Ekatva - Oneness

Ripple Effect :)

2012-02-08T17:28:00.004+05:30

A cute lil 14 yr kid came up to me being inspired by the mesmerizing and energetic performance by the Ekatva kids and said, " Didi, I wish to gift these kids, the money I have been saving for a year." After having a conversation with her mom I knew about her hobby of designing and creating wedding invites and envelopes. These savings were from the money she earned by selling the envelopes. This lil act of hers touched my heart n I felt glad that the show has started sowing the seeds of love and compassion and there are many such invisible ripples being send out. :)

Exploring the creative side!

2012-02-08T17:00:00.006+05:30

While in Anand for Ekatva dance tour, one of our dear friends invited the kids to Flo Art Gallery to bring light to their creativity and teach them the art and craft of clay. We thought this was the best opportunity to involve our kids in activity that would help them develop skills using their senses; convey their emotions and ideas creating a beautiful experience. As we reached the studio, we observed the beauty in the warm and lush green ambiance featured by pond, palm trees and thatched huts. It was fun experience for kids to visit the gallery and have a glimpse of different art work displayed in form of sculptures and murals inspired by traditional Indian forms, pharaohs of ancient Egypt and wild tribes of Africa. After touring the gallery, kids enjoyed exploring their imagination, planning the color to paint their Ganesh idols made of clay. They experimented variety of colours in fun and interesting environment at the production studio behind the art gallery. Each one was engrossed in the process of painting and learning and within no time, the painting space started looking very artistic!

Deepest gratitude for all those who made the Anand Ekatva Show a super duper hit :))

The Family Behind EKATVA - Part 2: Nilamben

2012-02-07T07:12:00.000+05:30

Wonderful Big Sister - Nilamben

You can see the spirit of paying back to the community alive in her and being put into practice each day through her work. As a young child, she always dreamt of joining the army and serving her motherland. With her family not being supportive enough to her aspirations she took up teaching.

She has been a Teacher to 1st through 4th graders of the Balsanskar project and 5th to 7th graders of the Ashramshala Residential School based in the Gandhi Ashram for over 2 and half years. She has introduced creative methods of teaching and is currently designing the Value-based/Education curriculum for all Manav Sadhna education projects.

Being a constant learner, with a quest to recognize her inner potential, she always tries to grow through her involvement in various projects. Presently she is actively involved with ‘Swagyan’(self understanding) project, an experiment in alternative education initiated by Stanford University in collaboration with Manav Sadhna.

In EKATVA, her caring and consistent support has created a healthy developmental environment for the EKATVA kids. She understands the behavioral changes our kids are going through with the onset of puberty and sensibly handles issues related to it. She manages and supports all of their educational needs including having personal relationships with all of their teachers and principals. When on tour she personally prepares study schedules for all the kids wisely managing their time so their academics do not suffer.

She has proved to be an amazing, multi-tasking bask stage specialist as well as 'wardrobe supervisor’ maintaining all costumes and jewelry, ensuring their proper labeling, storage, laundry and dry cleaning between performances. Along with Naynaben, she is the main backstage support for the 8 girls in the show - A challenging task when 8 girls are changing costumes back and forth for a 90-minute non-stop show.

The Family Behind EKATVA - Part 1

2012-01-17T00:44:00.003+05:30

Ekatva has been such an organic journey. Each day for the past few years, a family of 7 Staff Members from Gandhi Ashram-based NGO, Manav Sadhna, have made the EKATVA pilgrimage a reality for our 16 children. Whether supporting and managing the children's health, education, emotional ups and downs, family relations and problems, and as important, the full creative production of the EKATVA show, the Manav Sadhna Staff and EKATVA Family members have been behind each day, each interaction, each step.

Now with the tour coming to fruition, and for children who have rarely ever left their homes, without such a family there is no way that such a journey can become a reality. For this we share and celebrate the love and journey of our EKATVA leaders and children's caretakers.

SHIRISHBHAI - a Real Coordinator - born and raised in Gandhi Ashram has been working with Manav Sadhna since its inception, mid 1990’s. Currently, he is working as All Project Coordinator, performing all administrative task: handling email correspondence, updating websites,scheduling team meetings and maintaining status reports. He manages all the essentials of local and international volunteer recruitment, right from assessing Manav Sadhna’s need to enrollment of volunteers, their residency, building rapport with them and maintaining their databases.

For Ekatva tour in particular, he has been managing Logistics, booking the show venues, arranging stays and travels, understanding and running the technical elements of sound and lights for the show. He has been helping with getting the passports for the kids and staff, applying for their visas and other administrative work involved therein. He efficiently understands the kid’s and their family’s mindset and need by organizing regular meetings with them at Gandhi Ashram and quite often visiting their homes. He has become an integral part of kid’s life, enjoying the ‘small yet beautiful everyday moments’.

JAGATBHAI - The Truest Big Brother - is an extremely creative person who believes in creating healthy community through Art!!! Since Past 13 years, he has been dedicatedly providing value based education to slum kids by giving lessons on arts and crafts through Earn and Learn Project (www.earnlearn.org). His distinctive rangolis, creative flower decorations and ingenious stage set up enhances the beauty and elegance of each of our Ekatva performances. His aesthetically designed hand props and masks for the performers make the show visually appealing.

He has been a big brother for all the kids. Having unplanned dinners together with kids family once in a while, celebrating occasions and festivals with each other’s family, comforting the kids in their difficult moments have created synergy and inter dependence in their relationship and helped to resolve a lot of children’s problems. He has been encouraging the kids, cheering them in their journeys and enabling them to maximize their potential through regular interactions and one on one counseling sessions.

NAYNABEN - Our Team MOM!

You meet her, observe her and can only marvel at what she does.
She has been overseeing the finances and serving as Chief Accountant and Financial Advisor at ManavSadhna since the beginning. Her valuable insight about foreign regulation acts, financial wisdom and management skills have helped to utilize the foreign contributions wisely. She closely monitors Ekatva’s day to day expenses and entire Ekatva tour budget. With her gratifying personality she has established beautiful interpersonal relations with local and international donors.
I had an opportunity to stay with her and know her better during the Ekatva tour for ‘Karjaat-Mumbai performances’

Her warmth is radiated in her each and every action. She understands how simple things mean so much to kids. She would wake up the kids gently, give them head massage, do their hair neatly, take care of their nutrition, talk about their family and pamper them so they don’t miss the love they get from their mom. At the same time she will frames rules for them and make sure they follow them, sees to it that they wash their clothes in spite of travelling and rehearsals, pray before they go to bed. She is quite firm and strict when they throw tantrums ;)
She is one of the 2 main back stage support who manages make-up, hair-styling, 5 Quick costume changes under 90 minutes for 8 girls. With all these chaos backstage, she will make sure that kids stay on the script and dance sequence throughout the show, carry their requisite masks and props and are fed in between with some glucose.

She will never let you miss your mom,when she is around 

My Name Is Sanjay. What Is Your Name?

2012-01-13T08:37:00.000+05:30

After our trip to Mumbai, the kids have realized how important the English language is. They really wanted to learn more English! So Dipaliben has loving decided to volunteer her time to help the kids grow in their English skills :)

Jagriti Yatra: 450 Social Leaders share the EKATVA Spirit

2012-01-07T20:36:00.001+05:30

What happens when you take 450 social leaders, innovators and thinkers and put them on a train across India to interact, learn, inspire and involve themselves in the happenings of this beautiful country?...You feel a spirit very close to that of Oneness. Jagriti Yatra - People from all walks of life, all parts of the globe, ended their 3 week trip around India at the Gandhi Ashram today and spent their final hour of their pilgrimage with our EKATVA Family and Manav Sadhna.

Our little ambassadors shared parts of their EKATVA performance bringing about an energy and spirit beyond imaginable within the Harijan Sevak Sang Ashramshalla, that Gandhiji had started many years ago. We bow down to the Higher Power for giving us all these opportunities to give and receive, share and learn.

Love.

Full Circle: Gandhiji's Legacy Connects to our Kids

2012-01-06T10:43:00.002+05:30

What a blessing it is to serve and grow and learn in Gandhiji's space. Yesterday, our EKATVA kids welcomed Gandhiji's grandson, Arun Manilal Gandhi, as he and his Global family made their annual visit to the Gandhi Ashram and Manav Sadhna.

Arunji, has spent a good portion of his life carrying his Grandfather's message forward in the modern day, in so many different ways. We were blessed to have a beautiful interaction between him, his son Tushar Gandhi, and a family of 30 other professors and students from around the USA. The interaction involved sharing about the life of service rooted from Manav Sadhna and the Gandhi Asrham, as well as the EKATVA journey.

Then the children performed a half hour show for the entire Arun Gandhi US Family.

A Beautiful Show Day (Bombay)...

2012-01-04T06:23:00.014+05:30

Nerves are at an all time high...Who is going to be in the audience? Will we have a full show? Do I have all my costumes ready or might a strap unbuckle on stage? Will I fall in the middle of a dance or forget a step?

I have done my fair share of performances back in the day, and the questions running through your head are endless right before show time. But even today, I have yet to find anything that gives you the same adrenaline rush you get when the heat of the lights hits your face, music chimes in your ears, and ahead of you are hundreds of anxious bodies here just to see your performance.

Bombay Nehru Center - The seats were filled with an array of family, friends and specifically pointed NGO (non-governmental organizations) staff members from around the city. For this show, we wanted to share the message of Ekatva (oneness) with like-minded individuals from this fantastic city, and thus, had started a marketing campaign inviting various NGO groups to our show from Akanksha to Pratham, to Health Centers that housed disabled or mentally challenged children.

To my delight, I peered out the side of one of the big red curtains before the show began, and we were packed! I quickly ran to the backstage dressing rooms to spread the word to the girls who were in the midst of doing their hair, putting on their ornate jewelry, or setting up their elaborate costumes. Priyanka gave me a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek telling me how this was going to be so much fun as Bombay was such a great city that taught her so much. I watched the girls from the corner of the room and felt a little gulp in my throat as I knew this would be the last performance I would share with the kids in India - It was time for me to head back home to the states.

As was customary, before the curtains opened, we all gathered on stage and together recited a prayer. Nimeshbhai reminded the kids of their good fortune to be able to spread such a beautiful message to this astounding audience. He ensured all of them knew that this opportunity did not make them any better than anyone else, but rather, we are, and will always remain, one with those around us...Thus the name the the show, Ekatva (Oneness).

4:00pm - It was showtime and a beautiful one indeed!

From lights, to cameras, to a packed auditorium, we had a beautiful performance that day. While the show was running, no small mistake or missed step seemed to matter. What mattered was that these kids were on a journey to spread their love, and I can attest to the endless love they planted in my heart alone, it was more than anyone can ask for in a lifetime.

I could not put in words on a blog how each one of these sixteen kids touched my life - It is something that can only be experienced. But as they drove away on the bus that night back towards Ahmadabad, I knew they took with them a piece of my heart that will always follow them wherever they continue to spread their magic. I am blessed, and more importantly, a better person to have spent this precious time with them.

117 days till they make it to their first American City...Let the countdown begin!

Ekatva T-Shirts!

2012-01-04T06:18:00.003+05:30

Virenbhai, one of the amazing founders of Manav Sadhna (see blog posts on his background below), made fantastic Ekatva t-shirts back in the States and was rocking them around the Bombay streets - You could be sure he was spreading the message and his love everywhere he went! Check him out!

A New Way of Learning!

2012-01-04T03:52:00.008+05:30

The beauty of opening up your heart to new people and their new ideas is that you not only get to experience new adventures, but you begin to build a wealth of knowledge that allows you to connect with many people of varying backgrounds wherever life takes you - In essence, it makes you less ignorant of the world around you and appreciate our differences. By introducing the kids to
new experiences daily while on tour, it is one of Ekatva's goal to expand their understanding of the world outside of Ahmadabad so they continue to grow as individuals with a vast array of knowledge. Nimeshbhai's itinerary was accomplishing just that.

We spent a day at the Shishuvan School in Bombay during the tour. This school has a very different learning environment from that of a traditional school enrolling kids from a generally higher socio-economic status just based on their higher tuition fees. The school does not believe in the use of textbooks to teach children, but rather they have implemented a very hands-on applied learning approach to teaching. The students help develop the curriculum by asking specific topic-based questions each year that the teacher uses to come up with plans that are suited to the children's interest in learn various modules and to the depth they desire. They strongly believe learning is a shared responsibility between the students, teachers, and the parents, and specifically cater their modules for interactive involvement (http://www.shishuvan.com).

It was really a neat experience to walk down the halls and into each of the classrooms watching the kids in action. From the American music teacher reciting Christmas carols, to the arts and crafts room that used all recycled material to come up with new projects, and the history room painted with various pictures of animals to help with learning - It was a sight to see.

The Shishuvan kids greeted us in their Multi Purpose Room where kids at the middle school level had put together a flawless PowerPoint (They do PowerPoint at this age, what happened to typewriters?!) telling us the various activities they do throughout the school year. Their ability to speak in front of large groups was rather impressive as most of them did not seem to hesitate to get up in front of the classroom. The Ekatva kids also shared a bit about themselves and our spokeswoman, Bharti, introduced the team. The kids were soon paired up with the Shishuvan students for our special tour of the school led by the children, for the children. Just as excited, the adults followed them around as well.

We ended the day with a short performance for the kids and staff at the school and we had quite the roaring crowd - Always making our performances that much more fun! Thanks to the Shishuvan school kids and staff for a allowing us the opportunity to experience a new way of learning!

If you ever get out to Bombay, put this on your list of must-see places as these superstars would crumble the Bollywood gang any day...Oh, and don't forget to have some tricycle fun while you are out there, I know we sure did!!

Smiles!

2012-01-03T10:40:00.016+05:30

Nothing is more beautiful than seeing kids smile, laugh and dance - We were lucky enough to experience just that at the St. Judes Cancer Center in Bombay. The kids and staff visited the center one afternoon and did a variety of activities with children diagnosed with cancer from laughing games, to making origami hats, to bringing a part of the Ekatva performance to their own living room! Take a peek at the mesmerizing smiles below and how beautifully the Ekatva and St. Judes children truly became one family that day! Thank you to St. Judes and all of our coordinating friends who made these memories possible!

Shopping - Truly A "Giving" Moment!

2012-01-03T05:00:00.015+05:30

Budgets were set - 300 rupees each were doled out to spend at an outdoor market in Bombay, and sixteen kids were soon bustling through the colorful booths full of clothes, shoes, jewelry and more - Their first lesson in buying and spending within a budget had began.

Pause the story for a quick minute, and rewind to about a month prior...One of the slums of Ahmadabad was heartlessly bulldozed by the Government to move forward on a Riverfront project. Unfortunately, Vishal and Vicky, two of the sixteen Ekatva children, had families that resided in those homes before they became rubble overnight. The families got very little notice as to what was coming, and one unfateful morning were barricaded outside their slum neighborhood as they watched their homes and most of their possessions being turned into rock.

If you ever got a chance to meet these two kids, the first thing you would notice is Vishal's vibrant smile and Vicky's endless ability to make anyone around him smile. With a pair or two of underwear and minimal clothing left, Nilamdidi and I took them shopping for some basics before the tour began. After buying some toiletries, they refused to let us get them anymore than one additional shirt and one pair of underwear each - they said it was all they needed.

Now fast forward one month back to the bustling streets of the Bombay market. The kids were excited. I ran to and fro with the girls as Priyanka wanted a dress for her little sister, Nikita wanted a shirt for her elder brother, and Chandani wanted a watch for her mother. Everyone was in full fledged shopping mode and the most amazing part of it all was that every child seemed to be shopping for their families - someone's mother, brother or sister - before they even began to think about anything for themselves. Most were left without any cash by the time family shopping was over - But they did it all with a smile. That is what they wanted.

Often times I think of most of the kids I know and as soon as they have ample cash at their disposal they get the hottest XBox 360 game in the market, and shortly thereafter, they have their eye out for what's coming next. As adults, more than we probably tend to admit, we do the same. The truth is in this cycle of greed for our own needs, we often forget to pay our gratitude for what we are blessed to have in our hands today. If we took note of our fortunate lifestyles more often, I truly feel our greed would also subside and desire to serve others would grow. These kids exemplified selflessness in their lack of greed and that morning was a beautiful example of that very trait.

I jumped on the bus as everyone's shopping had culminated. Bags shuffled and the kids were laughing and sharing stories about what they bought. I caught a glimpse of Vishal sitting in a seat on his own with no bags around him. I took the seat next to him and asked, "What did you buy Vishal?" He looked at me with that heart-wrenching smile and said, "Nothing Didi, I looked but I didn't need anything, so I didn't buy anything." My heart immediately melted and images of his bull-dozed home ran through my head. I remembered how few belongings he had left after the horrific tragedy that had just occurred one month prior. And yet, he still needed nothing?! He had clothes on his back, food on his plate, and a fantastic smile that kept him going - What more could he ask for?

The opportunity to spend that one moment with such a selfless child was well worth my entire Manav Sadhna trip. It is always amazing what a child can teach you in just a moment in time, and Vishal's lack of need for ANYTHING in life touched my heart more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for. Thankyou for the beautiful reminder Vishal!

Nimesh's Fantastic Performance!

2012-01-02T10:09:00.003+05:30

Couldn't help but share this one - He's our rapping superstar!!

(Full music CD's available upon request)

!!!

Dharavi Slum School Performance!

2012-01-02T10:00:00.004+05:30

The kids visited a fabulous school in the biggest slum of Bombay, Dharavi, and gave the children there a small taste of our Ekatva performance. The kids were loving it and ended the day with a free-style B-Boy dance off. These kids were talented!!

Caught a short clip of some of the kids tearing up the dance floor - Enjoy!

Curious Bharti and the Ripple Effect

2012-01-02T06:49:00.008+05:30

One of the beauties of children lies in the capacity of their curiosity - In essence, it is limitless. As the noises of the various park animals and splashes of the running river filled our ears in Sanjay Gandhi National Park - We stopped to watch a beautiful bird across the water that we had just learned about from our fantastic friend, and tour guide for the day, Rushikeshbhai.

As I sat there next to Bharti she noticed tiny movements in the water that made numerous circles throughout the river. She looked at me and asked what those circles were called in English. It was always amazing to see Bharti taking advantage of any chance she got to learn more English. I repeated the word "Ripple" a few times to her, and she looked elated as she quickly took a mental note of the new piece of information she had just been introduced too. As she skipped away repeating the word over and over again, I called out to her to share her new learning with her other sisters and brothers as well. That's exactly what I heard her doing.

The next day we were welcomed to the home of a Manav Sadhna family member for lunch. Bharti noticed on one of the tables there was a quote by Mother Teresa that read, "I alone cannot change the world, but I can caste a stone across the waters to create many ripples." She quickly grabbed the frame and walked towards me to help her understand the meaning. As we sounded out the various letters in the sentence, we were able to read the English quote together. And soon thereafter, she was able to translate it into Hindi knowing that she had just learned one of the key words in that message the prior day. Bharti was beaming with a smile at her ability to read and understand the quote.

"Main Nimeshsir ko jakar bathaon?" She excitedly asked me if she should go share with Nimeshsir, and I asked her to share with the whole family, as it was a great quote that everyone ought to hear. Initially, a bit nervous, she agreed to reading the quote in English first, and then translating it into Hindi for everyone in the room.

She held my hand into the room. At this point, we had gathered a crowd of about 30 people and all eyes were on Bharti. Her nervousness quickly subsided as she began a beautiful recital of the quote and the translation thereafter - Not a glitch her in voice and with the confidence of a politician. It was a beautiful moment and I was smiling like a proud parent. Upon finishing, I asked her to tell everyone who said the quote, she replied, "Apne (You)!" That gave everyone a good laugh and I was the lucky girl in the room to receive a heart-filled hug from Bharti, our new spokeswoman!

A few days later, Sanjay sat next to me on the bus and told me how he wanted to get better at speaking in front of big groups...Bharti truly started her own "Ripple Effect" without even knowing it!

ND Studios Magic!

2012-01-02T04:58:00.013+05:30

After culminating our memorable journey in Karjat, we said our goodbyes and jumped on a bus towards our next destination, Bombay. Many folks compare Bombay to the LA of India - bustling, diverse, and home to all the film stars of the Bollywood film industry. It would have been a shame to skip out on a tour to get a glimpse of how it all went down in Bollywood town...So the kids had an opportunity to see just that.

ND Studios is an artist-run multimedia production company where many big box films are shot ever year. For any Bollywood buff (me included!), it was like being a child in a candy store when you ran across the set of Jodha Akbhar and the row of elephants that definitely played a part on the last war movie you watched.

Music and performance have been a part of the children's lives long before our Ekatva tour had begun, but their interest in spreading a beautiful message through art has only gotten stronger as each performance has allowed them the opportunity to really feel and see the difference their talent makes. Though the productions via Bollywood/Hollywood often have varying messages, they serve as a form of art that has touched lives of millions around the world. Their hard work and dedication to spreading messages was apparent just by seeing the elaborate details that went into each of their sets.

Though we did not unfortunately spot Aamir Khan or Priyanka Chopra in action, the kids enjoyed their day there as they re-enacted the Chandalika scene at a nearby well (take a peak at the video below!). I also caught some great shots of them behind bars and climbing royal elephants. Seeing their fantastic smiles as they experience these new places quickly made every hardworking late night worth doing ten times over again!

Cleaning Day at Matheran Hillstation with our Rockstars!

2012-01-01T01:54:00.010+05:30

Along with beautiful people, Karjat is home to a scenic hillstation called, Matheran. It is one of the few places in the world where vehicles are not allowed, thus making it quite different from other hillstations and very peaceful despite the endless monkeys that have made it their home.

The kids set out on the nature-esque tread towards the top of the hill approximately 3000 feet above sea-level. Along the way, each of them carried black garbage bags and collected trash. Lucky or unlucky for Vicky and the bag of chips he had in his hand, a monkey swept by and grabbed it from him when he least expected it - Let's only hope he knows a thing or two about sanitation after he fills his stomach on Uncle Masala Chips!

When we stopped for a quick snack at the top of the hill, I was reminded we had quite the bollywood Rockstars in our own group of kids - Take a peak at our own monkeys wearing their favorite hats striking poses at my camera in this perfectly placed setting on top of a hill!

Seva Cafe in Your Backyard!

2011-12-31T23:40:00.012+05:30

For those of you that have been fortunate enough to visit Manav Sadhna's Ahmadabad based Seva Cafe on CG road - You know the feeling of excitement you get when you get off that tiny gray elevator on the fourth floor and immediately your ears are greeted with the strumming of the elegant sitar and the rhythmic beats of the tabla. As the fresh aroma of incense tickles your nose, quickly a sense of happiness overcomes any other feelings you may have at that moment. With your first step into the cafe, love is overwhelmingly poured in your direction as you are greeted at the door and seated with compassion under the open night skies. A meal is served to you by the various smiling volunteers of all ages and colors, and at the end of the night, you get no bill for the food you just ate - Rather you are free to give what you feel you would like to offer paying it forward for the next guest, as someone did before you.

Side note on the Seva Cafe philosophy: The cafe is an experiment in the shared joy that comes from humble giving and selfless service. The wholesome meals served there are cooked and served by volunteers and offered to the guests as genuine gifts, paid for in full by the previous guest. As more participate in the joy of giving, the more the cafe thrives. It begins with a single gift given and received, only to multiply and grow the chain of kindness and care (Seehttp://www.sevacafe.org/ for more info).

The tour team had a beautiful idea to bring this concept to the IFF school to show their appreciation for bringing us into their homes and showering us with endless love that helped make our first show so beautiful. Jayeshbhai coordinated a meeting the night before and everyone began volunteering for tasks - Everything from a kitchen staff, to the decoration team, to a bhajans group, and a greeting crew. It was amazing to see so many people so anxious to help serve others - Selflessly.

The Seva day started at 6:30am as I joined the kitchen crew to begin cooking up the feast. Nainabhen, our lady in charge of the delicious meal, headed the team in the kitchen and worked her magic on the massive gas grills making her favorite specialty, handvo. It was my first time cooking (or assisting cooking) and trying this Gujarati specialty and boy would it have been terribly difficult to let me down just by seeing all the loved she poured into the masalas (spices)!

Outside the aromatic kitchen, Jagatbhai and Rahulbhai had done an amazing job lighting up the cafeteria with flowers on every table and beautiful arrangements of petals that covered the room in colors. Nilamdidi and Sheetalbhaiya had begun to fill the room with the sound of their serene voices singing beautiful bhajans. The ambiance was set, and everyone was in the mood of service as the kids rushed out of their rooms to join the cafeteria team and help greet their new brothers and sisters. They had a late night making cards out of colorful construction paper saying thanks to their

new family, and now were ready to serve before eating anything themselves.

Breakfast time was around the corner and as I was running out to change my clothes for the morning, I bumped into our very own...Gandhi ji! I would bet, if Sureshbhai was a little shorter, folks who were lucky enough to ever meet the real Mahatma Gandhi, would not be able to tell the difference! He was a hit star that morning working the Charka and blessing kids with his heartfelt smile. It was a touching site to see!

The IFF kids and staff (including the whole kitchen team) were seated, fed, and their plates were taken upon finishing, and washed by the Manav Sadhna team. Some teachers joined Nilamdidi and together they sang the most beautiful songs we could ever imagine. Everyone was in the spirit of love, service and giving - And it was a kodak camera moment to capture those smiles!

The idea of Seva Cafe can spring anywhere there is a desire to give and serve selflessly - Jayeshbhai and the team brought the idea to the IFF school and each person in the room could feel the happiness in giving. This can happen anywhere and anytime as long as there is selfless love present - It is our challenge to make it a reality even where we may least expect it.

Its Showtime!! (Karjat)

2011-12-31T05:42:00.011+05:30

Imagine an outdoor theater nested in the serenity of one of nature's most breathtaking scenes coated with vivid mountains, lush green grass, tall slender palm trees and combined with the laughter of hundreds of beautiful innocent children all around - Our show that had not even begun yet, was already a memorable success!

The Karjat theater amplified the values that IFF carried throughout their entire school as the circular back wall displayed a fantastic arrangement of the many wonders of the world. As I walked around counting the wonders I had actually been fortunate enough to go visit, gratitude filled my heart for being blessed with those opportunities. Though tough to admit, the Taj Mahal had not made my list, yet...I was sure to cross it off just a few weeks later! Below the wonders of the world, the stone walls were covered with a unique painting style called, Warli.

Side Note: Warli art was derived from the Warli people who were indigenous Indians that were evicted from their villages by the British and ended up living in the outskirts of main cities or in the fringes of forests. Even today they continue to carry a painting tradition stretching back to 3000 BCE using rudimentary graphic vocabulary: a circle, a triangle, and a square. These shapes were derived from the sun/moon, mountains and trees to tell stories about hunting, fishing, farming, festivals and dances. It is found all over India and exemplifies gratitude in simplicity and tradition.

Seats were packed with friends arriving from all parts of the India from Pune, to Bombay, to Ahmadabad to Karjat itself. The crowd was getting ready to see a performance that most did not even realize might change their lives forever.

Fifteen minutes of colorful innocence by the talented IFF students opened our show that night wowing the audience with their performance on the many elements of the world and a their own unique message of unity and love. With little to no practice, it was a flawless transition into the 90 minute dance/drama performed by our MS kids - Symbolic of there truly being no difference in all the children that were spreading a message on stage that day.

While the awe-striking performance that night left the audience speechless - I was lucky enough to take the backstage seat. Between the frantic costume changes and prop placements, if I could have had a video camera to record what was going on backstage, it would be a box office hit in no time. As Nimeshbhai often says, this tour is not about a production going around the world - But rather, even more importantly, a beautiful journey that is being embarked on to touch each of these children's lives and further plant a seed in all those that came in contact with them or anyone on the team. Backstage was no less a beautiful spectacle of kids helping each other, kids hugging each other, kids singing and dancing even off stage, kids truly happy and in love with each other. You could feel the energy - They were not performing an act of unity, love and oneness, they were truly living examples of it.

What's even better is that we took that love after the show and started our own Garba party on stage with lights, dhols, laughter, and the Bye Bye song (Gujarati traditional song - Pardon the ignorance!) AND...Silly string! Can you think of a better way to end the night?! :)

Thanks to the Karjat IFF team that helped us put on one of the most memorable performances to kick off our tour!

Learning B-Boy Dancing!

2011-12-29T21:17:00.001+05:30

Rohan, a friend from Houston, was teaching the kids b-boy dancing today. Man, all the kids were so into it!! Was amazing!
Love.

A small gift as token of love from IFF family, Karjat

2011-12-19T14:07:00.000+05:30

As we bade a heartfelt farewell to India First Foundation Family at Karjaat,Jamuna, an Integral member of IFFS gifted Ekatva a beautiful letter.

The Swagat (Greeting)!

2011-12-02T20:15:00.013+05:30

Arriving at our first tour city was no less than being greeted for a wedding...

After travelling 12 hours by train and 3 hours by bus, we finally stumbled off our rough leather seats, as our ears rang with the

sounds of dhol, cymbals, and drums played by the most adorable students from the hostel that would be our home for the next 4 days of our tour. The kids grabbed our bags from our hands as they applied tikka (a red powder) to our foreheads - a special swagat (greeting) for our arrival.

India First Foundation (IFF) boarding school was built about 2 years ago with the same pillars of love, humility, oneness, and the desire to serve that uphold Manav Sadhna today. The place was lush with greenery and fauna surrounded by picturesque mountains in a remote city about 3 hours from Bombay know as Karjat.

Each detail of the campus was designed with the kid's optimal learning environment in mind. From the detailed art on the walls of the buildings, to the listeded ingredients and nutritional value of food cooked in the canteen (which was the best cafeteria food I have ever had by the way!), to the map of the world with the spice route noted - We were in awe of the school.

Despite these beautiful amenities, the IFF kids and staff truly practiced their instilled values of oneness as they took in each new stranger with love and invited us into their homes and shared their beds. In a matter of a few hours, our kids were no where to be found as they were fully immersed in the company of their new friends. If we got lucky enough to catch a glimpse of any of the children with their new buddies, each child ensured he or she stopped what they were playing to say, "Pranam" (A respectful greeting to elders). They were walking examples of the fantastic values IFF teaches.

You know is something right when it is so easy for two different worlds to come together in a matter of minutes and immediately feel like one big family! Our Co-Founder, Jayeshbhai, is a trustee of the IFF school and his life is an example of goodness in human form. He is the glue of IFF and Manav Sadhna and this first night in Karjat only reinforced his widespread effect on any world he touches. Life in this world is like that in a dream - Love, happiness, and humility in one spot - Truly heaven on earth.

The Journey Begins...

2011-11-30T22:23:00.009+05:30

And so the tour finally begins...

At 7am the platform at the Ahmadabad train station was bustling with the noises - From the laughter of children to the sobbing of parting families and the echoing of the morning station chai and biscuit walas (tea/biscuit sellers) - It seemed all of the city had gathered at gate 3 of the station that hour.

16 kids with matching backpacks that had white embroidered names sewn to the front, 16 matching red suitcases, and a smorgasbord of staff members of all ages and sizes - It was quite the scene if you happened to be people watching that morning!

Before we knew it, the train whistles chimed in our ears as we rolled our bags onto the compartment that would become our stomping ground for the next 12 hours as we began our fabulous journey to spread love and unity to our first destination, Karjat.

The joy the kids brought into the train began spreading the minute we got on as they shared seats with those who had forgotten to, or were unable to, reserve seats for themselves. Sanjay decided to squish himself between Vishal and Devram as he tapped the Kaka (elderly man) standing besides him and asked him to take his seat politely - The Kaka was delighted and kindly blessed Sanjay by touching his head.

Two of our staff members, Sunilbhai and Shirshbhai, bumped into some musically talented children on the train who were making music by hitting slates of marble together. It was a beautiful phenomenon as they ran through the different train compartments with joyful faces and contagious laughter taking their music with them. Its amazing to see the happiness music can bring to people's faces - In whatever form it comes. After showering them with hugs and familiarizing them with our family, we began giving them some lessons on general hygiene as they seemed they could benefit from the conversation. Sunilbhai started them on their understanding of cleanliness by cutting their nails while explaining how all the dirt from their nails would go directly into their food and stomachs causing sickness if not cleaned. Later they were joined by Nimeshbhai who directs the Ekatva project, aka Mustache Mom to the kids! He put his rapper hat on and together he and the kids created music that got the whole train up and excited dancing the hours away!

As our new musically talented friends got off the train at their stop, we could hear them screaming goodbye for minutes after our train began its departure to the next stop. They ran and ran alongside our train until they could see us no longer from the tracks. They were happy and you could see it in their eyes. Someone treated them like kids and showered them with love - That's all they ever ask for.

Ekatva Performance in Mumbai, Dec. 4th, 4-6pm @ Nehru Centre

2011-11-15T21:02:00.002+05:30

EKATVA’s Mumbai performance at the Nehru Center AuditoriumJoin us for a special Sunday performance of EKATVA in Mumbai, India!

December 4, 2011

Nehru Center Auditorium - Mumbai

4PM - 6PM | FREE - a gift from the children

http://www.nehru-centre.org/

Doors open at 330pm.

Dr. Annie Besant Road,
Worli, Mumbai - 400018
India
Google Map: http://g.co/maps/3pvh6

EKATVA comes to Mumbai! EKATVA is a 90 minute dance/drama musical performed by 16 slum children, hoping to share a message of 'oneness' and universal love, to the world. A Manav Sadhna experiment, EKATVA features Sixteen children from some of the largest slums of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They were selected through a nine month audition process, and are being trained and developed, by two mentors from Manav Sadhna and teachers from Darpana Academy, to perform a 90-minute dance-drama production sharing Gandhiji’s message of ‘Oneness’. After one year of training and development, the children will tour the show across India, the US, and the UK.

Choreography by Mallika Sarabhai (Darpana Academy).

Learn More at www.ekatva.org and join us on Facebook (ekatva-oneness)

Nov. 26th, a Special Performance at a Special School, IFF

2011-11-15T20:55:00.010+05:30

Ekatva begins its Mumbai trip to a very special school, who's focus is on the wholistic development of its children from a Global perspective, The India First Foundation. We are privileged to be invited to such a school and look forward to the interaction between the kids and the energy created.

This show will be very unique as we will be creatively involving and working with the IFF children days before to prepare an integrated performance of sorts. They have just sent us their music, script and ideas. We are blessed to have schools and leaders who are willing to take such initiative and embrace the creative experience and journey of our children.

Thank you Arvindbhai, Madam Kavita Karve, and the India First Foundation School for your heart warming support along our Ekatva journey.

In humble gratitude.

WWW.IFFSCHOOL.IN

Love and Peace

EKATVA @ Town Hall | October 22 & 23, 2011

2011-10-19T08:54:00.003+05:30

Join us for 2 FREE special weekend performances of EKATVA in Ahmedabad, India!

EKATVA is a 90 minute dance/drama musical performed by 16 slum children, hoping to share a message of 'oneness' and universal love, to the world. A Manav Sadhna experiment, EKATVA features Sixteen children from some of the largest slums of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They were selected through a nine month audition process, and are being trained and developed, by two mentors from Manav Sadhna and teachers from Darpana Academy, to perform a 90-minute dance-drama production sharing Gandhiji’s message of ‘Oneness’. After one year of training and development, the children will tour the show across India, the US, and the UK.

October 22 & 23, 2011 | 8PM Both Nights | FREE
Town Hall near Ellis Bridge - Ahmedabad
Google MAP: http://g.co/maps/wg4cp

Choreography by Mallika Sarabhai (Darpana Academy).

EKATVA on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b-DhnrqRTA&feature=youtu.be

Ekatva Debut Performance on Gandhiji's Birthday

2011-10-12T19:17:00.001+05:30

It was a blessing to kick off our Ekatva Tour on Gandhiji's birthday, Oct 2nd at Natrani Theatre, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The kids had rehearsed til' 3am for 2 consecutive nights before in order to pull off their first performance. Everything ended up being a first. Performing with full costumes, props, etc. Not to mention many times they only had 1 minute or so to change costumes back stage before the next performance item. The show was a blessing and an amalgamation of all the children's hard work, dedication and love throughout this journey. It was a show of love. And we are blessed by the opportunity to all share in this ongoing journey of family, children and growth. Love All Serve All.

Let the Shows Begin...Soon :)

2011-08-30T22:57:00.000+05:30

We are happy to share a video with you all, helping introduce the EKATVA tour 2011-2012.
Love and Peace.

Meet Vishal...

2011-08-27T04:00:00.000+05:30

“In Shankar Bhuvan, you can find any type of masti (mischief) you are looking for,” says Vishal’s father. “Liquor, gambling, fighting, foul language – It’s always going on in the streets.”

The environment is hardly suitable for raising a family, but Vishal’s mother and father have no choice. With his father as the sole breadwinner, and five mouths to feed, they cannot afford to move out of the Shankar Bhuvan slum.

Vishal has mixed feelings about his community. He has lived in Shankar Bhuvan all his life. He knows how to navigate the narrow labyrinth of alleys, squeezing past wandering goats and stepping over stray dogs who seek shelter from the blazing Ahmedabad sun. He has built a group of trusty playmates who offer him constant company. With his family and friends in the area, Vishal is never at a loss of people to spend time with.

But upon further thought, Vishal begins to reveal the various difficulties in Shankar Bhuvan that he has faced.

Like most residents of the area, Vishal’s family does not have a toilet in their home. They have no other option than to use the riverbank as a mass toilet, along with the thousands of other people and no privacy.

“It’s just not right,” Vishal says. “If I have to go to the bathroom at night, I’m scared to go to the river.”

His face contorts in disgust and distress as he thinks about the conditions.

Although Vishal is playful and often smiling, his manner changes suddenly to one of anger and frustration when he becomes upset. And living among men who drink often, and children with little guidance of what is right and wrong, Vishal is often angered by neighbors who misbehave and speak rudely.

“When the other boys use foul language, I get so mad,” Vishal says. “I lose my head and feel like hitting them.”

Vishal spreads his hands far apart, illustrating how angry he becomes.

“I don’t feel just a little angry,” he says. “I feel very, very angry.”

His EKATVA mentors have coached him in ways to curb his anger and check his physical reactions to those who anger him. But Vishal admits that it is a work in progress.

Meet Asha...

2011-08-26T04:59:00.000+05:30

Asha is tall, charismatic, and according to her teachers at the Ashramshala, very stubborn. A conversation with her is impressive, but lacks the innocence or candor you’d expect from a 13-year old girl. She has a film star-esque quality to her smile – bright and beautiful, plastered on her face as she searches for the “right” thing to say.

Yet, someone with Asha’s background cannot be expected to have much girlish innocence. Asha’s family lives in Shankar Bhuvan, a slum area in Ahmedabad known for its tough crowd, and rough living conditions. The narrow alleys that weave through the community are dotted with men exchanging cigarettes and liquor, spitting at the feet of passersby as crude language rolls off their tongues.

Two years ago, Asha’s parents eagerly took the chance to put Asha and her younger sister in the children’s hostel at Gandhi Ashram.

“I wanted to get a good education so I can move ahead in life,” Asha says, a response almost too wise for her years. Despite her prodigious claim, the transition to hostel life was not easy for Asha. As she describes the loneliness she felt when other girls did not include her in their games, and as her sister found new friends to join, her smiling and charming veneer shows a crack of candid unease.

Her troubles were not limited to making friends. The contrast between the disciplined environment at the Ashramshala and the abrasive life in the slums became apparent in Asha’s schoolwork. Her teachers hassle her to pay more focus on her studies, but she is not used to being around those who value education.

“My friends at Shankar Bhuvan used to always trouble our teachers,” Asha explains. “With them, I never took my studies seriously. Now everyone says I’m not making an effort in the Ashramshala, but I am trying. It’s just that I’m not used to studying. Even a little effort seems like a big one.”

While effort is relative, Asha’s poor grades and negligent attitude toward her lessons cannot be overlooked. After failing her mid-year Ashramshala exams in February, Asha was warned that her spot in EKATVA was at risk unless she improved her study habits. But she was not left to tackle her schoolwork on her own. Her mentors at Manav Sadhna took out time for extra tutoring, and her friends at the Ashramshala would sit with her late at night after dance rehearsal, to help her practice her lessons.

But when results for the end-of-year exams were tallied, Asha’s performance was disappointing. Her failing marks in every subject left no doubt that her focus in her schoolwork had not been sincere.

Until she demonstrates a sincere effort and improvement in her studies, Asha is no longer a part of EKATVA.

Asha’s mentors explained to her that the purpose of this production is not as simple as taking 16 children from the slums on a tour around the world. EKATVA is an experiment in uplifting children from poverty to self-sustainability, by supporting them holistically and showing them the fruits of hard work. To include Asha in this journey while she continues her bad study habits would be a disservice to her and the person she has the potential to become. She has been given one more chance to apply herself and add value to the message EKATVA seeks to send to the world.

Meet Sanjay...

2011-08-21T23:10:00.001+05:30

When Sanjay’s father was in second grade, his teacher slapped him on the hand with a ruler one day for misbehaving. He never went back to school. “Because I was afraid of being hit again, I missed out on an education. I want Sanjay to realize I am doing majoori (labor) work because I am uneducated”

Sanjay and his family live in Ram Rahim no Tekro, a slum area in Old Ahmedabadfamous for the communities of Hindus and Muslims that live side-by-side. Both his parents do majoori, and are desperate for their children to find a way out of their difficult and unstable lifestyle.

A few years ago, Sanjay began ragpicking to earn some extra income for his family, who were in danger of losing their home. He would go through mountains of rubbish in the slums around his home and collect enough scraps of paper to earn about 30 rupees per day.

“My neighbor’s son was ragpicking near the river once, and he got swept away,” Sanjay explained. “I was afraid something like that would happen to me, or that I would get kidnapped.”

The conditions were unimaginable and dangerous, especially for a 10-year old boy, but Sanjay continued ragpicking for several months to help his family.

“As a laborer, you can’t always expect the work to be pleasant.”

Sanjay’s parents hope that EKATVA will equip their son with the tools to build a lifestyle that is not based on hard labor. But it was not clear from the beginning whether Sanjay would be a good fit for this journey. Unlike the other children who were selected based on their potential as performers, strong academics and attitude, Sanjay does not particularly excel in any of these criteria.

He does not show natural talent as a dancer, and his schoolwork is poor. His mother describes him as absentminded, “When I send him to the market to buy five things, he will only come back with one,” she explained.

“It’s like things fly out of my mind when I need to remember them,” he says. This forgetfulness, in addition to his tendency toward mischief, made him an unlikely candidate for this demanding journey.

But although Sanjay’s qualifications seemed lacking on paper, he has demonstrated an impressive commitment to EKATVA. Everyday for over three months, he made the 40-minute bus trip across the Sabarmati River that divides Ahmedabad, to reach EKATVA practice after school.

“In the beginning, I was afraid that I would get on the wrong bus and end up in God-knows-where,” Sanjay said.

He has earned the trust of his parents, who do not hesitate to send him unaccompanied, and his teachers at Manav Sadhna, who have witnessed his street smarts and dependability.

Although the responsibility of travelling alone has not always been easy, Sanjay doesn’t mind putting in the extra effort.

“Bad things take no time at all to finish,” Sanjay says. “It’s the good things that take a long time and hard work. For good things, you have to sweat.”

Meet Krishna...

2011-08-19T23:12:00.000+05:30

In her EKATVA journey, Krishna has learned about inner happiness and inner strength.

“Helping others is the way to feel santosh (contentment),” the 11-year old says sagely.

Krishna describes a young boy she met near Gandhi Ashram whose leg was handicapped from polio. As he was trying to cross the road, faced by an onslaught of speeding rickshaws and heavy buses, Krishna and her friend noticed his struggle and hurried to help him.

“You should have seen his face when I took his hand and my friend took his bag” Krishna’s face lights up as she tells the story.

“He was so happy. When he said thank you, I felt something good open up inside me.”

The value of seva, or service, that Krishna has developed through EKATVA has pushed her beyond her comfort zone. Her mother explains that before, Krishna used to look out for herself only. But recently, she has noticed her daughter putting the wellbeing of her siblings and parents before her own.

“We are one family,” Krishna says. “We should take care of each other.”

What activities of service and compassion have done for Krishna internally, the rigorous EKATVA dance rehearsals have done for her physically, helping her realize the limits of her physical strength.

Since the beginning of this journey, Krishna has been fragile, both emotionally and in terms of her fitness. Daily dance practice has been grueling, especially in the heat of Ahmedabad summer. The rehearsal schedule and dances demand strength and endurance, something that young Krishna was visibly lacking.

But just as she has displayed a change in her behavior toward others, recently, her strength has improved as well.

During the children’s exercise routine at practice one morning, the children began a contest to see who could do the most jumping jacks. Five minutes passed, and kids started dropping. Then ten minutes. The number continued to fall, as more exhausted little dancers ran out of gas. Finally, nearly 20 minutes into the contest, only two children remained. Delicate Krishna and tiny Chandani surprised everyone with their stamina, and even more so, with their will power and desire to win.

Meet Devram...

2011-08-19T01:31:00.000+05:30

When Devram begins to talk about his grandfather, there is a change in his body language. He sits on top of his hands, as though he is afraid someone will try to take them, and focuses his eyes ahead, on a point far away. He describes how his Dada used to give him a few rupees each day to buy fruit, before he came to live at the children’s hostel at Gandhi Ashram. Devram prefers apple or guava, but during the summer, he would bring home a mango, his Dada’s favorite.

“He taught me only good things,” Devram says. “He taught me to never steal or lie, and to work hard.”

Devram’s Dada also taught him to read and write. These days, surrounded by dozens of playful children at the hostel, he still prefers to study and read his school lessons in his free time, rather than join in the mischief and impromptu cricket matches with other boys.

When his Dada passed away in January, Devram refused to take time off from school to be at home with his family, worried that he would fall behind in his studies. His eyes fill up with tears when he thinks about it.

Despite his sadness over his grandfather’s death, Devram’s studies have not suffered. He continues to place first in his class. Yet, his future remains uncertain. In the past, the Ashramshala hostel has only accommodated children until the seventh standard. Until recently, Devram had planned to return to the Ahmedabad slum in which his family lives, and attend the public municipality school this year as he enters eighth standard. He explained that his parents did not want him to leave home again to study in another hostel, but one can sense that the wish to be home may be mutual.

However, his mentors at Manav Sadhna felt it would be a shame for his bright future and shining potential to be eclipsed by the uncertainty of life in the slum and the neglect of public schoolteachers. Since Devram has proved himself to be a hard-working and conscientious student, Manav Sadhna has arranged for him to live in the Ashramshala while he studies and continues to attend the Gandhi Ashram School No. 1.

The New School Year, Ashramshalla, Education...

2011-06-28T12:15:00.000+05:30

As we approach finishing the EKATVA show production over the next 3 months, we need to get prepared for the journey we will be taking this upcoming year with the kids: Performances, interactions and activities, practices and rehearsals, alongside the most important activities: School, Tution class and Education.

For this reason we have decided to bring all the EKATVA children living further away to come live at the Gandhi Ashram Hostel Ashramshall, with the other 120 kids that currently live there (6 of which are already our EKATVA kids). These kids are all from the so called ‘Untouchable’ community. Gandhiji started the Harijan Sevak Trust over 70 years ago to help in the upliftment of this community.

With most of the EKATVA kids at the Ashramshalla now, and going to Government School across the street, Gandhi Ashram School No. 1, we will be able to focus more attention and detail on their studies and with their teachers. On top of this, we will be having tution class for the kids everyday at the Ashramshalla, Gandhi Ashram from 2-5pm. And then finally we will have dance practice from 5 – 8pm. In this new school year it has been very important for me to stress to the kids how important their education and studies will be this year. Because once the EKATVA journey and project is complete, Education and their values, will be the number one and only tools they have to reach their dreams. They seems to understand and accept that.

A pleasant surprise: Two of our kids, Bhavnik and Nikita were awarded 5000 Rupees each (about 2 months of their mom and dad’s salaries) for being top performers in their last school year. Three other of our EKATVA kids also received top 3 in their class. J

EKATVA Skype performance with Liecester UK - Indian Summer Festival

2011-06-21T13:58:00.000+05:30

The groundbreaking Indian Summer festival in Leicester UK featured a live Skype linkage between the 16 children of EKATVA and kathak performers at the festival. The children interacted with Festival participants, artists and organizers, and learned about the Indian community that lives in the UK. Segments of the dance drama were performed and projected live at the Festival.

We all gathered around Gandhiji's bronze statue at the Gandhi Ashram at 6pm on Saturday, June 18, 2011 to first explain to the children what we were about to do. For most of the children, this was their exposure to Skype and its power to connect people through audio and video all over the world.

We talked about geography, explaining to them where Leicester UK was in the world, and what the festival was all about. The kids had many questions and were full of wonder once the camera came on and we were all interacting with the Festival moderator.

This first interactive linkage has set the stage for more exciting collaborations! For all of us, the experience affirmed the power of unity and EKATVA, and how music and dance can dissolve boundaries between cultures.

SLUMBER PARTY #2....YIPPEEEE!

2011-06-21T09:52:00.003+05:30

I could only remember how exciting it was when we were younger to hold slumber parties with our friends.

Well we had our second slumber party with our 16 kids, at my apartment. It was…well....a slumber party!!!!

Taking showers, late night and getting ready as if we were gonna go out to a club or something....

...Then cooking...

...can't forget to watch a movie..."The Incredibles"!!!...

...of course, you need a little excercise, to balance your 20 people in a 2 bedroom apartment slumber party experience...

...and, can't forget to play with all the little dolls in the gift corner...

...at some point we went to sleep....

...and at some point we woke up....

...can't forget to feed the belly....

...and a be a goofball, while feeding it...

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.........DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

YOU HAVE TO AT LEAST MAKE ONE MUSIC VIDEO at every slumber party you go to :)

hAving the kIds ovEr is Always a BLEssinG. We eNjoy ComInG TogEthEr and FindIng Love in Life.

Love.

Meet Bharti...

2011-06-17T23:19:00.001+05:30

Bharti seems to have it all. She has the striking expressions of an actor, the grace of a dancer, and the potential to develop her girlish presence into one of a great performer. Yet something is lacking, holding her back from the places her talent may take her.

On the surface, Bharti’s home life shines compared to her neighbors in Ramapir no Tekro, the largest slum area in Ahmedabad. The moment you cross the threshold of her home in the tekro, the background changes from dusty, barren slum-land, to glossy, tiled-floor. Bharti’s family owns a computer, bought by her grandparents as an investment in the education of Bharti and her siblings, and a refrigerator, a sign of wealth in the crowded, poverty-laden chalis, or alleyways.

Though Bharti is happy, enjoying the masti and mischief of youth in the tekro, her story reveals difficulties – some she understands, and others she does not.

She explains that her mother fell very ill when her youngest brother, Mehul, was born three years ago. For months, she was in and out of the hospital, experiencing seizure and faintness. Bharti’s eldest sister, Payal, studying in the 8^th standard at the time, dropped out of school to take care of their mother and manage the household work.

When Payal later decided that she wanted to continue her studies, her father did not support her wish. As he explains, the circumstances in the household, including Bharti’s sickly mother and her 3-year old brother, have not allowed Payal to return to school.

“Who would stay home and take care of the housework?” he asks.

The contrast between Bharti’s colorful childhood, highlighted by experiences in Manav Sadhna and EKATVA, and Payal’s seemingly lost childhood, are stark, but underrated.

Though Bharti doesn’t dwell on her sister’s circumstances, she worries that her parents fight often, creating tension in their home.

“I try to make them stop,” Bharti says, with genuine adolescent angst. “I tell them they should act like adults, rather than small children.” But her parents do not see, or choose not to acknowledge, that their quarrelling has an effect on their children.

“Family members will always fight,” Bharti’s father says. “That’s just the way it is. When Bharti tells us to stop, I say, ‘Fine, we’ll put off today’s fighting for tomorrow.’” He laughs, making light of the issue.

The conflict and relative wealth in her home have added elements ego and friction to Bharti’s otherwise charming personality. At EKATVA dance rehearsal, she sometimes lacks focus. She shows less ambition than her peers to perfect her performance.

In an environment like the tekro, prosperity is an abstract term. To one family, wealth refers to their herd to goats; to their neighbors, wealth is the ability to afford electricity. In such a resource-poor setting, the perception of wealth depends on the priorities of the beholder, and the attitude with which one discloses his possessions and lifestyle.

Within Bharti’s family, seemingly prosperous with their modern possessions, symptoms of poverty exist in Payal’s interrupted education, and the household tensions caused by the often-fighting mother and father.

Bharti describes EKATVA as an experience that has changed her completely.

“I’ve learned about ekta [unity],” she says. “I’ve learned that when we show love to all people, regardless of age, religion, or caste, everyone benefits.”

Only time will tell if the values Bharti is learning in her journey with EKATVA, will add prosperity to the features of her home life that bear qualities of poverty, and help her realize the wealth of talent she has been gifted.

Meet Dharmaji...

2011-06-12T21:56:00.001+05:30

Fifty years ago, one could stand on the banks of the Sabarmati River and see trees extending far into the Ahmedabad horizon, Dharmaji’s father recalls. Today, the landscape is less green, overflowing with rickshaws and motorbikes, brightly lit hotel signs, and acres and acres of slums.

In just the past two decades, the number of slum-dwellers in the city has doubled. Rural Indians, like Dharmaji’s parents, moved here in search of work and opportunity, both of which had grown stale and uncommon in their villages.

Though the family lives in Shankar Bhuvan, a slum in the heart of the Ahmedabad metropolis, their home bears certain vestiges of village life. Dharmaji’s mother wears a dozen plastic bangles on each of her arms, with heavy jewelry weighing down her earlobes. The smell of burning coals lingers from their recently cooked dinner, and a goat rests under the cot on which Dharmaji sits with his father, who is sedated and wordless from his evening liquor. Four of Dharmaji’s sisters squat in a dimly lit corner, exchanging words in their coarse, local Gujarati.

The family owns six donkeys, which they use to transport building materials to construction sites. Dharmaji contributes to the work in his free time. Though he finds it laborious and repetitive, it has allowed his uneducated parents to sustain their household.

The after-dinner conversation shifts to the topic of Dharmaji’s approaching wedding. He and his soon-to-be wife, Mamta, will be married after Diwali, at which point the couple will meet for the first time.

“It’s our tradition,” explains his mother, referring to the child marriage. But one can’t help but wonder how Dharmaji, boyish and absent-minded, will assume the role of a husband.

Dharmaji laughs at his own jokes, regardless of who is listening. He has a habit of losing his train of thought in mid-sentence, smacking his forehead in frustration. Though his school records say he is 17-years old, this is merely a guess, as no one ever bothered to record his actual date of birth. It’s unlikely he is a day over 15.

He acts childish, but Dharmaji’s expressions and manner are rough, weathered by the uncouth elements he has faced while growing up in the streets of Shankar Bhuvan. Dharmaji explains how his parents and older sisters often hit him and insult him, using foul language that is sadly, the norm in their community.

“When they say so many gal (insults), I leave the house,” he says. “I don’t know how to respond when they treat me like that.”

Dharmaji admits that his habits used to be equally poor. He would counter his sisters’ insults with foul language of his own, and paid little attention to his schoolwork. Although Dharmaji completed the 7^th standard this spring, he has yet to learn how to read and write Gujarati.

He was an unexpected selection for EKATVA, excelling neither as a dancer nor as a student. But Dharmaji showed the potential to shine with support and guidance, and to emerge from the bad habits he was exposed to at home. Though he still carries himself with the attitude of a street child, raw and often coarse with his words, Dharmaji’s behavior with others, including his peers and family, has assumed a sincerity and compassion aftering joining EKATVA.

“In EKATVA, I like that we do everything together,” he says, referring to the 15 boys and girls that have become like a family to him during this journey.

“We tell each other off if someone does something wrong, but we treat everyone with respect.” Dharmaji demonstrates a striking understanding of oneness, despite the abrasive qualities that shape his family life at home.

“We are all brothers and sisters.”

Meet Bharat...

2011-06-07T07:49:00.001+05:30

On hot Ahmedabad days in his childhood, Bharat Vaghela and his older brother Lalit would spend their mornings scavenging through mountains of rubbish outside their home in the slums of Ramapir no Tekro. The boys would search for two pairs of slippers, most often mismatched and too big, dragging their small feet down with each noisy step. Clop clop clop.

“I was 11-years old,” Bharat recalls. “We needed something to protect our feet from the burning ground while we walked around and polished shoes for money.”

When the brothers would board the bus to return home after a day of boot polishing, they would kick their mismatched sandals off the moving bus and sprint home on their smarting soles, not wanting their mother to see their impromptu footwear.

As Bharat describes episodes from his youth, his expression is sad; his tone, hesitant. The 25-year-old is now married and working to support his wife and mother, but part of him is still lost in the tragedy and disappointment of his childhood.

Around the time Bharat and his brother used to go boot polishing, they were connected to the Gandhi Ashram-based NGO, Manav Sadhna. In 2001, Bharat was given the opportunity to take part in EKTA, the dance and drama performance produced by Manav Sadhna, which planted the seeds for the EKATVA journey. During his experience in the EKTA project, which means unity, Bharat realized his love for dance.

“With dance, I open up my heart completely. It is my passion,” he says.

EKTA was a critical time in his life. It shaped Bharat’s dream to become a professional dancer and choreographer. But it was also littered with setbacks and heartbreaks.

Throughout his childhood, Bharat’s father had drunk heavily. His persistent alcoholism turned him sickly and weak, putting a mental and financial burden on his family. Bharat describes how one day after coming home from EKTA practice, his mother received a phone call that his father had been in an accident and his health was very poor.

“Pappa had fallen down while he was drunk, and broke his hipbone,” Bharat explains, tears welling in his eyes.

He required an expensive operation, for which his mother was forced to take out loans from their neighbors. Even after operating, Bharat’s father was never the same. He was bed-ridden and suffered from tuberculosis.

“He was my best friend,” Bharat says. “No one in the world has a better personality than my father. He may have drank, but he was not a bad person.”

Meanwhile, Bharat’s spot in the EKTA project was in jeopardy. Bharat admits that as a child, he was often angry and stubborn, especially as the stresses of his father’s health built up. These qualities nearly cost him a place in EKTA, when his mentors at Manav Sadhna were disappointed in his behavior.

Yet they took a gamble, keeping Bharat in the show despite his sometimes-poor habits. When Bharat came home from EKTA practice on his 15^th birthday, his father, very sick at the time, was beaming.

“When I walked in, he told me that a gift had been delivered for me that day. It was my passport.”

Bharat’s father supported him fully in EKTA and in his love for dance. Unfortunately, he never got to see his son go abroad and pursue his dream. Bharat’s father passed away in November, just four months before EKTA and the 14 Manav Sadhna slum children were scheduled to leave for their tour in the U.S.

As the EKATVA journey is now reaching a climax in preparation for another tour abroad, Bharat’s life is going through a tragically familiar pattern of uncertainty. As his mother’s health has been deteriorating for the past several months, he is struck by memories of EKTA, and the burden felt by his family with his father’s passing.

“If Mummy is not here, I feel like there is no hope for us,” Bharat says. “She held us together after Pappa died.”

Bharat’s sentiments toward EKATVA are mixed. He is grateful that God has blessed him with this opportunity to learn how to teach dance and to choreograph. But when he watches the children dance at practice, his heart burns.

“I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t know when my dream to become a great dancer will come true,” Bharat says. “Seeing these kids in EKATVA makes me think back to EKTA. I wonder if my time has already passed. Will I ever get to fulfill my dream?”

Although Bharat’s story has been a rollercoaster of frustrations, with his family, his marriage and Manav Sadhna, he recognizes the blessings that have appeared during dark times. Had Manav Sadhna not invested in the potential they saw in Bharat’s personality more than a decade ago, he would not be in the position he is today – serving children in the slums with his talent and passion for dance. Through his commitment to these children in the EKATVA project, Manav Sadhna and his mentors are committed to seeing Bharat advance in his career, life, and journey.

Whatever hurdles he may face going forward, if he walks with truth and faith, the NGO and volunteers involved with EKATVA are there to support and help him walk the steps toward his dream.

Meet Payal...

2011-06-06T01:45:00.000+05:30

“When I grow up, there is no way I will live in the tekra,” Payal says firmly. Even though the 12-year old’s scope of the world beyond Ramapir no Tekro, the Ahmedabad slum in which she has been raised, is limited and obscure, she has already made up her mind.

Like his daughter, Payal’s father grew up in the tekro. He hopes Payal’s wish to one-day make a life outside the slum will be realized, though it never was for him. His childhood was spent in hard labor. After his parents passed away when he was in the 7^th standard, he dropped out of school. Nowadays, Payal’s father earns about 200 rupees for the family each day by riding through the city and refilling gas bottles for restaurant kitchens and street vendors.

“It’s hard to take even one holiday,” he says. Both Payal’s parents sit tensely during a Saturday afternoon parent’s meeting for the EKATVA children, for which her father took the day off work. “Our household can barely survive if we lose a single day’s earnings.”

Payal does not complain that money is tight, or that space is lacking in their small, one-room home. But she boldly objects to the way boys and young men behave in her community. She describes the way they whistle at her and other young girls, staring and using crude language.

“I’m scared to leave the house by myself,” she says.

Luckily, Payal has not needed to face the harsh tekro on her own as she makes her way to and from EKATVA practices. She and the three other girls from Ramapir no Tekro who were selected for EKATVA have developed a solid friendship. Payal explains how her three friends pick her up from her home, so she does not have to walk past the foul-mouthed boys in her chali, or alley, on her own.

Although Payal is nearly inseparable from Bharti, Nikita, and Krishna, the other EKATVA girls from the tekra, this was not always the case.

Payal admits initially having a difficult time adjusting and mixing with the 15 other children in EKATVA.

“I was upset when my best friends from the tekra weren’t selected for the show,” she says. “I was lonely, and that made it hard to focus on dance practice.”

The other tekra girls would invite Payal to play with them, walk with them, and talk with them, but Payal felt out of place in their triangle. Instead of joining in their masti, or playfulness, Payal kept her distance. Slowly, however, her resistance to their invitations melted as she observed them.

“When they talked to each other and to older people, they spoke so politely” Payal says. “They didn’t use gal (bad words) like my friends in the tekra. As I was watching them, I decided these are the kind of girls I want to have as my friends.”

Payal explains that since joining EKATVA, she has stopped spending time with her old friends in her community, and therefore dropped certain bad habits.

“I don’t use foul language anymore and I don’t feel so much anger when people insult me,” she says.

She explains that her friends and mentors in EKATVA, teach her big and small lessons everyday, and that she has grown to respect and appreciate them like a family.

“They take care of me like sisters,” she says of Bharti, Nikita and Krishna. “We tell everyone we are sisters with different fathers.”

Our Harmless Friends

2011-06-03T07:32:00.002+05:30

Day before yesterday while we were in a circle of prayer, Asha starts cringing, crying and saying in a squeamishy voice, "nimesh sir, there's a 'jivdo' (insect) on me, please, please, please get it off....please, help"...She was nearly in tears...I couldn't help but laugh...it was a tiny harmless bug smaller than the size of half her pinky nail.

After that experience I told her we're gonna have to do something about this fear of hers :)

Yesterday, after lunch we went on a little trip to go make friends with insects. It was more like test #1 in her path towards not being afraid of insects, or at least lessening her fear. So she was half reluctant, but trusted me enough to go along with it.

She was told not to make any noise, but she could squeeze my hand as hard as she wanted and just observe.

I picked up a mankoda (which are those big black ants) and shifted it from my hand to her hand...she was cringing tremendously, small tears swolled up in her eye as the black ant crawled on her hand, then after five seconds, we let the ant go back on the ground...and slowly Asha started to break her fearful face into a slight smile.

I know, it was kind of mean for me to force her, but i sensed a 5% shift in her confidence for the better after that. And plan on continuing these small 'insects are our friends' tests with her over the next month in different ways. And she has agreed to do it also. I'm sure it'll be fun and great way for us to connect with nature.

Love.

From on the Streets to a Loving Leader: Happy Birthday Bharat

2011-05-27T11:55:00.000+05:30

About 17 years ago, Bharat was bootpolishing on the streets of Ahmedabad barefooted, raggedy clothed, trying to make a few cents to contribute to his family’s daily income. A family strapped with problems, he has grown a lot and has become a loving leader at Manav Sadhna and in our EKATVA journey. I will save his life story for a later post by our dear friend Pooja. But for now, we celebrate his growth, his birthday and the potential that he represents in all of us, even the most underprivileged.

Day before yesterday the kids and I decided we’d pull off a surprise birthday celebration for Bharat’s 25^th birthday. When Bharat was not around we all split up tasks for what we were to bring early the next morning at 7am, to decorate and set up for Bharat’s surprise before he got to practice at 830am.

Chandani and Prinyanka balloons and confetti.

Devram and Sanjay, flowers.

Krishna, Payal, Bharti and Nikita, small gifts, lighted clock gift.

Nitesh , chocolates.

Dipmala, Asha, Bhavnik, Vicky, Dharmaji, Vishal, a Jesus Christ pendant.

He loves music and dance so I got him an ipod and speaker system.

We decorated the entrance of our practice area at the Gandhi Ashram and locked the door, and when he knocked, we bumped his favorite song “Dinka Chika Dinka Chika” (seriously that’s the title) and starting dancing and celebrating, a big party of dance and music that lasted about 45 minutes.

Twas’ beautiful to see how much love the kids have for him and how he has grown to become a loving leader for them.

Love.

"We have a Surprise for you"...

2011-05-24T20:25:00.000+05:30

So everyday for the past year or so, I give our children rickshaw or bus money to get back home after practice. There are people like Sanjay and Devram, who live in Jamalpur, which is quite far from the Gandhi Ashram, but with the use of a Shuttle rickshaw (group rickshaw) and Bus, they are able to make a round trip in 30 rs. It may take them 45 minutes to an hour to go from home to practice.

Then there are our Shankarbhuvan Slum kids (Dipmala, Dharmaji, Vishal, Asha, Vicky and Bhavnik) who all squeeze into a rickshaw and get to Shankarbhuvan for a 30 rs. Rickshaw ride one-way. That’s a little distance away.

Chandani , Priyanka and Gaurang all have unique ride situations, for they all live even farther away.

But there are 4 girls, Payal, Bharti, Krishna and Nikita, who live closest to the Gandhi Ashram, in what is known as the biggest slum in Gujarat, Rama Pir No Tekro. Now these are four really tiny girls, who, when we started were afraid to walk to practice without an escort. Now they go back and forth by themselves.

But a fun interesting thing happened today:

Well, yesterday I gave them 20 rupees for their rickshaw ride back home. They were supposed to take the 20 rs. rickshaw ride to the further entrance to the slum which is closer to their homes and then walk to practice in the morning. It’s 106 degree weather right now, I definitely don’t want any of them walking in the afternoon time in the sun. So I suggest they take the rickshaw in the afternoon and walk in the morning, since they are close enough. Basically I don’t want them to feel that we can just spend money whenever and wherever our comforts desire.

So anyways, today I had to come to practice late because of work I had to get done before reaching. When I came to join the kids for lunch, all four girls tell me they have a surprise for me after lunch. A surprise from our girls! Love it! And sometimes they get creative with their gifts to others.

After lunch and before practice ended, they say “Nimesh Sir, please wait, we want to give you your surprise”. Hah!! I’m cracking up. They’re too cute. For like 2 minutes, all four of them are shuffling in Bharti’s purse, searching for their surprise.

Finally…..(drum roll please)…They pull it out. It’s fifteen rupees. Then they look at my face for a reaction. I don’t give one. They ask, so do you know what the surprise is. I said, “No”…I was trying to think how they reached home yesterday and came to practice today on only five rupees. Something was not adding up.

The girls in an excited voice finally told me, they all hopped on a bus (India busses are rough and this was a highly unexpected maneuver by these girls!) to Vadaj, and then walked from there to home to save money and also try something new. And then they walked to practice this morning (8am, so not as hot then).

I was excited. They all truly broke out of their comfort zone and were happy and proud of it. This group of 4 girls, tend to get scared the most and would never have gone on a bus by themselves and then walked from the big bus station to their homes. A beautiful suprise it was!!

Small things...Beautiful to see them grow.

Love.

Meet Gaurang...

2011-05-19T21:37:00.000+05:30

“Some people just have it in their blood,” said Bharatbhai, one of 12-year old Gaurang’s mentors at Manav Sadhna, as Gaurang rapped his fingers against the sides of the metal dholak, or drum. His head leaned to the left with each beat; his eyes fixed in the distance.

Rhythm, which has manifested in his love for dancing and playing the drum, is in his blood.

Gaurang stays in the children’s hostel at Gandhi Ashram with his younger brother Jatin. His family lives nearly two hours away in the village of Dholka. The distance has been hard for Gaurang and his parents, even after three years of staying at the hostel.

“It’s always hard to be away from my home,” Gaurang says. “But for a good education, my parents say it is worth it.”

For Gaurang, bright and focused in his studies, staying at the Ashramshala hostel has been worth it for more than his education.

“If I have never come to Gandhi Ashram, this opportunity to be in EKATVA would have been lost.”

A naturally talented percussionist, Gaurang hopes that EKATVA will be a step toward his dream of becoming a professional dhol player and dancer one day.

When he was just six years old, Gaurang remembers listening to his uncle beat the dholak for hours during celebrations in their community. He was left in awe by the power of the instrument – the ability to energize the crowd with the simple, rhythmic sound.

He would come home and create his own patterns and beats on an improvised dhol he made from an empty oilcan, encouraging his friends to dance as he drummed his fingers against the metal.

Gaurang’s parents recognized his amateur talent and encouraged him to learn from him uncle. He began lessons, refining his natural dexterity and sense of rhythm.

Through EKATVA, Gaurang has grown to appreciate his talent through dance.

“When I hear the music, I listen to the beat carefully,” he says. “It is easy for me to dance to the rhythm. I understand how the rhythm will go because I play dhol.”

During his vacation from school, Gaurang’s uncle takes him along to play the dhol in wedding processions. Even after of two hours of continuously striking the drum, he doesn’t feel tired.

“I feel energized when I see people dancing to the beat that I’m making,” he says. “I cannot stop, even if I am tired. How can I ruin their fun?”

Back From Break

2011-05-17T16:34:00.001+05:30

Today was the first day back from break. Well really the kids have a two month vacation till the next school year...But we only gave our kids 10 days off...Back to the daily grind. 8am everyone reaches the Gandhi Ashram. 8:30am prayer starts. 9am Excercise. 945am practice and show rehearsals. This week we will start to focus on using props also in our practice so the kids start getting used to that. In a few weeks we will also need to start making use of Costume changes during practice. It was a good day of practice. Practice goes on until about 12pm. Remember it gets to about 110-115 degrees F by afternoon, so morning time, though still warm is at least not scorching :) After practice we had a wholesome and filling lunch that was cooked by our lovely Manav Sadhna cook, Kamaraben, who is sacrificing her 2-week vacation to help out :) After practice today, Deenaben held English class for the kids. And then we all headed back home. by 3pm.

Meet Chandani...

2011-05-05T10:07:00.000+05:30

While playing barefoot in the Gandhi Ashram one afternoon, a thorn pierced the sole of Chandani’s foot. Her playmates carried her, short and petite, into the shade without difficulty. Her naturally glossy eyes gave the impression of tears as she cringed.

As Chandani bent over her foot in pain, her younger brother Kamal hurried over with concern. But as his expression began to crumple in worry, Chandani put on a brave face and shooed him away, reassuring him that she was not hurt badly.

Although Chandani is small, she is strong. When she and Kamal walk side-by-side through the ashram, the 12-year old stands barely a hair taller than her younger brother. Still, she manages to pack great confidence and compassion into her petite four-foot frame.

When Chandani left home to live in a children’s hostel two years ago, she initially felt very lonely. The Ashramshala is a hostel in Gandhi Ashram for children from the so-called “untouchable” communities. Most children, like Chandani, come from uneducated families that have done cleaning jobs for generations.

“I decided that I want to learn, even if I have to stay away from my parents,” Chandani said, “but at first it was hard.”

One year later, her parents sent Kamal to the hostel as well, with the hope that the brother and sister would support each other while getting a good education away from home. Chandani immediately assumed the role of her brother’s protector from larger, bullying boys, and advocate to teachers who overlooked his quiet nature.

“People tease him because he is small,” she explains, “but I just tell him to forget about it. I say, ‘Just because they say something mean doesn’t mean you will become that way.’”

These small grains of Gandhian insight she has gathered during her EKATVA journey have made Chandani even stronger.

“Before when anyone teased me, I would feel bad about myself and tease them back,” Chandani says. “Now, I see there is no point. I’ve learned to let go of my anger when others say mean things.”

After nursing her sore foot for a few minutes, Chandani dove into dance practice. Thorns, like unkind words, may sting for a moment. But along with EKATVA, Chandani has developed the confidence to persist toward her goal despite what others may have to say.

Meet Nitesh...

2011-04-28T17:33:00.001+05:30

When Nitesh was five-years old, his brain filled with water. “His head became twice the size,” recalls his mother, “His neck could barely bear the weight of it.” Picturing Nitesh with such a heavy weight on his shoulders is difficult. Although the barely four-foot-tall 11-year old stands shorter than nearly all of his peers, he manages to carry himself with a poise and confidence of a much larger person.

Nitesh’s family, including his parents and three older siblings, relocated to Ahmedabad from a rural village in Uttar Pradesh in order to find him treatment when he fell sick. The move brought both difficulties and blessings. Although Nitesh recovered, city life presented the family with a host of new problems. Unable to afford land of their own, they pay rent for a small one-room home without electricity or a toilet. Nitesh admits that their home is small, but he does not find it a reason for stress.

“His mind is always fresh,” says his mother. Since his brain healed, no worries seem to stick in his head.”

On the other hand, many worries cycle through his parents’ minds. They are pained that their circumstances prevent them from providing their children with a more comfortable lifestyle.

“I lay awake at night and wonder how I can let my children, especially my daughters, grow up in a place without even a toilet,” Nitesh’s mother says. She considers Manav Sadhna a blessing, as they have taken care of the family in tough times, and provided her children with so many opportunities for their childhood.

Nitesh, his older brother and two older sisters are all part of Earn’n’Learn, a Manav Sadhna project that keeps slum children away from labor on the streets, by giving them a safe environment to be creative, learn, and make money for their families.

According to Nitesh, his mentors at Manav Sadhna have taught him good values such as respect and cleanliness by never giving up and always showing love to the children they work with. Nitesh explains that before coming to Manav Sadhna he used to do a lot of masti, or mischief. “I still do a lot of masti,” Nitesh said with a twinkle in his eye, “but now I’ve learned that the time for masti is after the time for learning and helping others.”

Always dressed in clean clothes and sporting smart, nearly combed hair, the four siblings shine together. “After coming here, they began to do things for each other, rather than just for themselves,” says Jagatbhai, the childrens’ mentor at Manav Sadhna.

They look out for each other with a love and compassion that gives the impression of a solid background and home life. Although their lives may not be financially solid, they have demonstrated unyielding principles and firm values.

“This is not the kind of family that puts its hand out for donations,” Jagatbhai says. “They accept the difficulties they are dealt, and continue to work hard, together, to face them.”

written with love by Pooja Shah :)

Meet Priyanka...

2011-04-23T22:34:00.006+05:30

“I love to laugh,” Priyanka flashes a 100-watt smile, framed by a pink plastic headband and perfectly plaited pigtails. “Whenever I’m sad, I try to make myself laugh,” she explains, and through Priyanka’s eyes, there is little reason in life not to laugh and be happy. She describes her home as small, but comfortable, and with pleasant neighbors. Her two older sisters shower her with love and attention when she comes home from the children’s hostel she stays in at Gandhi Ashram. She calls her mom her best friend.

As her mother’s best friend, Priyanka believes it is her duty to not cause her any undue pain.

“I sometimes worry,” Priyanka admits, “but I do not tell my parents. I don’t want to cause them sadness.” As an outsider looking in, Priyanka’s world is filled with reasons for worry. Her parents’ cleaning jobs have unstable incomes, and any money earned is used up quickly by the household. Until recently, they lit their home with candles because they could not afford electricity. But according to her parents, life will always be filled with one worry or another.

“Showing others our worries will not reduce our own suffering,” Priyanka’s father says. The family follows the principle of always trying to stay positive and smiling.

“We do not get defeated by little difficulties.”

Near the beginning of the EKATVA journey in June of 2010, Priyanka decided she no longer wanted to participate in the audition process. In an uncharacteristic display of tears, she explained that her legs were tired and aching from the dance lessons. Her youthful perspective did not reach beyond a few hours of discomfort, to the fruit that her efforts may produce.

Her mentors explained to her that pain is an inevitable part of any journey of self-growth. With patience and practice, her soreness would evolve into a realization of the great potential she holds as a dancer and person.

A few days later, 11-year old Priyanka came back and gave the auditions another shot, putting aside her fear of pain. She was eventually selected as one of the final 16 children, from the initial 250 that were auditioned.

The aches and pains haven’t stopped. But now, when she stumbles during dance rehearsal, or sometimes falls from the daring human pyramid the children build in one number, Priyanka motivates herself to practice more by imagining the professional dancer she hopes to become one day.

“That is how I become stronger.”

written with love by Pooja Shah :)

Meet Vicky...

2011-04-19T22:06:00.001+05:30

“I learned from EKATVA, that if you drop the dandiyo while dancing, you just have to continue the step without it,” Eleven-year old Vicky says. “If something is not in our hands, we have to make an effort to move forward without it.”

In moments like this, he demonstrates a clarity and wisdom beyond his years.

Vicky moves through his childhood effortlessly, with a boyish grace, despite so much that can be judged as lacking in his life. Vicky’s family, including his parents and five older siblings, inhabit two tiny, poorly lit rooms in the Shankar Bhuvan slum community.

The health issues of Vicky’s father, who suffers from tuberculosis, and Vicky’s older brother, who has periodic fits of seizures, have put an emotional and financial burden on the family. But when asked what difficulties they experience, Vicky’s automatic answer is “nothing much”.

His parents, however, carry the weight of their poverty less easily.

After having tuberculosis for many years, Vicky’s father only recently began treatment. He explains that he has drunk heavily for nearly 25 years. He tried to stop numerous times, urged by his children and poor health, but each time, he again took up his costly habit after a couple of sober months.

“I used to ask him to stop, especially after he got sick,” Vicky says. “But he would always say, ‘Beta, I am helpless to this addiction. What can I do?’”

After falling ill with TB, Vicky’s father was not able to work regularly, and money became especially tight. During summer vacation, Vicky and his brothers would polish shoes on the streets to earn some extra income for the house. After one day of working busy intersections from morning till night, they would come home with about 50 rupees.

“I had so much fun,” Vicky says, recounting this all-too-common tale of child labor as though it were an adventure.

Although his demeanor sways between thoughtful around his elders, and playful among his peers, Vicky is rarely ill mannered. Yet, this was not always the case. His parents recall the foul language and disrespect with which he used to address others when they made him angry. Vicky too, describes how he used to threaten to run away when he did not get his way, refusing to help his mother with housework.

“But after going to Manav Sadhna and joing EKATVA, his temper has cooled.” Vicky sits in the corner, silently and carefully scrubbing dishes as his mother describes the change she has seen in him.

When the dandiyo sometimes slips out of his grip, Vicky manages to continue dancing with excitement, rather than regret. He draws attention to his bright smile, set below bushy eyebrows, so it’s easy to overlook what is missing from his childhood.

written by pooja shah :)

A Series on the Kids...

2011-04-19T22:01:00.002+05:30

With the loving help and dedication of a Manav Sadhna volunteer, Pooja Shah (hailing originally from San Jose, California), we begin a series of stories sharing insight into each of the 16 EKATVA kids. She put her heart and lots of time into connecting with each child, going to their homes, meeting and talking with their families, just so that we could share with the world a little deeper insight into each child. I think she was moved through the process :) What a beautiful environment and family Manav Sadhna has provided us with, allowing us to make these very unique and precious connections. Thank you Pooja.

In the Slums, Health is the true Wealth...

2011-04-01T12:18:00.000+05:30

When we started the process for EKATVA over a year ago we didn’t really have a chance to focus much on the children’s health. For one, we started with 250 kids that we were working with in different batches. As we narrowed the kids down and eventually finalized the sixteen for the EKATVA project we began going more in-depth into their lives. Health, being one of the most important aspects to all of our lives, became an area of focus.

A few months ago we did blood lab tests for all the kids. The result we found was that all 16 of the children are anemic. And many of them had infections detected through their blood and urine tests. During this same time, Geetanjali Didi, a dietician, had visited us to have a conversation on health, nutrition and eating habits. It was a good conversation to integrate into our journey of ‘oneness’. For if we are not clean and healthy within then it becomes very difficult to nurture a healthy environment outside.

We are attacking this health challenge in two ways: 1) By educating the kids and their families and trying to get their support (ie. eating less fried food and sugar) 2) By providing as proper nutrition as possible during snack time after practice that we can practically achieve. Currently we provide the kids the following daily snacks:

-protein powder filled milk (1 glass) or juice

-banana

-bowl of peanuts and dried pulse

-wheat glucose crackers

-iron tablets

-glucosamine in their water bottle before practice

Some of the kids have stopped eating fried food during the morning. Its difficult to help curb any habit cold turkey, but we will continue to walk on our journey very conscious of our children’s health and trying our best to plant seeds of health consciousness and sustainability into their daily routine.

Love.

EKATVA show piece: Chandalika

2011-03-28T20:29:00.000+05:30

One of the pivotal struggles of humanity dating back to the ancient past all the way to the present that continues to exist in one form or another is prejudice, judgment, and intolerance. An unfortunate human plight that Gandhiji labeled as the ‘curse of untouchability’. In 1933 Rabindranath Tagore wrote a story, Chandalika, about an untouchable girl who was ostracized by society and eventually brought to climactic inner-space of freedom and a feeling of equality by a Buddhist monk who accepted her as his own. The story of Chandalika, interepreted and choreographed by Mallika Didi and Darpana Academy, was taught to our children for the EKATVA show.

They actually performed this same piece in 2002 for the EKTA show which Manav Sadhna and Darpana toured in America.

Above and below are glimpses of the kids rehearsing Chandalika.

EKATVA show piece: Flying Kites Dance and Drama

2011-03-25T20:16:00.000+05:30

Uttarayan season in Gujarat is a very festive season. Here Muslims hand make kites that are flown by Hindus. All colors, shapes and sizes full of richness fill the sky and truly become a majestic sight of ‘Oneness’. In this spirit Mallika Didi, and her Darpana staff and musicians: Pappan Sir, Sonal Didi, Nisargbhai, Stanley bhai, Nayan bhai, Jigneshbhaii, and others have created a sequence on Uttaryan for the EKATVA show. It is going to be a really fun part of the show.

Virenbhai Doing the Dance

2011-03-15T20:08:00.001+05:30

Virenbhai, one of the humble founders of Manav Sadhna is a man of great love and spirit. It was God's blessing upon him 20 years ago, that sparked the entire journey of Manav Sadhna; and has since deeply touched thousands and thousands of souls and hearts. He has dedicated over 20 years of his life to serving the underprivileged from a deep space of selflessness. No expectations. No strings attached. He works half his life in America making enough money to sustain himself in India, then he moves to India to serve. Back and forth like this, he earns to live and lives to serve.

I may not have mentioned also that he considers himself one of the worst dancers in the world. So when we asked him to take part in dancing with the kids in the kite flying dance, he obviously declined. But after enough of the kids requesting, he couldn’t resist. This is our short but joyful glimpse of Virenbhai taking part in the kite flying dance choreography for the EKATVA show.

In deep love and gratitude for who he is.

EKATVA is about...

2011-03-04T15:24:00.000+05:30

Kathleen Didi has done an amazing job connecting with our kids and teaching them English, through the 4-5 months she was here as a volunteer at Manav Sadhna. The kids had a lot of fun with her and we are all gonna miss her. Before she left, she taught the children how to describe the meaning of EKATVA with body language and simple words. Thank you for sharing your love Kathleen Didi.

Love, all your kids.

Our Second Parents Meeting

2011-02-27T17:49:00.000+05:30

We held our 2^nd parent meeting at Manav Sadhna today. It was, once again, a family and trust building experience, that we will continue to do.

Asha’s dad made chai for everyone.

The parents signed documents to help confirm their willingness and support for their children to get passports.

And lastly we had an emotional and powerful sitting, prayer and discussion on our EKATVA journey and the support needed by all of us in order to help uplift our children beyond the boundaries and walls that have been set for them by their poor socio-economic situations.

We shall overcome.

Let the Passport Process Begin...

2011-02-27T16:50:00.000+05:30

There are many challenges that we have and will continue to face along our journey. One of the larger challenges administratively speaking is obtaining passports and visas for the kids. As much time, energy, love, effort, money and resources we put behind this project, if we don’t get passports and visas, then we will not be able to tour the show and spread the love and spirit of ‘oneness’ abroad. But that won’t stop us from sharing the EKATVA show with the rest of India. And that wouldn’t hurt the journey with the kids that we are walking on, because our main focus has always been and will continue to be the small day-to-day experiences in building the children’s spirit.

So let’s see what God wishes. We have full-heartedly started the process of collecting all the kids’ legal documents and proof of birth and residence materials . Here are some photos of the administrative process in collecting information, getting things notarized, and discussing with parents further about the process.

Will we get passports for our kids? Will we get visas for our kids? Will we be able to bring the EKATVA tour and spirit to the rest of the world?

Insha’Allah. (God Willing)

Connecting with Animals

2011-02-24T23:31:00.009+05:30

The other day, baby Gaffar Khan interrupted our practice. His sister Satya was not around, but we all truly enjoy having Mallika Didi’s dogs in the Darpana grounds. Nature and animals are the same as God. And we are lucky when we get the chance to connect with them.

Conversation: EKATVA Into Our Daily Lives

2011-02-24T07:37:00.000+05:30

Today, Rakeshbhai, from Travel Center, a local travel agency came by to visit us after dance practice. He manages the acquisition of clients’ passports and we were kindly connected to him through Darpana. I called him over because the actual passport process is very intricate and becomes much more complex when the people we are seeking passports for are children that don’t have typical addresses, proofs of residence, birth certificates, etc.

Here is a typical home address of one of our kids:

“Hanuman Na Mandhir Same, Nadi Kinare, Ram-Rehim Nagar Tekra, Beherampura, Jamalpur, Ahmedabad”

“In front of the Hanuman Temple, by the River, in the Ram-Rehim slum area, Jamalpur town, Ahmedabad”.

With the amount of challenges we may go through along this journey, we gathered the kids around so that the kids can understand the challenges of this entire experiment just a tad bit more. The amount of energy, sacrifice and love that so many people are putting into this experiment of ‘love and potential’ is enormous. The conversation led to a variety of topics, but most importantly the meaning of EKATVA moving forward.

So far this EKATVA journey has been one of us experimenting with truth and love as a group within the context of when we get together. What we pushed further on in this conversation with the kids, was that if this experiment was going to continue moving forward, we all need to grasp the meaning of EKATVA not only in this project, but push it strongly into all aspects of our personal lives. Then and only then will this project’s meaning start taking shape. If not, its not worth the trouble.

This conversation was important because I really want the kids to start examining and experimenting with the values and ideas that they are learning through Ekatva, into their personal lives: at home, at school, with their friends and family, etc.

Keeping the world clean, doesn’t only mean doing so when we are in a group and we are doing daily cleaning activities. No. It means, understanding the good behind why we want to keep the world clean and doing so at home, in our neighborhood, wherever we may be walking, whenever people may not be looking.

Being kind or doing acts of kindness, doesn’t only mean doing so when we are in a group and we are doing kindness activities. No. It means understanding the feeling and the reason why we should be kind and serving others outside of our project, because our heart says it’s the right thing to do.

This conversation to me is a big step with the kids. Because I want this to be a primary focus moving forward: bringing EKATVA into our personal lives, outside of our project.

It’s tough to expect this out of children of this age. But I wouldn’t doubt their abilities either. The kids are brilliant and resilient and have ripe seeds inside of them. We just need to keep walking on the path and let nature take its course. The conversation we had today was extremely important, but was just a tiny dot on the journey.

Love.

Finding Nature in the City

2011-02-23T23:39:00.003+05:30

EKATVA means the spirit of oneness within. The spirit of oneness with each other. The spirit of oneness with nature. The latter, is sometimes hard to find in the middle of the city. Luckily we were blessed with the opportunity to meet with loving friends of Jayeshbhai and Anardidi. They are true nature devotees. Winner of the best Garden in Gujarat award many years over, when asked, they were more than ready to share their garden with our children.

Their gardeners, all 6 of them, take approximately 3 hours each day (18 man hours daily) to water the entire garden everyday. So we asked if we could bring the eighteen of us over to give the gardeners a break and allow us an opportunity to serve the earth, the trees, the grass and the flowers. Tina Didi and Beharam Bhai were more than willing and so warm about their invitation.

We had the children close their eyes and walk into the garden without taking a peak.

Then only after prayer and meditation, we had the kids open their eyes. They were in true joy as their eyes opened.

We continued to ‘treat the flowers, trees and grass as if they were our own kids’, with love and compassion.

It was a beautiful experience and served as a genuine reminder for the necessity to constantly stay connected to nature.

After we were done watering the plants, we had a chance to go to Tina Didi’s nearby farm and enjoy the vegetables, water buffalo and scarecrow.

Nature is truly man’s medicine for all the mental suffering we create in our minds. The true definition of peace. Nature brings an effortless spirit of oneness into our beings.

Love and Deep Gratitude.

Oneness with Animals

2011-02-23T00:51:00.000+05:30

Getting to a space of oneness is a challenging, lifelong process. One small step towards that spirit is connecting with and valuing animals and nature in the same intensity that we do mankind. One small step towards that space is valuing the life and death of animals. One small practice that we have taken habit to with our kids is the practice of prayer and a loving burial ceremony for dead animals that we may find along our path. Yesterday, after dance practice, while we were cleaning a nearby park, one of the kids found a dead pigeon. We dug a hole in the garden and gave its body a peaceful resting space. We shared some time in silence and in individual prayer. This type of practice is healing to our spirit, because it helps us realize the equal importance of everything.

Life. Death. Love.

Love through Cards

2011-02-10T09:57:00.003+05:30

The other day, we received news that Anandi-ba had been taken to the hospital for treatment after a car accident. She remained there for a few days. With Jagatbhai's help and love, we decided to create a card for her to share our spirit of love, prayers, and hope for her early recovery. We also wanted to convey to her our gratitude, that through her blessings and seeds, we are all here on the path that we are. Thank you and glad you are feeling better Anandi Ba.

-Your children

During this same time, there was one other person very close to our hearts that we also wanted to send a card to. Someone that none of us know, but we know she is a very loving human being going through difficult times, and we wanted to share our love and the spirit of the kids with her and her son.

Here is a snippet of an email from her:

“When I gave birth to my son in September, he was born with congenital heart defects. He has already had one heart surgery and will need several more…

As you could understand, my priorities need to shift at this time, so I will be unable to keep shipping the [smile] cards, as there will be times when we are having long stays in hospital, and I wont be close by to my computer or the supplies.”

With deep love, hope, prayers and faith to you and your son Traci.

-The world's loving children

EKATVA in Egypt

2011-02-08T09:56:00.002+05:30

When other parts of the world are going through turmoil, strife, and difficulty; we must try to be in the spirit of hope, prayer and faith.

Dedicated to our Peaceful Truth Seekers in Egypt. We can only wish, pray and hope the truth of love and peace prevail.

Love, children from the slums of Ahmedabad. A group of kids dedicated to nurturing a movement of oneness. Love.

Arising and Passing...

2011-02-08T00:01:00.000+05:30

Today we did prayer at practice and then flowed into meditation. We’re at a good space now where if I don’t say anything then the kids know to just focus on breath in and out of the naustrils. For some reason today felt right to take the next step. As we were meditating I told the kids to now not only focus on their breath, but also be conscious of not moving any part of their body for the next few minutes – meaning no moving their legs up and down, no moving their hands, fingers, head, etc. I did let them know if they felt a dying urge to move something then they can go ahead and do so.

After meditation was done they shared their thoughts. Vicky shared his experience, saying that he was doing good, but then some type of itch came on his face. After trying to not move for over a minute, he finally had to give in because the itch felt too strong and he moved his hand up and scratched his face.

This led me to an example that Goenka Ji always gives during Vipassanna. That if there is an itch or sensation on our body, it will not remain with us for the rest of our lives or even for the rest of the day, if we don’t attend to it. So I was telling Vicky and the kids that next time an itch comes, to really try hard to fight it and don’t pay attention to it. Let it arise and pass. Just watch it. This is the journey of life and all that exists. Arising and passing. Impermanence. If we are able to watch it come and go, we can really take away most of the suffering we are all going through.

We then continued on a conversation of Buddha and his primary teachings of impermanence and equanimity and how important it is to understand this concept. I do hope to dig further into this topic through time with the kids, but for today we had a great introduction.

After this discussion, Bharat raised his hand and shared a story where he was once being bit by an ant. Instead of flicking it off and itching the bite, he just observed it and right at that instant, for some reason or another, the ant stopped biting. Also, he didn’t rub it or itch it, so the bite didn’t actually become worst. It was nice to see his connection with our discussion.

I’m excited to see how and when we can extend this conversation on impermanence and balance in the future for the kids to digest.

Continue walking.

Love.

A 'Sour' Party

2011-02-07T01:23:00.001+05:30

With the weekdays busy, we decided to meet this Sunday to cook lunch together and then practice some songs and bhajans.

Paneer Butter Masala and Rotlis was the menu, for 24 people. 18 of us and other close friends including Sandeep Sood, my previous business partner and close friend from California, who decided to make a quick 20 hour pit stop in Ahmedabad to visit the kids.

All of us got busy. Cutting onions, peeling and chopping garlic, cutting tomatoes and paneer, chili and ginger, making dough and rotlis.

20 of us working hard for over an hour straight to make a great lunch dish. When all the tomato puree was ready and the onion-garlic-ginger-chilli paste was ready on the stove, I added some spices and finally some salt. After some cooking, I went in for a quick taste test…Tasted good, now just add a little sugar for a sweet tinge. Cook again for a little while and taste…This time just a tad bit sour. So added a little bit cream and a little more sugar. Cook again for a while and taste…Hmm…a little more sour this time. Okay, a little more cream and a little more sugar. Cook again for a while and taste….Oh my gosh! Super sour!!! What the heck just happened! A great lunch for all of us, has turned into a super sour tomato dish. I shared the dish with others and everyone had this crazy, super sour reaction on their faces. Worst was, nobody understood how it got so sour. We had all types of hypotheses: Maybe we added too much tomato from the beginning; The cream was old and spoiled, etc…Finally Roshni comes by saying to me…”This isn’t sugar! This is Limbu nu phool (lemon crystals). These lemon crystals look very similar to the sugar crystals and I had mistakenly placed lemon crystals, on and on, in the place of sugar.

Now with everyone’s hard work and hunger on the line we all tried to think of ways to save the spoiled lunch. We finally tried to add as much ‘real’ sugar as possible to offset the taste as well as cream. It didn’t really help much at this point. Sandeep went to go get paneer butter masala from a local restaurant to mix in to ours. We drained as much of the sauce as possible and were left with paneer coated with the sour sauce that I created.

A disaster ending in beauty:

I told the kids, that it was my mistake and they could give me any punishment they’d like to. It was a mistake I could have avoided if I had tasted everything before throwing it into the dish. But the kids responded with just love and understanding. “Nimesh sir, its perfect the way it is. We’ll eat and enjoy whatever we have. Don’t worry!”.

Truly amazing to see their spirit. As a group, we continue to have our ups and downs. But these type of experiences shine strong in my heart as reason and inspiration for our collective journey.

The Power of Love.

The Power of Kids.

A Little Discipline with Love

2011-02-05T14:14:00.000+05:30

Pappan sir, is our new teacher at Darpana. He is great. Super talented, dedicated, thorough and a strict disciplinarian. Sure our kids are only 12 years old or so, but when he says do this exercise with your eyes looking forward, he means exactly that. Don’t even take a peek to the side!

Today, I had to step out of practice to have a discussion with Nisargbhai about the script. When I came back for prayer and meditation with the group, in the circle of sharing Bharat shared that the kids are still not being completely disciplined. They are once in a while, looking to the side, doing actions when they are told to just watch, giggling when they make a mistake. We then had a discussion about the difference from just trying to do a show and doing a professional show. All the kids agreed that its our intention to do a professional show. But for that to happen, we all need to first be extremely disciplined and have complete faith in our teachers. In order to make a point out of this conversation I told the kids that they have to accept a punishment for today. They agreed and we decided not to have our nasto (snacks – milk and bananas) after prayer.

The next day after English class we did an exercise to help further nurture this discipline in the kids. They had to get in their lines and for 15 minutes straight, they have to do whatever Bharat and I tell them, WHILE only looking straight ahead. If there is even the slightest movement of pupils to the side, up or down, we start the fifteen minute clock again (they are free to blink J ).

The exercise started, but every 3 or 4 minutes, somebody slipped. So we started over. It was getting really tiring and difficult. Many kids’ eyes started tearing. After about 15 minutes of the exercise we had a longer talk: That there’s no way out, unless everyone as a team and as individuals stay focused and dedicated to the action of looking forward. Every second talking to themselves in their mind that they have to keep looking forward. We even started distracting them to make it more difficult. But they finally stayed strong. 1 minute passed. 5 minutes passed. 12 minutes passed and finally 15 passed.

We stopped with a round of applause. All the kids were exhausted…BUT…said they could do it for even longer…30 minutes?

But we left it at that. They did a wonderful job, and hopefully today at practice they’ll remember that experience and stay more focused.

With Love and discipline.

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

2011-02-05T13:13:00.000+05:30

Two days ago, I came home to find two beautiful gifts in my laptop bag. No letter, no name, just two beautiful, anonymous gifts: A stack of ornamentally decorated Buddha cards and an amazing hand-crafted, artsy journal book. The next morning, my friend walks in my room and compliments the two items on the side of my desk. “Their yours”! I hand the gifts to him, and before he has a chance to fight back, I shove him out of my apartment and lock the door. So much for Ahimsa. Later that night, he shares a story at Silent Wednesday meditation during our circle of sharing, that he received these gifts this morning, so he was inspired to give to others. He ended up giving away his watch to a elevator lift man, who mans the lift at Seva Café. That same night I come back home into my room and have a beautifully decorated gift basket of chocolates on my desk with a smile illustrated on a piece of paper and a note that says: Here are chocolates for your kids. Awesome!

I‘m just smiling with great joy for all the ripples that continue to spread.

Well the next morning, I pack the chocolates in a box and put them in my bag. By late afternoon, Bharat and I pick up all the kids and head to Darpana for practice. Before we get out of the car, I pass out all the chocolates to the kids. Its their turn to share it forward. And they do with great joy and excitement. The kids take their chocolates and give it to all the workers, janitors, cleaners, security guards, teachers, and administrative staff at Darpana Academy. Everyone at Darpana had the same response, ‘You guys are kids, chocolates are for you. Please keep it for yourself.’ But the kids for reasons within, held steadfast and continued to reply, “no someone else gave this to us and so we want to give it to you!”…Love it!!!

One response was so beautiful. One of the staff members did not want to take the chocolate from Chandini. Chandini is the most tiniest girl in our group. So he said, “I can’t take it from you. You are too small and too cute”. Chandini replied, “no sir, I will not accept it back. Please take it”. So then he finally gave in and said “okay, I will give it to a similar very tiny cute girl like you that lives near my home”.

You can just feel, at that moment, a great aura at Darpana and a great spirit of family and joy amongst all.

The power of Children.

The power of Love.

EKATVA Script Taking Life...

2011-02-01T15:41:00.014+05:30

The experiment continues.

What’s the experiment?

What happens to a group of children if you use art, dance and music as a medium of connecting, and through time plants seeds of love and compassion. How do the children transform? How does their environment transform? How do their ripples spread locally, then globally? How do we, ourselves, change in the process?

We have spent a lot of the past year and months dedicated to planting seeds of values and compassion in our kids and in ourselves. All the while developing their raw skills, movement, rhythm, openness, and acting.

Finally the time has come to start working on the actual EKATVA show. The script for the EKATVA show is starting to take shape.

Its been a long time in development. Trying to brainstorm and feel out what Oneness means to all of us.

There are a few themes that continue to stick with us that we are working on including:

Here is a scene that Pappan Sir is working with the kids on taking the theme of Unity, Diversity, peace and conflict depicted through a famous Gujarati kite festival called “Uttaryan”.

Love.

Hip Hop in the Slums and at the Gandhi Ashram

2011-01-24T20:30:00.003+05:30

Yesterday was an amazing blessing. A day that will leave a deep imprint on the lives of the guests that came.

My life has been closely connected to the art form of hip hop over the past 15 years. And I really haven’t expressed that art form while living here in India. Yesterday, however, through the American Center at the American Consulate in India, we had Havikoro, a Houston-based hip hop group (breakdancing, beatboxing, djing and mcing) spend a whole day with our EKATVA kids as well as hundreds of our Manav Sadhna kids.

We started with a improvised breaking and beatboxing cipher in Rama Pir No Tekra (the biggest slum area in Gujarat, pop. 120,000).

Then we went to our Manav Sadhna community center, a beautiful gem in the middle of the slum, where the Havikoro group did a breakdancing workshop with our kids.

As well as a little freestyle session!

We ended the day with a djing, beatboxing and rapping exhibition and workshop by Havikoro at the Gandhi Ashram with over 200 kids of ‘untouchable’ communities from Ahmedabad.

The kids were so powerfully charged with positive energy and gratitude for such a progressive and humble group to share their talent and love with them.

After the event, Virenbhai and I gave the Havikoro Group a tour of the Gandhi Ashram (and gifted each of them with an autobiography of Gandhiji) in the late evening. In reflection of the entire day, the group expressed a deep feeling of gratitude. They were truly moved by their experience, the very human connections they made with the children all throughout day, the spirit of Manav Sadhna and the slum area. They were sincerely humbled and most importantly inspired. Chris and Marlin made it a point that they would sincerely want to come back to Ahmedabad and Manav Sadhna to share their talents with the kids for a longer time period.

The EKATVA journey is truly beautiful. But just like everything else in the world, it will come and go, seemingly unnoticed, perhaps, to most of the world. But we continue to walk in faith, that ripples of love and oneness will spread as long as our intention is pure.

I leave you with Mother Theresa’s heartfelt words:

“We can do no great things. Just small things with great love”.

Seva Cafe: Giving is Living

2011-01-20T20:41:00.003+05:30

Seva Café is an experiment in the shared joy that comes from humble giving and selfless service. As we serve, we internalize the mantra of "Atithi Devo Bhava" which translates to "The Guest is God," a deep and ancient Indian view that honors each guest with reverence.

This was the experiment we wanted the kids to experience yesterday and today. Yesterday we took the Jamaalpur, Shankarbhuvan and Rama Pir No Tekra kids (9) and today we took the Ashramshalla kids (7). The kids truly enjoyed themselves in selfless service: washing dishes, cleaning tables, serving water, and welcoming guests.

After the kids were done volunteering, then we all sat down for a beautiful meal. This was the kids' first time ever eating at a 'resataurant' and so certain things needed to be explained, like what a fork is, and how you have to use a napkin to keep your mouth and hands clean. The beautiful thing was though it was all we could eat, there was no food wasted at all.

Sanjay ordered pasta thinking it was a grilled cheese sandwich. After a while, he asked me, 'do i have to eat this, i thought this pasta was supposed to be a sandwich". My response was simple, "Yes, please finish what you ordered. And next time ask. Make a habit of asking. Never assume, especially with stuff like this that you have never seen or had before." I kinda felt bad, but he understood and he needs to get in a habit of asking more, so this was a good chance for painless lesson.

Overall, the kids loved it! And want to know when they can come back to serve at Seva Café!

The joy of giving…

Love.

Here’s more background on Seva Café:

When you dine at Seva Café, you are not viewed as a customer, but instead as a treasured guest, as part of the Seva Café family.

Seva means service. When immersed in the heart of Seva, one finds a pathway to the Divine, and its this connectedness to which we ultimately aspire. Volunteering at Seva Café is a conscious exercise in staying tuned to that deep and true space of genuine service.

Our wholesome vegetarian meals are cooked and served with love by volunteers and by a small, modestly paid staff - mostly graduates from Manav Sadhna's Earn N' Learn program. Our menu changes daily and we offer a delicious variety of options, both Indian and continental.

When you dine at Seva Café, your meal is offered to you as a genuine gift, already paid for in full by previous guests. You become part of a Circle of Giving, which is modeled more closely to that of a family. Here, there are no bills. We leave it to you to pay it forward with your heart.

We hope everyone - volunteers, staff, and guests alike - all leave this space feeling more nourished - body, mind, and spirit - and that together we can help set in motion a more abundant, more generous mode of interacting that leaves everyone feeling happier and more closely connected. The inequities of our world derive from our own internal walls of separation from one another. As we grow in Seva, we leave these walls behind.

All of our costs and income are made clearly transparent, and 100% of any profits we take in are used to support social service projects. Please join us in participating in this genuine experiment in selfless service.

May we all grow together in love.

Akshay Patra: Part 1

2011-01-14T11:34:00.001+05:30

Today the kids were injected with a wonderful opportunity, Akshay Patra.

Madhuji and Jyoshnadidi sat down with the kids and explained the experiment.

For months now, a group of separate kids have been collecting 1 rupee a day in an Akshay Patra bottle provided to them by our Moved by Love family.

They are empty water bottles renovated by our Earn n’ Learn kids, through paint and color, transformed into beautiful piggy banks. The savings that go into these Akshay Patra bottles, eventually become mini-bank accounts to do good. But the children that are saving this money are taught about Sudh-bauvna before the saving process begins. Meaning, the good thoughts, pure thoughts, loving thoughts and feelings that are carried and transferred through that process of putting little amounts of money every day into the bottle, with the pure desire to do good for others. After prayer Jyoshnadidi explained this and then Madhuji shared the bag of collected Sudh-Bhauvna, do-good money, with all the kids. The bag weighed at least 12kg. 12 kg of Sudh-Bauvna money to do good! Wow! The kids kept their eyes closed and felt the weight of the bag of love and passed it on.

Then we discussed with our kids that we would give them 30 rupees each and they have to do something good, full of Sudh Bhauvna, for someone over the weekend and share their story of giving during our circle of sharing on Monday….

To Be Continued.

Love.