Shree Chandadidi Sathaye visits the UK!

The UK was graced by Shree Chanda Sathaye in late 2011 whereby she visited most of the shakhas in England. Bhagyashree (Chanda) didi Sathaye is Pracharika (full time worker) from Bharat. Chandadidi is currently a Pashchim Kshetra Pracharika of Bharat which is a Pracharika for the west zone of India (includes Maharashtra and Goa states). She is also in the Vishwa Vibhag Mandal for samiti where she helps coordinate activities outside of India.

Chandadidi is from Pune and has been a sevika from a very young age. She has MA (masters) and B.ED  (Bachelor of Education – Teaching qualification) in Sanskrit and a Diploma in Japanese. She has been a Prachaarika since 1998 (13 years). She has given full time for the Samiti work.

She is a passionate writer and a singer. She has written two books:

1. “Varg Samhita”, which is a book giving guidance on conducting an effective varg

2. “Karma Yogi”, which is a book about her father Madhav-ji Sathaye.

During her pravaas outside of Bhaarat (India), Chandadidi has visited countries like Sri Lanka and Kenya.

Chandadidi received the “Vandanya Mausiji Shaurya Puruskar” (bravery award). It was given to her on the Birth Centenary of Taiji after 10 years of being a Prachaarika. Please see here for her full interview.

Sewa Day 2011

As part of the global initiative for International Sewa Day on Sunday 25th September 2011, our Northampton Shakha gathered 40 people from our local Community to volunteer their time to help the Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust at the Lings Local Nature Reserve. Activities on the day were to help the environment and included: Litter Picking – to help maintain the appearance of woods which creates a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. Path Clearance – To ensure ease of access, especially in areas for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Scrub Management – Removal of non-native species such as Rhododendron and Sycamore trees which can hinder other plants from growing. We also had an appearance from The Mayor and Mayoress of Northampton, who joined and helped the litter picking group. Overall it was a very successful and fun day enjoyed by all who took part and to finish off we had a great picnic and some team games too! (Article written by Zeel Shah)

Sevikas and Swayamsevaks from Kenton Shakha went to Newton Ecology Park in Harrow for Sewa Day 2011. The local woodlands and pond area were full of rubbish and junk, and the park was poorly kept and run-down. A team of 40+ volunteers armed with gloves and litter pickers helped to clear the woodlands and collectively, we managed to fill over 20 bags of rubbish, including an old mattress which had been dumped in the pond! We also planted wildflowers and shrubs to attract animals, insects and birds to the area. It was a fun-filled day, with plenty of hard work and muscle-building, but it was definitely worth it! (Article written by Bindu Bhudia)

Click here for the photos! 

Natural Nepal… Once Is Not Enough

There are not enough words to describe the depth of our experiences but we have tried to capture some of the most touching memories during our three-week stay with an Ekal Vidhyalaya project in Jyamrung, a village near the district of Dhading.

We were heading towards Jyamrung, a village high up in the mountains with Virendraji, a karyakarta who stayed with us throughout our trip. Our car had struggled for seven-hours up a rocky path until it finally gave up. Within minutes the entire village came together to help us out of the ditch. From the beginning, we felt as though the whole village was a family and knew we wouldn’t be missing home anytime soon.

We were welcomed with an extravagant swaagatam where all the village children showered us with flowers. We met the Ekal Vidhyalaya karyakarta of Jyamrung, Nandakumari, at whose house we stayed. The villagers, who over the years had built their own community  in the mountains, were fascinated by having outsiders, especially from England staying with them!

Having experienced villages in India, we thought this would be a piece of cake but at first were shocked as to  how remote the village was. There was no electricity, fans or hot water and soon  the torch became our new best friend! We were thankful for the cold “showers” which woke us up every morning before school (*shower means a bucket of cold water and jug). We brushed our teeth in the communal washing area - a stone square with a hosepipe used to wash clothes and dishes. We discovered a network of water pipes supplying water to the whole village., In the second village we fashioned an enclosed shower with bamboo sticks and a plastic sheet with a hosepipe pierced through. Unfortunately, heavy rain and wind attacked it the following day, and we ended up showering outside with the locals.

For more on this article please click here.

by Nandini Shah & Amrita Patel

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