Mata Annapurna Ashrams and Schools No child will sleep hungry in India. No child will grow up without proper education.     Photo from Mataji's Mandir  in my hometown, Jam-Kandorna.   "anna" means food, "purna" means provider. At Bhagavan Shiva's request Mata Parvati became Mata Annapurna to feed the Universe     Kabir kahe Kamalko, Dou bataa sikhle, Kar Sahebki bandagi, Aur bhukheko anna de. (English:  Sant Kabir says to Kamal, "Learn to do two things in life:  Pray to God and Feed the hungry.")   Feeding and Educating Poor Children in India Mata Annapurna Ashrams and Schools is a worldwide community of volunteers who are devoting one hour a day in the work of feeding and educating poor children in India. Volunteers work in groups in their local area anywhere in the world.  Volunteer groups in foreign countries team-up with volunteer groups in India. Those in foreign countries are helping with fund raising and organizational support. Those in India are doing the front-line work with children, teachers and parents. Any person of any background from anywhere in the world who can devote one hour a day in a sincere effort to feed and educate poor childeren in India is welcome to join our community of volunteers. This website is full of things you can do. You can find your own role and make a difference in your own individual way. We are giving roles of responsibility to self-driven, capable young men and women. We are mentoring them to play a major part in bringing change by combining their youthful energy and new ideas with the experience and wisdom of the seniors. Our collective vision is: "No child will sleep hungry in India. No child will grow up without proper education."   This vision is practical and realistic. It is very much within our reach. Together we will definately make it happen. If you can't see it now, don't worry. Join in and start doing what you can. Very soon you will see it too.   To get started, please read this page. click here   ________________________________________     WE ARE STARTING WITH THIS WE ARE BUILDING 1000 SCHOOLS In villages and small towns in India. (This will be just the beginning.)   We are starting the schools wherever we can find space and suitable people to run the schools. For space we are renting houses, godowns, any kind of building. We are also renting open space and putting up temporary classrooms. We are hiring local village folks to run the schools. We are starting with a few schools, will keep adding.   While we do the above, we are in the process of acquiring land and/or buildings suitable for proper and permanent schools. All of these will be in villages and very small towns, none in big towns or cities. We will plan and construct school buildings and facilities as we go.   To start a school in any area where there is no school or not enough schools we will also partner with non-government schools and NGOs who are running schools or would like to start a school. We welcome your proposals. introduce-yourself@mata-annapurna-ashram.org Subject line: Start a School   Every school will have a Mandir (every school should have a Mandir and every Mandir should have a school). Every school will have a full size kitchen and dinning hall. Children will receive breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner seven days a week. Every school will have many other facilities.   Every school will be a separate and independent organization. So, there will be 1,000 separate and independent organizations not branches or subsidiaries of one organization. Every school will have its own independent Board of Trustees and Board of Directors. They will run the school independently.   We will dedicate the school to the donor who donates land for the school or who provides funds to purchase the land. We will name the school after the donor or donor's family. This donor will also become a Trustee or a Director. see details   We will name a school after anyone who takes a leading role in organizing work and raising funds to build a school. We are looking for people who have the ability to get things done. Put together your own team of people to work with you. We will give you whatever support you need. The school can be in your home town or in any village you choose. Please introduce yourself, also send your recent photo. introduce-yourself@mata-annapurna-ashram.org Subject line: Build a School   We will rent your building or open space for our temporary school. If you like to sell your land or building we will buy it for a fair market price. Please send full details and photos. The land must be in a village or small town, not in a big town or city. Brokers/agents are welcome. buyingland@mata-annapurna-ashram.org _________________________________________     HOW THE SCHOOLS WILL BE RUN   EK LAKH MANDAL SOU LAKH BALAK   Each mandal will take care of 100 children.  Together we will provide college level education to One lakh x 100 children. VERY SIMPLE. VERY EASY. see this page ____________________________________________     Mata Annapurna Bhajan Mandals around the world are raising funds through bhajan programs to feed and educate poor children in India   PERFECT COMBINATION OF SPIRITUAL EFFORT AND MATERIAL EFFORT   Every bhajan mandal, in India and abroad, does one bhajan program every week. 50% of donations received in bhajan programs is given to singers, musicians and others doing the programs. 50% goes to feed and educate poor children in India.   Singers and musicians earn separate income if we put their bhajans in our "Bhajan-no Vepar" audio CDs or DVDs.   If you are a singer, musician, a Bhajan Mandal or Mandir anywhere in the world we welcome you to join us. see this page   ______________________________________________   POVERTY SITUATION IN INDIA WILL CHANGE if we combine Spiritual Effort and Material Effort.   SPIRITUAL EFFORT   Daily Mantra Jaap in Schools, Pathshalas, at Home   MATERIAL EFFORT   Everyday MAA will give to children 2,000 cash prizes of Rs 1,000 each for Mantra Jaap in schools, pathshalas and at home. DailyMantraJaap   WEEKLY MANTRA JAAP, SHIVA PUJA, YAGNA   MAA is starting to do weekly  Mantra Jaap, Shiva Puja and Yagna in a few places in India. We want to do many more all over India every week. ShivaPuja   ___________________________________________________      AKHAND MANTRA JAAP AROUND THE WORLD This has never happened before, not on this scale. We started this in January 2007. Now thousands of people around the world are doing mantra jaap every day, 10 minutes, morning and evening.   Mantra Jaap creates Divine Energy. Divine Energy makes human efforts fruitful. come join us Download GAYATRI MANTRA CD from this page.   ________________________________________       Bhajan-no Vepar (The Business of Bhajans)   Bhajan-no Vepar will provide monetary incentive and support to teach children to sing and play music. Involvement in this activity will create Divine Energy in children's hearts and minds, thus in their lives. Children who are gifted in singing and/or music will earn steady income. Their schools will receive matching amounts in donation. Music teachers, parents and other adults who start neighbourhood pathshalas and teach children to sing bhajans, dhoon, mantra, Hanuman Chalisa will have potential for income. In deserving cases we will provide grants to purchase musical instruments.   see this page   ________________________________________     Worldwide Distribution FREE OF COST We gladly permit everyone to make copies of our Bhajan, Mantra, Hanuman Chalisa CDs and DVDs and share with everyone. No strings attached. see this page ________________________________________    retail stores, home based sellers, students IF YOU WANT TO SELL COPIES We are combining spiritual effort and material effort in a practical way. Thus, we will permit you to make copies and sell them. Net income will be: 50% for you, 50% for charity work. see this page __________________________________________   HANUMAN CHALISA in 40 different raag   We are putting together a collection of Hunuman Chalisa in forty different raag with different music. Also a collection of Om Namah Shivay, Om Bhur Bhuvasvah and all other mantra and dhoon, all in different raag with different music. Also a collection of bhajans from films.    see this page   ________________________________________     MATA ANNAPURNA ROZGAR TRUST   We are creating a separate trust to provide micro financing for rozgar. If you are an NGO with more than 100 members in need of micro financing please send preliminary info about your organization and your members: Name, address, URL or email of org, various occupations of your members (type of work and number of members doing that work). For now, please provide only this info in no more than one page. Send it to: introduce-yourself@mata-annapurna-ashram.org Subject line: Micro-finance   ________________________________________     KAR BHALA - HO BHALA   Our plan is to involve every Indian person around the world.   If you help us spread the word you will have a chance to win Indian Rupees 500 every day. All you have to do is send one email to 21 people you know.   (There is no fee, no donation required, nothing to buy. We are not selling anything.)   Everyday we will pick one person at random and give that person a cash prize of Rs 500. We will notify the winner by email.   see this page   _________________________________________   THE TWO PERCENTERS " 2%ers " Shoppers are getting two percent discount every time they buy anything from anywhere. They are using this discount to feed and educate poor children in India.   become a two-percenter _________________________________________ BUSINESS OWNERS Getting involved in this charity will be highly profitable for your business let's talk business _________________________________________   AGENTS TO SOLICIT DONATIONS AGENTS HAVE A MAJOR ROLE IN THESE PROJECTS We have appointed agents in some cities to accept donations for Mata Annapurna Ashrams and Schools. We are appointing more agents worldwide.  Please read this if you like to become an agent. Donors please read "To the Donors We say this" at the bottom of second page. working with major contributors working with other donors _________________________________________   CHARITY PARTIES  Charity parties are changing the dynamics of charity work. They provide new energy, new ways of raising funds and new ways of involving people. see this page If you are in entertainment business or in fund raising business and if you can organize good fund raising programs, in India or abroad, please introduce your group and submit your proposals in details. We will consider each proposal seriously. fundraising@mata-annapurna-ashram.org _______________________________________ A Spiritual Quest 51 years ago a 9 year old boy had a question Shankar Bhagavan is meditating on whom? That is how the journey began this is my story _________________________________________   MEET THE FOUNDER _________________________________________   Contact Us   © Copyright 2007: Ramesh Haridas Sampat. All rights reserved.