VishwaGram

Let us collect the rays again
And make a New SUN

During college days some friends who attended the youth camps organized by reverend Vimalatai Thakar and venerable Narayan Desai, muiled-over to do something in this direction. Some time in those days Sanjay got involved in an A.C. manufacturing company in connection with his study project. Working with the workers and in the midst of the machines a question hammered Sanjay that what do the workers get for making these machines. Only a few droplets of sweat! Who is the beneficiary of the A.C. cooling? How to acknowledge our indebtedness to them?

After completing engineering course, some colleagues were going abroad; some were starting new business- industry in the country. Both of us had different dreams. We had deep and intense desire to serve the neglected and marginalized people in our Motherland – those who were residing in remote village. Thus was born Vishvagram on the Ram Navami day in the year 1993 through symbolically tying of Toran in Village Pedhamali Taluka Vijapur; this was given with the blessings of –Rev. Vimla Tai Thakar.

Vishvagram is our endeavor to make our good community living more beautiful. With this commitment, we have been working in the following areas:

1. Karuna Gram
2. Yuva Gram
3. Shanti Gram
4. Kitab Gram
5. Jivan Gram.

KARUNA GRAM

Karuna Gram symbolizes our work carried out with the children of the neglected section. These are children who had no one to look after then and whose childhood was spent on railway station. We are working for such children. There are such 14 children who are staying with us – studying and playing and living new life. We plan to build homes for such 50 children.

After the earthquake in Kutch we became instrumental in looking after 200 children – providing then accommodation and arranging for their studies. Out of this we have taken full responsibilities for 25 children. Apart from this, we are organizing children’s fairs every year.

YUVA GRAM

We have been making efforts and experiments for inculcate healthy attitude among new generation so that they can understand life better. YUVA GRAM is the heart of Vishvagram. In the Youth workshops being regularly organized since last eight years, many youngsters are participating along with primary school teachers. Presently, above 500 such young teachers are associated with us. All the activities are conducted by these colleagues – there being no paid worker in Vishvagram.

Respectable seniors like Sarvashree Chandrasekhar Dharmadhikari, Govind Raghu Khairnar, Y.K.Alagh, Narrayan Desai, Gunvant Shah, Raghuvir Chowdhary, Joseph Macwan, Indukumar Jani have participated in workshop in YUVAGRAM where we also have blood donation camps, trekking etc.

JIVANGRAM

This is Vishvagram’s experiment of new life-style based on love –technology ecology and God. This life –style ensures that (1) one human being does not get separated from another human being (2) Human being lives with nature and (3) God would like to come near human being.

As part of this life style, Lopa – Shital have adopted organic farming and with farm – cow –scarce resources and scientific temper, they have achieved the following:

1. From two cows named Devi and Jamna, they get 20 to 25 liters of milk daily – thus achieving total self – sufficiency in milk, ghee, butter milk, butter etc.
   
   

2. Partial self – sufficiency in food grains; fruits & vegetables etc.

3. Particle self- sufficiency in respect of energy through wind- mill, gobar gas, solar cooker, solar light etc.

KITAB GRAM

Have we are experimenting to motivate people –who are only watching T.V.-to read and think We have such programs of activities as:

(1)     Book –week         (2)     Footpath Library (3) Book – Fair          
(4)     Book Exhibitions   (5)   Book Rally                    (6) Discussion Workshop etc.

Such promotional activities are conducted with considerable originality – almost as a movement. We have arranged 7 books – weeks in last two years where we have book- fair, workshops etc. in schools and collages. During the last 2 years and 3 months, above 70,000 students from 100 schools – colleges in 7 cities participated along with close interaction with leading literary Gujarati Writers.

SHANTI GRAM

Shanti Gram is work of Vishvagram during natural disasters, communal disturbances.

Kutch Earthquake

Our 60 volunteers stayed in Kutch and worked in 10 village (1) Ran 10 schools (2) Distributed relief material worth Rs. 1 crore (3) Removed debris with the help of two J.C.B. Machines. (4) Worked in health related programmes (5) helped in saving crops.

Tsunami

We worked for 7 month in 16 villages situated about 300 km. From Chennai and carried out (1) Livelihood activities (2) worked with children (3) worked with youth (4) Health programmes (5) Trauma counseling etc.

Kashmir Earthquake

We within there in three days and stayed for one month in Kashmir near LOC and distributed relief material, worked with children and medical work in six villages.

Surat Flood

We worked for health & cleanliness near along with 9 doctors and 30 volunteers.

COMMUNAL HARMONY

After the communal disturbances in the year 2002, we have been intensively working with a different approach for 2 years the work is being continued even till date:

We have organized peace- March and arranged goodwill meeting.
Carried out relief work in camps in Dasaj and Mandali.
Built houses in Umata and Kukarwada.
Did livelihood programmes for 135 families.
Inculcated spirit of sensitivity and brotherhood through workshops discussion – music.

Sarvashree Moraribapu, Bhanuvijay Maharaj, K.P.S. Gill, Said Naquvi, Raghuvir Chaudhari, Gunvant Shah, Chandrashekahar Dharmadhikari and other dignitaries were with us.

Vishvagram has no paid worker. All are friends working voluntarily for the institution and all of them are young which is the peculiarity of Vishvagram. More than 500 teachers are actively associated with the Vishvagram activities.

Vishvagram is an institution that works without any govt. grants or financial aid from any funding agency. It believes that a public welfare activity should be run from people’s own resources. So Vishvagram activities are run by the people from people’s financial help.

Personas who are associated with the Vishvagram Activities.

Shree Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari – the retired justice of Mumbai High court and an eminent thinker of the country Mumbai.

Acharya Rammurti: an associate of late Shree Jayprakash Narayan, an eminent educationalist: Janoi Bihar.

Shree Narayan Desai: Son of Shree Mahadev Desai. Vedchi.

Shree T.U.Maheta: Retired Justice of H P High court.

Shree Y.K.Alagh: Eminent economist: Former Cabinet Minister, Chairman of IRAMA.

Shree Gunvant Shah: Writer, thinker.

Shree Kulinchandra Yagnik: Ex – VC of North Gujarat University.

Shree Raguvir Chaudhary: writer, educationalist. Former president of Gujarat Sahitya Parishad.

Shree G.R.Khairnar: Ret. Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai.

AWARDS RECEIVED BY VISHVAGRAM

SANTBAL AWARD

The 1999 Youth Awareness Awards along with Rs. 25,000 was given by Vishvavatsalya and Santbal foundation in the presence of renowned economist Shri Y.K.Alagh.

1. India Merchants Chamber, Mumbai.

Platinum Jubilee Endowment Trust Award 2001.

The award along with Rs. 25,000 was given to Tula – Sanjay for Kutch Relief Work by Reserve Bank Governor Shri Bimal Jalan.

1. ASHOK GONDHIA AWARD:

This Community Service Award for 2004 was given by Y.M.C.A. Rajkot in presence of Shri Gunvant Shah that – along with Rs. 50,000.

Home for the Homeless Children.

During the days when we were dealing with the problems of children from Kutchha, an elderly boy Vipul came followed by Nikhil, Shobha, Varsha, Rekha and so on. All were homeless children they were destitute wandering. They belonged nowhere and they had nobody of them own except perhaps God. Who had decided to send them to us. Presently we have thirteen homeless children including 7 Girls. At this small age, each child unfolds a story which sounds more unrealistic when the real life script.

Shobha: -
Now in send standard. When she came she was too small. Shobha’s father had brunt her mother alive in front of her and then went away with some other women leaving her all alone. Later Shobha fell in to the hands of a mendicant who sent her begging for him, used to beat her without any mercy. Her body even today carries the brand and bruises inflated on her. Once Shobha escaped and run away and happened to come to us.

Nikhil:-
Originally from Bengal, Nikhil lived with his parents in a slum near Surat. His father married second time and Nikhil began to live with his new mother. Compelled by the death of his on mother after a long illness. Nikhil had gone to live with his father. He had to give up his studies and there after began the gruesome routine of selling Chikki (a kind of sweetmeat) in the train through the day and suffers the severe beating by his drunk father and stepmother. Once wearied and tired Nikhil slept in the train and his Chikki was stolen. On retuning home. First time when he came home to us in Jagudan he said: “ Tuladidi, do you know how much did that Chikki Cost?” And he himself informed. “It was worth a hundred rupees.” As it those hundred rupees meant the whole world for him. “It was worth a hundred rupees!” The words haunt us even today.

Gradually a strong relationship with these children developed. But we were in a dilemma whether to work for these children because this noble cause warranted profound sensibility and concern and also it was a matter of long time commitment. However we pledged finally to live, to mingle and to breathe with them. We have to bring back their wonderment to them and for that we are striving hard with heat feet commitment to give them a new home, a new sky, a new land, new relations, new dreams and a new life.

With more then two years in this activity we have had new experience, new sensibilities. We are lucky that we are working with these children. We look forward to your support in this noble cause.

Stark poverty, urbanization and disintegrating families are at the root cause of this problem. A large number of waifs and strip can be found at railway station where they are being exploited for pedaling drug and carrying liquor and eventually mend up as criminal.

To restore their childhood to them, to give them their homes, to enable them to enjoy a new life are our main objectives.

Vishvagram is planning to build homes for 50 such children. They would live, study play and acquire some skills and would engage themselves in other creative activities.

We may, if feasible, shift these children in future in eight standard of a good residential school in that area so that they make room for a new batch of such children.

Home for the homeless children is at the core of our project.

Vishvagram has been engaged in this activity since last two years. Now we are going to build homes for these children.

At present 13 such children including seven (7) girls live and learn to organize themselves for the future after the trauma of their life. Traumatized by the untold cruelties inflicted on them at the tender age of 4 to 9, these children have become abnormal. Not being used to stay together with others it is very ordinary for them to run away from others’ company. It was therefore necessary to provide them the congeniality, of home, its warmth, it’s belonging so that they would like to stay and live a happy, normal life. For their restoration to normally we have also to seek help of psychiatrists.


Coming from different parts of the country these children bring with them different customs and languages. Bringing them up in Gujarati environs and the plan to settle them here permanently first requires them to learn Gujarti. Since they are deprived of schooling for a long time we have to equip them properly for resuming their education. Besides, they have to be engaged in creative and constrictive activities.

Name of Children:


1. Nikhil               5.  Ramesh    9.  Bharti            13.  Akash
2. Varsha             6.  Pooja     10.  Gita               14.  Ajay
3.  Rekha              7.  Kiran     11.  Vipul
4.  Shobha            8.  Shubham         12.  Raju

We four friends full time take care of these activities while other friends give their time convenient to them and as we need them.

Contact us:
Vishwagram
Tula- Sanjay
Village : Jagudan
Taluka & Dist. Mehsana
Gujarat. India.
Ph: +91 9426388234

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