Friday, June 21, 2013

PRABHAVATI raises $ 130,000 for AIM For Seva Kids !!!


India-Herald Article is here.





A POEM ON PRABHAVATI !!!
by Gauri Mehta

Ten US cities hosted ‘Prabhavati’ 
a beautiful love story, in divinity
Choreography by sweet Rukmini 
of the Raadhakalpa dance company

The dancers were graceful
The events were successful
There was much applause
Aim for Seva was the cause 

A fundraiser with a mission
To empower with education
the bright rural children of our nation
 in chatralayas, through graduation

Volunteers worked together and hard
To bring more awareness in this regard
Holding up high the pledge card
At every event in the Indo-US yard

AIM for Seva was their call
Handing flyers, posters on the wall
Donations they got big and small
To enable kids to stand up tall

Six months went by in this way
The movement got stronger everyday
Until ten events were done in array
2000 children supported - hooray!

Now’s the time to acknowledge those
because of whom the events arose
Srini, national coordinator, kudos!
The Prabhavati troupe - to you, bravos!

New Jersey team, like Mahalakshmi
Big donors many she brought to see
The AIM work for our country
A vision of Pujya Swamiji

Pramod and Lata hosted the first show
In Elmira,where  the artists bowed low
Last year Nayani and now Prabhavati
An impressive audience of 650

Srini and Savithri, pro at hospitality
Organizing for a decade, in Detroit city
Relentlessly, with the AIM committee
Growing awareness like leaves on a tree

Raleigh-Durham, Boston and Albany
Guru, Kumar & Kumar, and Gauri
East coast outreached in harmony 
 to the Indian and American community

Dr Siva’s team in Washington D.C.
Emailed and called many joyfully
Donors and Purna Vidya family
Came together in unanimity

The Philly team was led by Nagesh
Dedicated outreach for our desh
With unified voice the team expressed
The crowd gave and the event impressed

In Houston, Prasad, Suma and volunteers teamed
‘Sold out show!’, with big smiles they beamed
Together with Arbindoo and his Dallas team
All made the Texas events flow like a dream

Many volunteers led by Sudhakar
Awesome video played on projector
The tech teams, no glitch did hinder
Divine blessings poured beyond measure
Pujya Swamiji’s grace is vast
Janet’s dedication is the mast
AIM for Seva message was broadcast
 The crowds expectations were surpassed!

Everyone is feeling the glow
of this successful 2013 show 

The AIM leadership led by Sheelaji
Avantikaji and Piyushji,  
Graciously i thank all of thee
From that heart of a devotee
In which all of us and Prabhavati
Blessings of Pujya Dayananda Saraswati
Merge as ONE in AIM for Seva
in US of America

Friday, May 3, 2013

Mothers' Day on May 11, 2013


AIM FOR SEVA HOUSTON CHAPTER
SALUTES ALL MOTHERS AT THEIR MOTHER’S DAY EVENT ON SATURDAY, MAY 11TH 2013
ANJALI CENTER, SUGAR LAND


Here's a funny video for Mothers' Day:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=508706093269 


HOUSTON: “Mom” is the word!  AIM for Seva held an exciting get together to honor Houston Mothers and to celebrate motherhood. “Houston has a very vibrant Indian culture”, says Suma Mudan of AIM for Seva, “and the credit goes to the tenacity of mothers taking the time and trouble to inculcate Indian tradition and values to their children”.  Many of the Houston Moms are professionals and perform the delicate tasks of balancing household chores, demands of profession,  educating children, taking care of the elder relatives and yet, manage to have lots of fun.

“AIM for Seva has a close relationship with motherhood and education”, says Suma Mudan.  “Our entire movement was started by a disheartened tribal mother, Papammal, who could not send her children to school because of poverty, distance, safety and security.  She challenged Swami Dayananda Saraswati to bring “Homes to Schools”. Thus was born the unique concept of “Chatralayas” or student homes, where we provide food, shelter, education, clothing, healthcare and teach ethics in a safe, secure and nurturing environment”.
The Event was held at Anjali Performance Center, Sugar Land on May 11.  The festivities started at 6 PM, with a social hour for guests to meet and greet, and concluded with dinner.
The primary focus of the event was to felicitate several senior mothers for contributions to families and  communities. The mothers who were honored include Shakuntala Malhotra, Anasuya Devi, Seetha Devi, Lalita Mangipudi, Pankajam Rangaswamy, and Thulasi Radhakrishnan.
We also inaugurated the Women’s’ Co-op during the event and had pickles and powders for sale.  There were fun events planned, entertainment by Andhra Mirchi Radio Team, bingo games with great prizes, and other as well. Around 120 folks joined us and made this a memorable event for Houston Moms.



AIM for Seva celebrated Mothers day to honor young and “not-so-young” mothers – from all walks of life.  The evening was marked with fun and laughter.  The highlight of the evening was a fashion walk by mother/daughter and mother/son teams.  The young mothers were dressed fashionably and the young girls were very cute showing off their talents.

Another unique theme of the evening was to encourage the men in the audience to dot the foreheads of celebrity actresses while blind folded, and also for them to guess the prices of every day items.  Several men walked away with gifts they can use right away.  A couple of them even won glitzy sarees for the women in their lives.

The most important part of the evening was honoring our senior mothers – the oldest was 94 years and the youngest was 68 years young.  AIM honored their contributions to their families and their communities.  It was heartening to see several generations represented on the same venue.
AIM for Seva is organizing their annual fund raising event PRABHAVATI on October 4 and will be publishing more details soon.
For further information visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/135714760183/



Here are some facts:

1.   AIM for Seva is a 501(c)(3) organization with a Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

Astounding Statistics
1.   Over 42 million children aged between 4 to 14 are NOT in school.
2.   Dropout rates are as high 84% among children in rural India.

What has AIM for Seva achieved so far?
1.   100 Student Homes, serving over 3,000 children every year.
2.   Has touched the lives of over 20,000 children across 5,000 villages.
3.   School drop rates at Student Homes are less than 1% while the dropout rates in rural India is an astounding 84%.
4.   Administrative expenses are less than 10%.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Houston has a Lion's Share!


Many Chaatralayas (student homes) are being generously supported (some of them sponsored) by Houstonians!!

Houston is becoming one of the key players in the growth and sustenance of many AIM student homes for the rural and tribal children in India.


See : http://aimforsevahouston.blogspot.com/2010/09/update-on-houstonian-kindness.html 


Also see : http://www.aimforseva.org/projects/ 


Women's Co-op!


AIM For Seva Houston Chapter is very excited to share the news that we recently started a Houston Women’s Co-op.  Several women are investing their sweat equity to make yummy pickles, and powders!!  These are 100% home made, the material is mostly from our own backyards, and no preservatives are used.  We will officially inaugurate this as well on Mother’s day celebrations event.

Prepared with a prayerful attitude !!!



A great milestone!


 LUCKNOW, U.P.

The day will soon arrive! The 100th student home of AIM for Seva, specially chosen by Pujya Swamiji Dayananda Saraswati, is to come up in Lucknow, nearly 30 kilometres from the city's railway station. The home will be constructed on 15,000 square feet of land, and is designed by architects Sri Raj Deep Gupta and Smt. Sashi Gupta. Among the educational institutions near the home are a school and a couple of colleges: Heera Lal Yadav Inter and Degree College and the Ambalika Institute of Management.

The Bhumi Puja for the home was held on February 28, with the blessings of Pujya Swamiji. Among the participants at the function were Dr. Asha Seth, who initiated and funded the project, her nephew Sri Sandeep Seth, the principal of the nearby college, the pradhan of the village, and some of Swamini Tattvajnanananda Saraswati's Vedanta students. The yajamanas of the Bhumi puja were Smt. Deepa Bhargav and Sri Viswamitra, students of Swamini Tattvajnanananda. The first bricks for the historic building were laid by Sri Lakshmi Rastogi of the Rohtas Construction Group to the sounds of the Sankatanashana Ganesh Stotram, Saradha Stotram, and Guru Stotram. The Rohtas Construction Group has been magnanimous by lending its logistic and technical help to AIM for Seva as part of their seva activities. Suri Associates, the builders, sponsored the refreshments at the event. The function was ably organized by Smt. Sudha Hansraj, student of Swamini Tattvajnanananda Saraswati. An auspicious beginning to a noble milestone!