Providing education and poverty relief in India

Arya Tara Charitable Trust was founded for the benefit of children and women from the rural areas around Bodhgaya, orphans and working slave children, in northern India, and their families to support in overcoming hopeless situations, pressing poverty, sickness, malnourishment, through the provision of education, social and financial support. 

Background: Globalisation and the opening of India to the world predominantly to capitalist influx, has brought millions into poverty in the last decade. The turn of this century has proven to be favouring the rich and creating life threatening conditions for those who are not having access to opportunities in a changing society. Pressing poverty and a pessimistic outlook onto the future is something even the poor in India did not have to face in such masses then they do now. India has an overwhelming amount of people living in subsidiary economic situation, which has been the basis of economical survival. It has always been practical and effective, and has provided safety for hundreds of millions for centauries. This all is threatened now with this mass of input of capitalist interests from other parts of the world. The poor are having no voice and no means to help themselves. And the children of these poor people are the ones suffering the most. Pressing poverty forces parents to even sell their children. Many of them are feeding into an old system of cheap labour, but many are becoming working slaves and worse: these children are being sold to terrorist organisations and some are forced to become suicide bombers under threat of their lives. They are abused for political purposes that bring lots of instability and sufferings in the world due to very questionable interests.

It would require an overwhelming effort to relieve the pressing poverty for all people around the world, and far too much for me to take on. Yet it is well worth to support these few hundred children with the effort of this project.

I have been living mainly in India since 1998, and I was lucky enough to have benefited from the kindness of several living masters who are followers of the Buddha, who have taught me, whose student I am. India had provided the framework for these masters to exist and help masses of people, just as they have done for thousands of years. A living tradition of kindness, love and compassion combined with wisdom.

It is time to look at the factual situation and support those in need with how ever we can, in order to repay the kindness shown to oneself.

Objective: No one can take education away from you. The meaning of this sentence is still valid in India's rural areas. It is a good way to care for the present and the future of the children, giving them what they will need in order to take responsibilities for themselves and others once they are grown ups.

History: In 2007 I started to support the projects of d-foundation (www.dfoundation.net) and founded a number of small kinder garden schools around Bodhgaya. In 2010 I founded Arya Tara Charitable Trust in Bodhgaya with my counterpart Hariom Rai, chairman of d-foundation, in order to create more educative possibilities for children and women around Bodhgaya. Since then many children and their mothers have benefited from all the support provided by the efforts of this project.

Progress: As a next step in line we are planning to start a primary and secondary school, which will be state approved and run by Arya Tara Charitable Trust in cooperation with d-foundation.

 

How can you support?

Of course, without your highly regarded financial support we can not do much in the projects. Yet a personal involvement can be part of the support you offer: In the form of volunteer work in Bodhgaya or Varanasi using your professional skills, or as a volunteer in your home country. Help us to organize charitable events, or talk to your friends inspiring them to donate towards the projects. 

Sponsor a child in Bodhgaya. With a monthly contribution of £30.- you can fund and guarantee the education of a child.