A Vow
There are so many changes that happen for a good purpose but those changes never happen in the life of a girl baby or women in India. Even today, a few states encourage female infanticides, regarding female children as a burden, they kill innocent infant even before they get a chance to see this world. And those who survive this stage ends up getting married at a very young age. According to UNICEF, India has the highest number of child marriages in the world — 15,509,900 and 27% of girls are married before they turn up 18 years and 7% even before the age of 15. Is this the only problem that females in our country face? Definitely not! There are a few more challenges like societal stereotypes, dowry issues, domestic violence (70% of women are victims), sexual harassment, and the list continues.
Is this something serious to discuss on this special day (Women’s Day) it can be a “YES” but my intention is not to discuss the problems but to let people know about an organization that helps women fight against these issues. This organization gives a new life, a purpose, and beginning for the children who are left homeless, who are thrown away due to various reasons.
Ananda Marga (which means Path of Bliss) is actively working with an ideology of “Self Realisation and Service to All”.It provides shelter for many kids who are left alone especially girls.
This organization was found in the year 1955 by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti (Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar) mainly to serve humanity. His ideology says, be great by your Saadhana (meditation), by your service, by your sacrifice. By getting trained in the spiritual path through meditation they qualify themselves as Acarya. An Acarya is most commonly a monk or nun who runs centers and take care of the kids.
What ANADA MARGA does as an organization?
It has a global network of centers across different countries but it is widespread across most of the states in India which run schools, children’s home, or sometimes, both. Its activities encompass a wide range of projects for the welfare of humanity, animals, plants, and basically anything that has a life to live. They also take part in social activities where they directly help people who are in dire need of basic necessities.
Why is it a Children’s Home and not an NGO?
Every child who is left alone is adopted by this organization, where they are treated by the Acharyas as their own kids. They provide the necessary things to have a beautiful life like other children. Kids who are the part of this children’s home get a free education in the organization’s chain of schools and based on a student’s interest the organization helps them get into a reputed college. And for the rest of the children who just study in their schools, they just charge a fee of 100 -150 INR/month. The kids who study in this school are well disciplined, know their responsibilities, and treat all other humans with equal respect.
In addition to giving them shelter, raising them up, educating them, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and passion, they go one step ahead and they take the responsibility of their ward’s marriage similar to a real parent.
What’s special about these kids?
They also live the same life as how other kids who are with their parents, but that’s not the difference here. Kids of this generation are mainly into mobiles, video games, and most of them don’t know how to treat elders or even respect others. Regular kids don’t do any household stuff and they find the enjoyment in watching movies, hanging around with friends, partying, and other mundane stuff..
This is the routine of kids who fall into the age group 6–10 years. (also write about them getting up at 5, doing meditation before every meal) Be it cleaning the home, or cooking, they plan and share the work equally. A few kids will be in charge of sweeping the hall, a few will be mopping simultaneously so that they can finish it soon and move on to the next one.
They follow the same rules for every work and it doesn’t stop here. They also help the elder kids(age group form 12–15 years) in cooking by cutting vegetables. Mind you, they don’t cook for a small group, because every children’s home has around 30 people including the elderly and these manage to cook for everyone with loads of love and ease.
They study together, they share things together and best of all, they are not forced to do this in the name of rules, they just follow it because that’s the way they have been raised to be. As a kid, everyone loves to have something they want, watch cartoons, go to exotic places but these kids are the exact opposite, they don’t demand anything. The only thing that they love like other kids, is to play in parks. This is something that makes them different from other kids, they are self-disciplined; they know to respect people with love.
My experience of being with them
Personally, I have been to this children’s home a few times now, the first time I saw a bunch of beautiful kids. When I saw a 3-month-old baby my heart skipped a beat and almost broke at thought of what did they do to deserve this? Why on earth did their parents give birth to them, when they can’t even take the responsibility?
So many questions were running in my mind and it was very hard to digest because each and every question pierced my heart more sharply. A few days passed by and I started visiting the home regularly. Only then I started to believe that these kids are some of the luckiest children in this world because that’s how they were treated. So many people took care of them, let it be the food, clothes, education, training to make them a better person.
Would you believe if I claim that this children’s home and the school’s land which is nearly 15 acres was given by a couple some 50 years back along with their only daughter just to serve the humanity and importantly the life of little girls? And now that daughter is 72 years old but still, she never gets tired of contributing for charitable causes. She is one of the most respected women in India and I respect her a lot than anyone else. She travels across the globe for funding to get donations for the betterment of the school and children even at this age.
Writing about this organization and about her on this day makes this Women’s day complete because I believe this would reach people through different ways which will be helpful. When someone comes across any girl child who needs a home, who needs education can reach out to this institution.
NO FUTURE WITHOUT WOMEN.
Women continue to achieve excellence in an array of fields becoming role models and inspirations to the next generation. This women’s day let’s take a vow that even if we don’t get a chance to support our girls and women, let us at least try not to create any trouble for them. I wish a Happy Women’s Day to all women, who struggle and fight their way to become successful, especially those who work towards bringing value to the life of other women.