appreciate your involvement in making lives of the Children of our leprosy patients in Karunalaya/Beatrix School happier and brighter. We wish you and your dear ones the peace and joy of the Divine Babe. May the star of Bethlehem always lead you to Peace and Harmony!

Blessings of Peace and Joy,

P. Kurian, SVD

Upcoming Events - November & December 2009

2009-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to announce that we will be having two amazing events before the end of the year -- both charitable fundraising events with 100% of the proceeds going to support the projects of Shantipuri Friends Foundation. Both events are open to all on a donation basis. We look forward to seeing you all there!

* Saturday, November 28, 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Charity Benefit Kirtan Festival

@ The Willows

* Monday, December 28, 7:00 pm

Danae & Kaveli Doerken Classical Piano Concert

@ Seaside Center for Spiritual Living

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CHARITY BENEFIT 9-HOUR KIRTAN FESTIVAL

Saturday, November 28 -- 1:00 till 10 PM

The Willows Yoga, 937 S. Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas

The Schedule:

Kirtan w/ Komala 1:00 - 2:00

Sequoia Neptune 2:00 - 3:15

Prem Darshan & Krishna's Kirtan 3:15 - 4:30

Haresh Gobin 4:30 - 6:00

Shantipuri Friends Foundation

Presentation & Video 6:00 - 6:30

Neelima 6:30 - 8:00

BOLO! 8:00 - 9:30

Arati 9:30 - 10:00

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CHARITY BENEFIT CLASSICAL PIANO CONCERT

Monday, December 28 -- 7 PM

Seaside Center for Spiritual Living, 1613 Lake Dr, Encinitas

Danae and Kiveli Doerken are two child prodigy piano virtuosos who just happen to be sisters. Residing in Germany, they play many concerts and recitals there and elsewhere throughout the world, both individually and together.

It is our joy to present DANAE and KAVILI DOERKEN in Concert at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas on Monday evening, December 28 at 7:00 PM. There is no admission charge for this event. Your generous donations are gratefully appreciated. All profits support the work of the SHANTIPURI FRIENDS FOUNDATION.

Danae and Kiveli will be playing works of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Rachmaninoff during their Concert in Encinitas. Educational introductions will be provided for each piece to enhance understanding and appreciation.

More Information:

DANAE, age 18, has won many prizes and awards. From 1998 to 2009, she received 21 first prizes at “Jugend Musiziert”, the “International Steinway Competition” and the “International Grotrian Steinweg Competition”, primarily as a soloist, but also for chamber music. DANAE has often performed with famous artists… In May 2007 she played for Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State of the USA, at Chateau Sanssouci in Potsdam. In September 2007, she played for the Dalai Lama. In September 2008 she contributed to the recording of the annual CD of the “Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.” DANAE has been chosen to participate in the concert series “Best of NRW” and is going to give 11 recitals as a soloist in major cities of the German state of North Rhine Westfalia in 2010.

KIVELI, who is 14, won a prize at the “International Steinway Competition” in Hamburg as the youngest participant at the age of 5, and won the first prize of the “International Grotrian Steinweg Competition” for five times in a row, lastly in 2009. At the age of eight years old, she performed in her first concert with orchestra. KIVELI has played with many orchestras throughout Germany and has given solo concerts in Germany, France, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and Greece. KIVELI was selected for a concert tour to Chicago, USA, by the Grotrian Steinweg Foundation in November 2007. She played for the Dalai Lama in the Muensterhalle in Muenster, Germany in 2007. In July 2009, she was invited to play in Washington D.C. at the occasion of the visit of the German chancellor Angela Merkel. Upon invitation of the Chinese Cultural Attaché, KIVELI participated in a concert tour to Guangzhou, China in October 2008. She was invited to the “Marler Debut” and played for the Bayer Cultural Department in Wuppertal and Leverkusen in January 2009.

Future Projects for 2010

2009-11-11T09:09:00.000-08:00

There is still so much to do -- building, repairing, and sustaining the work that has already been done. We are looking forward to continuing our support of our Swamijis in their current and upcoming projects for the new year.

NEW PROJECTS for SHANTIPURI 2010

+ Rebuilding of 23 dwellings of some leper families - 15 were finished before the Monsoon started [from the flood of September 2008]

+ Now we have 7 PC used by 65 students. We need to buy 20 PC more.

+ We accepted 120 new students as sponsored children for a total of 932 sponsorships [which need to be either begun or renewed]

+ 3 Classes upgrade of the Beatrix School + 1 Library + 6 more teachers

This last project on the list has been Swami Nirvananandaji's focus for this year's tour. It is a major undertaking for the community, and a big dream. The letter below will explain it in detail:

Fr. Marian memorial High School, Puri

A DREAM

Fr. Marian was a man who dared to dream and so we take courage to dream with him. The parents of our children and we are keenly interested in raising our present school to the level of a High school named after Fr. Marian – ‘Father Marian Memorial High School’. It would be a three year project. We have not dared to venture into it only because of the large amount of money needed and which we do not have. Our proposal is to raise the present school to a High School by adding classes 8, 9 and 10. Virtually it will be a new school.

Background

Fr. Marian started Beatrix School in 1982 for the children of the leprosy patients as they could not get admission in other schools. Then it was a school of the segregated children of the leprosy patients. Now it has become a center of integration between leprosy affected people and the rest of the society. The school is known for its good academic standard and discipline.

At present the school is up to class VII. Besides, there are two classes of Kindergarten. More than 200 of the 600 children come from the leprosy affected families. Every year am average of 60 students pass class VII and struggle to find admission in high schools. These schools are very poor academically and in discipline.

Requirements

Building: We need to construct buildings to house it. We will be able to construct the buildings in the available land attached to Beatrix school. The minimum space requirements for a High school are: 3 class rooms, a Staff room, an Office room, a Visitors’ room, Science lab, Library, two store rooms and Toilets. This will be approximately about 5900 square foot area. At the present costs of construction per square foot (INR 1000/-) approximately it will cost us INR. 59,00000/- (US $125,500).

Equipments and general maintenance: We need furniture and office equipments like computer, facilities for sports & games, extracurricular activities and library- cum-Lab worth about INR. 710000/- (US $15,000).

Staff and salaries: We will need an additional staff of six teachers, one manager (secretary) one clerk, one peon and a maintenance person. Their Salaries per year would be approximately INR. 996000/- (US $21,200).

The total capital investment amounts to INR 66,10000/- (US $140,500). If about one third of this and one year’s salaries (US $68,000) are available and have hope of raising the rest gradually, we can venture into this project. If this is possible our wish is to start with class 8 in year 2010.

I know I am presenting a dream, but a dream of Fr. Marian and many children, good many of them children of the leprosy affected families. I hope you and many other friends of Fr. Marian will join us to realize this dream.

Fr. Kurian, SVD

NEW PROJECTS for

MATA ANANDAMAYI TRIPURA VIDYAPEETH 2010

Speaking of grand undertakings, the new addition to the school here at the Omkareshwar Ashram is not yet completed. Swami Mangalanandaji seems like he has been on the road touring this year more than he has been in Omkareshwar. He is currently just finishing up his European tour in his efforts to keep the new school project going. From his newsletter:

"Swami Gurusharanananda and Swami Mangalananda are nearing the end of their yearly fundraising tour for the Omkareshwar School. They are presently in London, England and have been giving many bhajan concerts, workshops and satsangs in temples, yoga centers and devotees’ homes. They will have a short stopover in Dubai for one event and return to India on the 14^th of November. We wish to thank all who have so lovingly extended their hospitality and assistance to make this tour a success."

We will continue to keep our focus on these efforts to bring the school expansion to successful completion, and we look forward to Swamiji's return in the spring!

2009 Newsletter - November

2009-11-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

The end of our first year as Shantipuri Friends Foundation is already rapidly approaching. Or perhaps it is better to say, the beginning of our second year... We have so much to thank everyone for -- everyone who has supported our projects with a donation of any amount; who has sponsored one, or two, or five! of our Distant Adoption children from Puri; who has purchased a book or CD; everyone who has simply come to celebrate kirtan with us throughout the year. As we may have mentioned to at least some of you before, we are in deep gratitude and appreciation for the abundance that has come to the organization, for some of you through true sacrifice. And we are so grateful for this experience of being able to serve in this way -- to contribute what we can to the work of our two beloved Swamis.

We are happy to report that 95% of the funds raised this year have been sent to India to support the many projects -- in particular, the focus in both Omkareshwar and in Puri is to finish construction of two "dream schools". (More information about both of these projects is provided in following posts.) The other 5% is being used to fuel and sustain the organization's efforts here: venue rental, recording and CD production, and general expenses. (Be on the lookout for Swami Nirvanananda's newest CD: "Live in Encinitas 2009" -- the beautifully-mastered recording of his July 26 kirtan at Seaside Center for Spiritual Living. It will be offered along with our current selection of CDs and books online at www.shantipurifriends.org when it becomes available. But if you can't wait, you may preorder by sending a request to info@shantipurifriends.org.) We are also happy to report that from Swami Nirvanananda's US visit, 41 children now have you as sponsors. (!) And 14 of you have renewed previous sponsorships. Thank you!

I just had an inspiring conversation with Jean Raymond, one of our Distant Adoption sponsors. The glow of joy and enthusiasm in her words lifted me, and it felt so perfect to share with everyone. She spoke, with such depth of sincerity, about what a profound gift it is to be able to give to a child in need. Even, or most especially, a child in another part of the world whom you may never meet in person. After sponsoring a child in Guatemala -- from the age four until she married -- she said she felt a vacancy. Not quite an emptiness, but a vacancy where that part of her had been feeding, and had been fed, through an exchange of "love vibes". Her sponsored child used to write to her once a year and tell her that she prayed for her every day. Jean marveled. "I do what I think would make a difference if everyone did just that. It's such a small thing! If everyone realized how little it takes to actually make a difference!" More often, people think about what they are doing for the child or children they are helping. Less common is the awareness of what blessings we receive through the prayers and gratitude of those children. Jean said the best way she could describe what filled that vacant spot in her is as a bubble -- a bubble of joy for doing just one small thing to make this world a better place to be. And it isn't to be casually dismissed as "nice talk". She described her experience as very palpable -- if one can find a place of silence, in a small part of the day, in which to feel it.

And she expressed such admiration and gratitude for Nirvananandaji for the amazing work he has done over the years for so many. It takes so little on our part to do so much; and our Swamis are making it all possible.

Some News from Puri, in Swamiji's Words:

PROJECTS 2008/2009

+ After the flood in September 2008 near Puri, our Sisters of Charity brought relief materials like medicines, food, and blankets for hundreds of people. [See photos]

+ The new tailoring school started last September 2008, and was finished and opened on January 26th, 2009.

+ Repairing of the roof of the Kindergarten

+ Repairing of the old house of Father Marian

We bought:

+ 6 new Rikshaws [See photos]
+ 60 bikes for the students who need to go to higher classes

+ Many special medicines for difficult diseases of some of our children’s parents

+ 1 new water tank and 1 water filter for the school
+ Salaries for 3 teachers of the Beatrix School
+ 12 sewing machines

+ New furniture for the new tailoring school

And Some News from Omkareshwar,

in Swamiji's Words:

+ We have constructed many new classrooms to house the increased enrollment and higher grades:

- A new Middle School for the higher grades with three classrooms, science lab and open meeting hall.
- A new woodworking shop where students are training to eventually build harmoniums, under the guidance of Thomas from Germany.

+ A new youth group has been established in Omkareshwar dedicated to environmental consciousness and keeping the area of Omkareshwar clean. They have had several full-scale cleanup projects in the area, and several drives to instill the idea of a clean environment in the local villager’s minds. They have planted trees and installed waste receptacles all around the island of Omkareshwar. The local youth take part in these projects with great enthusiasm.

+ The ashram has founded a new and very important group in the village for the empowerment of women. This group, called Matri Shakti (The Power of Divine Mother) meets monthly. The ladies discuss their problems and ideas, sing bhajans and the monks of the ashram give a talk and answer questions. In addition to the monthly meeting, there are daily training classes at the ashram after school hours for the ladies to learn computer skills, handicrafts and various vocational skills for the betterment of their lives.