A Visit to Aryan Ashram

On the 30th of April, a group of volunteers from Skylyne visited Aryan Ashram in Devanahalli to interact with and teach the children staying there.

Though not legally orphans, these children are deprived of common things that we take for granted - they've never even visited a zoo or a park!

This organisation was earlier located in another part of the city but had to shift to another location after being removed. At one point, funds were so low that they had to make a decision between food or infrastructure.

Now, it runs solely on donations and volunteers and houses a total of 35 children, who share a very strong bond.

We had an amazing experience spending time with the children at the Ashram. After a week-long course of teaching, it gave us immense joy to see them show interest in learning and display their talents and capabilities despite facing a shortage of resources.

We spent time with them by conducting ice breaker sessions, playing board games, and guiding them through grade-wise worksheets.

As a gesture from our side, we gave the children small snacks and goodie bags to end the day.

We had the chance to interview one of the founders, Mr Srinivas to learn more about how he and Ms Manjula have successfully helped the ashram reach where it has today.

Q. What made you start this organization?

A. Aryan Ashram was started by Ms Manjula, and I (Mr Srinivas) joined after a year. Ms Manjula started the organization with around 20 children when she was 16. Ms Manjula, being an orphan, and I, being raised by a single mother, faced many struggles when we were younger and found it hard to have 3 square meals a day. This gave us a dream to start an NGO so that no other child would face the same issues as us. The first child in our ashram was a girl named Uma. We helped her finish her BSc. and successfully got her married after her education.

Q. When you started, what did you aim for?

A. When we started, we had only two aims. One is that no child should be deprived of education. For the children to be able to go to school they require parents to be financially fit. Since most of these children do not have parental support, we aim to help them to the best of our abilities. Our second aim is to provide good healthcare and nutrition to all the children and be able to support them in times of need.

Q. What inspires you to keep running the ashram?

A. We didn't require any inspiration as such. We love the work we do and we always wanted to provide the support that we never got. Making a positive difference in their lives is the only motivation we require. Just like a cow does not consume its own milk and a plant does not eat its own fruits, we have selflessly dedicated our entire lives to a social cause and give the highest importance to our children.

“ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಉಸಿರು ಇರೋ ವರೇಗೂನು, ನಮ್ಮ ಕೈ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಇರೋ ವರೇಗೂನು, ನಾವು ಇದೇ ಮುಂದೆ ವರಿಸ್ತೀವಿ.” - ಶ್ರೀ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ್

“Until we have breath in our body and strength in our arms, we will continue helping them.” - Mr Srinivas

Q. What are some challenges you have faced? Has the Government helped in any way?

A. We faced a lot of challenges during our tenure. The Government initially did not give us the approval to register our ashram for 2 years. They could have also helped with supplying food so that we could concentrate on providing other resources to our children. We were made to evacuate our previous home. We struggled to find a stable home where our children could stay. After arranging these, we tried to get some help from organizations to manage the children and look after them. But, most of them were hesitant when it came to taking up responsibilities. According to the law, every 5 children require 1 caretaker. So, managing 40 children on our own was a big task as no one was willing to help. Initially, the donations were misused by some untrustworthy people which reduced the helping staff.

Q. Are there any improvements in the children, since being brought to the ashram?

A. When the children were brought to the ashram, each of them had gone through their own hardships and struggles. Through this ashram, they were able to make a second family and create an unbreakable bond with us and the other children. Their profound interest in learning gave us immense happiness. We were able to discover many talents and capabilities among these students. We also rescued some bedridden and differently-abled kids who didn’t have any food or shelter, thereby giving them a home. With the help of constant yoga and medication, we are able to witness huge improvements in their health and behaviour.

Q. If someone is willing to help, what is the best way they can help out?

A. Before lockdown, we were not receiving any help. During the lockdown, our earnings were down but the children still had school to attend. We were managing all the household chores as well as school work for the children. After the lockdown, many volunteers agreed to start teaching. Many children have learning disabilities and often require a continuous repetition of lessons as they learn much slower than their peers. They need patient and dedicated teachers/volunteers to help them out. Groceries are also required, as we have to feed around 35 students. Around 3000 to 4000 rupees are spent on monthly hospital visits for the differently-abled. 6000 to 7000 rupees per month are spent on diapers. One of the main areas the children require support in is education, which would help them to become independent and stand on their own two feet.

Q. What are your main sources of funds?

A. We used to conduct yoga classes before covid, but during the lockdown, we stopped and earnings dropped. We didn't have a stable income and could not provide for their basic needs such as groceries and diapers. Our main funding after the lockdown has been provided by Prestige Greenwoods and Prestige Tranquility. They have been donating around 30,000 to 40,000 rupees per month.

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Authors

• Adya Umesh

• Siya Heda

• Chaithra RB

• Sai Sunaiena