September 2017 THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORE

2 Food Bank Started in

Referral Hospitalp 3 Adivasi Children Ready to Soar High

on Wings of Successp 4Yuvacharyas Play Key

Role in Preventing Child Marriages

p

SEVA TIMESTHE ART OF LIVING

Seva Times l Imphal (Manipur)

Manipur is a breathtakingly beautiful place with gently undulating hills, emerald green valleys, blue lakes, and dense forests. Little would one suspect that hidden beneath the apparent tranquility of this place so blessed by Mother Nature is a long history of insurgency and inter-ethnic violence.

Art of Living volunteers have been working for years to restore peace in this troubled region. In 2004 when the Central prison in Manipur was filled with militants and insurgents among hardened criminals, Art of Living teacher Deepa Dave conducted the first prison program there and thus began the journey of transformation in the life of the militants, from violence to peace. Undeterred by the risks involved, The Art of Living volunteers led by Deepa Dave and Shanti Meitei continued their work taking the message of peace to the ultras through various sources and channels. The team has

even reached out to insurgent groups across the borders. As Gurudev says, violence ends where love begins and several hundred militants have laid down their arms since the Art of Living began to work with them.

The eve of the 71st Independence Day of India saw the dawn of new hope in this “Land of Jewels” as 68 militants belonging to 11 most dreaded outfits operating in Manipur laid down their arms before the Chief Minister of Manipur, N. Biren Singh and Swami Bhavyatej and Deepa Dave of The Art of Living, along with top

ministers and officials at the Home Coming Ceremony in the parade ground of 1st Bn Manipur Rifles in Imphal. Militant groups that returned to the mainstream include six factions of Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), two factions of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), United National Liberation Front (UNLF), and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).

On his first trip to The Art of Living International Ashram in Bengaluru on August 23, 2017, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren

Singh expressed his gratitude to The Art of Living and Gurudev. “This is the first time that so many militants have surrendered, with their arms. This is all thanks to Gurudev. He has worked in our state for many years and made this possible. His message has reached many places, and many youths now realizing the truth are turning towards the mainstream. We are ready to rehabilitate them,” he said addressing a gathering of thousands at the Ashram. The Art of Living has offered to work with the government in creating a respectable rehabilitation package for the cadres.

Violence Ends Where Love Begins68 militants from 11 dreaded outfits in Manipur lay down their arms

nEffortsbyArtofLivingtorestorepeacebearsfruit

nHundredsofmilitantshavejoinedthemainstream

n4womenamongtheinsurgentslayingdownarms

nAoLofferstohelpwithrehabilitationoftheexmilitants

Militants laying down their arms before the CM of Manipur, and Swami Bhavyatej and Deepa Dave of the Art of Living at the Home Coming Ceremony in Imphal on August 14, 2017

CMofManipurlaudstheeffortsofGurudevandTheArtofLiving

“This is the first time that so many militants have surrendered with their arms. This is all thanks to Gurudev. He

has worked in our state for many years and made this possible.

- N. Biren Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur

Seva Times l Bengaluru

In what has been termed as the worst monsoon floods in South Asia in years, lakhs of people were stranded, hundreds of villages were marooned, and essential services disrupted in West Bengal, Assam, UP, and Gujarat. In this moment of crisis, hundreds of Art of Living volunteers joined hands and have been working tirelessly round the clock to bring relief to the traumatized flood victims in these states.

Volunteers Rush to Provide Services in Flood Hit Areas

DeepaDave:BringingHometheLostOnesA simple lady from a little hamlet in Gujarat, she has been associated with the Art of Living for almost two decades and is now one of the five National Executive Board members of the YLTP. With her earthly sense of humor and a no nonsense attitude she has taken on some of the most challenging assignments. Once some

militant/extremist group in an area she was working in tried to extort money from her, threatening to destroy the Art of Living center there unless she paid up. Utterly unperturbed she said, “Please go ahead and destroy it. If it’s gone, I can go back to my home in Bangalore!” They had no idea what to say to that and let her continue her work there undisturbed.

n 70 tonnes of relief material including food distributed to around 2,00,000 people

n Cleanliness drive carried out with bleaching powder and lime in more than 50 villages

n 51 Medical Camps organized benefiting 11,200

patients from 90 villagesn More than 200 villages reached, 7,000 clothes

distributedn More than 600 tarpaulin and 30,000 liters of

drinking water distributed

In many areas volunteers had to go by boat and wade through neck-deep water to distribute relief material

A sudden breach in the banks of Rupnarayan and

Damodar River in West Bengal on July 27 flooded the low-lying areas. At some points the water level rose to 15 feet causing extensive damage and several lakh people were left without food, water, or shelter. Responding to the crisis, The Art of Living volunteers rushed into action and started supplying relief materials within 24 hours reaching out to people in 200 of the worst hit villages in five districts including Udayanarayanpur in Howrah, Pursurah and Khanakul in Hooghly, Gazole and Babangola in Malda, Balurghat, Gangarampur, Kushmandi, and Tapan in Dakshin Dinajpur. More than 450 volunteers carried out the following work:

West Bengal Assistance was provided to around 2500 people of Mustafapur Panchayat

of Muzaffarpur, the worst affected area in Bihar. Food packets containing jaggery, rice, biscuits, water bottle, flour, bread, candle, matches were distributed to people taking shelter in temporary structures put up on the dam. Volunteers reached places where the affected people had been without food for 2 days. The Indian Red Cross Society has issued a letter of appreciation for the excellent work done by the volunteers. IAS officer Ranjita extended her cooperation and sent government officers to accompany the Art of Living volunteers. Volunteers will be installing water purifiers in these areas to provide clean drinking water. Plans are also on to distribute solar lamps. Volunteers have distributed food and relief material in over 38 villages of Muzaffarpur, East and West Champaran, Araria, and Poornia, reaching out to around 10,000 families.

BIHAR

Continued on Page 2

Jalna (Maharashtra) l Nine more villages of Maharashtra have become open defecation free as a result of The Art of Living volunteers’ tireless efforts. The project was funded by IAHV (International Association for Human Values) and Goodyear India Limited’s CSR funds.

The whole project was well organized by the volunteers and the initiators. After making a thorough study of the situation and assessing what needs to be done, they conducted a Rural Manager Training Program for the villagers and the newly trained rural managers then went back to the villages and the construction work began in earnest with the involvement of the villagers. In all 650 toilets were constructed in nine villages - three in West Maharashtra, four in East Maharashtra, and two in Vidarbha

district. At the wind up program that was organized in Yedalapur on March 26, 2017, which was attended by over 15,000 people, Good Year’s representative stated that their CSR funds had been properly utilized. The toilet project which was funded by IAHV and Goodyear India Limited was awarded with CSR Health Impact Award on July 7, 2017, in New Delhi. This was really a proud moment for The Art of Living and all its volunteers.

2 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORESeptember 2017

CSRHealthImpactAwardforMakingVillagesODF

Food items have been

distributed on a large scale to flood victims in Gorakhpur since August 20, 2017. Food packets have also been distributed in the badly afflicted Maniram Railway Station and adjoining areas under the supervision of IPS officer Ganesh Shah; 2000 food packets (each containing enough to feed four people) were also distributed in the camp put up by the district administration. Full of enthusiasm and positive energy, volunteers rushed to the help of those worst hit by the floods, covering different areas on different days, working alongside the government

agencies. The areas covered included Kauriram, Bahrampur, Shergarh, Shahpur Aima, and Chauri Chaura. On August 22, 2017, Chief Minister of UP, Sri. Adityanath Yogi tweeted his heartfelt gratitude to Gurudev and the volunteers of The Art of Living for the excellent service rendered by them and said their work was an inspiration for one and all. The Chief Minister visited the relief camp near Bela where the volunteers had distributed food packets to about 10,000 people. In the flood relief operations in UP, AOL volunteers have reached out to about 50,000 people. Plans are also underfoot to set up free medical camps in the flood affected areas.

Continued From Page 1

Uttar Pradesh

Assam has been hit by two waves of flood so far, the worst flood situation in the last 29 years, causing immense hardship to the

people besides devastating life and property and causing extensive damage to standing crop. In times of distress volunteers of The Art of Living have always tried to be a source of positive energy, rushing forth to help people tide over the troubled times. Heeding Gurudev’s words, ““Assam is going through a distressful situation right now. We should not lose our strength at this time. We should all get together and help the affected people,” volunteers have been carrying out relief work in some of the worst hit villages in two districts – North Lakhimpur and Majuli. Here is an update of the work done so far:n Relief work in 3 villages in

Aamtola area and Dambukial area in North Lakhimpur District, 550 families touched

n Majuli island, 250 families touched. Around 400 food packets distributed in small hamlets close to the main affected areas also. Each food packet comprises enough food for 3 days for a family of 6 people

n 500 food packets distributed to approaching villagers while headed for relief distribution

n Reached out to worst affected areas of Dhubri and Chirang districts. So far 3000 families touched. Clothes and tarpaulin are being rushed

n 5000 pieces of good quality clothes being distributed

n AOL Hengrabari volunteers collected Rs. 30,000 and distributed 500 food packets in Greater Guwahati and adjoining areas

n Flood relief material and aids were collected on a war-footing for 1500 families in 12 large villages in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts under the leadership of AOL Teacher Mausami Borpujari and her team

n In the next few days, focus will be on the worst affected villages of Gohpur and Titabar regions

n With flood water receding, relief distribution is expected to be smoother and our volunteers will be reaching out to more affected people. As per the latest update volunteers have reached out to more than 70,000 people in Assam.

ASSAM

Volunteers distributing food packets to the flood afflicted in Gorakhpur

n Free food packs are given to women delivering babies and their attendants

n Food Bank Honored on Independence Day for Excellent Works

Seva Times l Rawatbhata (Rajasthan)

Rawatbhata famous for its nuclear power plant and heavy water plant is situated about 50 km from Kota, Rajashtan. Although it is comparable to any metro city in terms of facilities and affluence, there are still several people living below the poverty line, especially the tribal areas. 40% of the children studying in the Aanganwadis are malnourished. When women from these areas arrive at the hospital for delivering their babies, they have little or nothing with them to eat. The Government does provide food for new mothers in the bigger government hospitals but there is no such provision for people coming from the rural areas to these referral hospitals.

Local Art of Living teacher, Archana Srivastav, says that as per an article published in the Dainik Bhaskar, one woman in labor could not get the 108 Ambulance and her husband had to bring her and the new born baby to the hospital on a push cart. When the teacher went to the hospital to meet the lady, she had no food to eat. Two of her other

children were also with her and they too were writhing in hunger. This incident impelled her to start a food bank in the hospital. With the help of volunteers and Dr. Anil Jatav, the food bank was launched on Gurudev’s birthday on May 13, 2017.

Where does the food come from? Archana Srivastav started out by creating two Whatsapp groups and added about 125+ women from different religious backgrounds from Bijlighar Colony, Nayabazar, Jain Samaj, and other areas. On the Whatsapp group it is decided one day beforehand who

will be preparing food for the next day. The current situation is such that there is advance booking for sending food to the hospital. When their turn arrives, the women post a message on the group and send food the next day. Food reaches the three centers of the food bank by 10 a.m. the next day. People have also started sending food on special occasions like their birthdays and anniversaries. Now the patients in the hospital have sufficient food to eat. If there is any food left over, it is distributed in the labor colony so that no one goes to bed hungry.

Food Bank Started in Referral Hospital Through the Efforts of Art of Living Teacher

Movedbythesightofawomanwhohadjustdeliveredababyandhertwochildrenwrithinginhunger,AOLteacherfeltimpelledto

startfoodbank.Generatedenoughsupportinjust90days.

Healthy, nutritious food cooked by volunteers for the patients and their attendants reaches the centers every morning by 10 a.m.

The Art of Living in association with Goodyear India Limited received the Award at a function held in New Delhi on July 7, 2017

Rajavaikal Canal Cleaning Project in Coimbatore

Seva Timesl Coimbatore As part of its on-going efforts to ensure environmental stability, The Art of Living (AOL) Coimbatore launched a project on May 23, 2017, to clean the Rajavaikal canal. With more than 100 volunteers working on the project 11.5 km of the canal was cleaned within a short span of two weeks and the project was completed by June 6, 2017. The rejuvenated canal will benefit five villages - Thenkarai ,Thalliyur , Chithrai Chavadi, Thondamuthur and Vedapaati. These villages are

drought prone and have been facing a shortage of drinking water due to low ground water levels. In addition, an ancient check dam was desilted to a depth of 1 meter. These activities have helped to raise the ground water levels and also replenished water in seven major ponds in the area. Chandra Mohan Kumar (Apex Member, Coimbatore) must be congratulated for taking the initiative in this project.

GabionDamonGalhatiRivertotheRescueofFarmersinGhungardeHadgaonn Dam will provide water

to farm lands up to 5 km in the vicinity

Seva Times l Jalna (Maharashtra)

After completion of the rejuvenation work of the Galhati river in Ghungarde Hadgaon, Jalna, a gabion dam has been constructed on the river Galhati this year through the efforts of The Art of Living and has been named “Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji Gabion Dam” after Gurudev. This is the largest gabion dam in this region with a length of approximately 60 meters, width of 6.5 meters, and a height of 2.5 meters. This gabion dam will benefit not only the farmers living in Ghungarde Hadgaon but will also provide water for agricultural purposes for up to 5 kilometers in the surrounding region. With just two days of continuous rain in the region, the dam filled up with approximately 2 crore liter of water. Several wells have filled up in the village. The ground water level has increased and water in bore wells is now available at a depth of 20 feet. The villagers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Gurudev, The Art of Living, and all the yuvacharyas whose hard work made this possible. Active participants in the project were Mavali Bhaiyya, Kanta Bhaiyya, and Parmeshwar Rajbinde.

Before and After: Just two days of continuous rain and the dam is full

3 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORESeptember 2017

Seva Times l Balod (Chattisgarh)

Situated 13 kilometers from Balod district is a backward settlement, Sankara, mostly inhabited by the Pardi tribe. Up to 95% of the population in this settlement is illiterate. Children from this colony do take admission in the Government school but their attendance is very irregular, sometimes weeks go by between attendance. Many children have dropped out of school. Among these is Chandni Pardhi, a student of Class 3 in Sri Sri Gyan Mandir in this village.

Every day, after returning from school, Chandni gathers the children from her settlement, and tutors them. Whatsoever she has learnt in school that day, she passes it on to

the other children and inspires them to study. This is a routine she has been following for the last two years.

Chandni has exhibited her brilliance right from nursery onwards. When she was in Class I she told her teachers she wants to become a teacher when she grows up. As she continued to focus on her studies, Chandni’s intellectual capacity increased. When documentary filmmaker, Vinod Kashyap, heard about Chandni he could not contain himself and went to Sankara to make a film on her. He approached the authorities of Sri Sri Gyan Mandir, a school run by the Art of Living, and made a film titled “Chandni - The Power of Education.” This film has been uploaded on youtube.

Free Medical Camp in Pus VillageAmbajogai (Beed) l Volunteers of The Art of Living had organized a free medical camp in Pus village in Ambajogai Tehsil. More than 500 people from the rural areas benefited from this camp. Doctors from different specialties like gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, and orthopedics, offered their services at the camp, conducting medical checkups and prescribing treatment and medicines. Medicines for the camp were donated by Manavlok Sevabhavi Sanstha. Padmavati Clinical Laboratories also extended their services for free.

Friendship Day Celebration with Special ChildrenSurat (Gujarat) l “Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi

Shankarji’s ideology of sharing and caring, The Art of Living SevaWarriors of Surat led by Art of Living teacher, Dinesh Choudhary, decided to celebrate Friendship Day on August 6, 2017, with children with special needs at the Samvedana Charitable Trust.It was a fun filled day for the children and volunteers alike. They played games, had lunch together, and tied Friendship bands on each other’s wrist. The children were overjoyed and the ecstasy reflected back on every SevaWarrior’s face as they experienced firsthand that the joy of giving far surpasses the joy of receiving. Truly, the language of love can be heard by the deaf and needs no intellectual caliber to be understood. For, “Love binds us all together”.

130 Toilets Constructed in 90 DaysAmravati (Maharashtra) l The 5H program of The Art of Living aims

at ensuring that every rural area has homes for the homeless, healthcare, hygiene, human values and harmony in diversity. As part of this initiative, the Dhanora project was launched in Amravati and 130 toilets were built by The Art of Living with the help of Good Year.

Ashok Nanotkar and his team conduct courses in rural areas. During one such course they discovered Dhanora, a small village inhabited mainly by tribals. Most men in the village were addicted to alcohol and there was no awareness about cleanliness or hygiene.

Through a series of courses like the Rural Happiness Program, Navchetana and Balchetana shibir, YLTP, and through Satsangs, the villagers were motivated to improve the quality of their life. Although initially reluctant, as awareness increased, the villagers extended their support to make Dhanora open defecation free. The project was launched on January 1, 2017, and completed on April 17, 2017. The village is now ODF and the villagers are very grateful to Art of Living for this service.

Seva Times l Khunti (Jharkhand)

Tribal children residing in Katsemla and Kudri, remote villages of Khunti district, are today dreaming of becoming doctors, engineers, businessmen, sports persons, and scientists, thanks to the free school run by The Art of Living. These children who are first generation students and had no access to educational facilities prior to this are today not only receiving value-based education in an enriched learning environment and obtaining excellent results in the state board exams but are also receiving training in practical skills like computer education, stitching, embroidery, smart class, and digital forms.

Higher schooling in this educational wasteland has been made possible only due to the combined efforts of the YLTP team in this region. There is no other school in the vicinity except for a missionary school situated 25 km. The first stepping stone of success was laid by VVKI under its Tribal Welfare Program in 1999 when they started a primary school in Ketsemla, 3 kms further into the interiors than Kudri, in a small room with just five students. This school provided education only up to Class V after which most children dropped their studies either due to poverty or due to lack of facilities. Senior Art of Living teacher, Pravin Kumar, then initiated the setting up of a high school in this region and the school in Kudri was established.

In the initial days of starting the higher secondary school, finding qualified teachers in such a remote area was a real challenge. The Art of Living volunteers having educational and teaching backgrounds in schools and colleges came all the way from Ranchi, which is 60 km away, to teach in the school as well as train the local teachers. The first batch of 11 students would be appearing for the matriculation board exam in March-April 2016. In August 2015, Shri. Brij Chawla, Director, Tribal Welfare Program, who is also the driving force behind movement to take education to the tribal children, provisioned 20 computers to the school under CSR through Sierra Circuits, Sunnyvale.

The main challenge of improving the teaching skills of the teachers

still persisted. Solution to this issue came in the form of e-learning through Tata ClassEdge, a division of Tata Industries Limited, that uses innovative teaching methods supported by animations, games, activities, labs, and simulations to enhance the learning experience of students. Although a commercial product with expensive license fee and annual charges, TataEdge was so impressed with the free school project that they agreed to provide their contents and other facilities free of cost for a duration of one year. This had a terrific impact on the teaching quality of the teachers and the learning abilities of the students. With just three months of training through digital classes, the first batch of students secured 100% results in the Matric Board Examination in 2016. The second

batch of Class X students who appeared for the Matric Exam in 2017, also fared extremely well. One student, Varsha Kumari Parhi, scored as much as 95% in Maths. Thoroughly satisfied with the way the school is utilizing TataEdge, they have renewed their contract for another year and it is hoped that the next batch of 141 students including 82 girls will fare even better in the board exams.

The Principal says that it is their endeavor to give practical knowledge to the tribals and at the same time preserve their tradition and culture. Medical facilities are also being provided to the local tribals through a medical center situated in the school premises through which people of the village can also avail free medical treatment along with the school students. The

Sri Sri Swarojgar Kendra situated within the school premises teaches students from class 6 onwards to be economically independent. The school campus has also been ideally designed for the children to engage in sports and outdoor activities. Both boys and girls are encouraged to play football and hockey. The children also receive training in organic farming and the vegetables that they grow are used in preparing the midday meals.

Pushpa Tiwari, whose late husband donated the land for this school has this to say, “I am very happy that my husband donated our land for this noble cause.” Her heart is filled with joy when she meets the many children studying in this school and being groomed for a bright future. “This is our richest harvest” she says.

Adivasi Children Ready to Soar High on the Wings of SuccessnChildren receiving quality education

in school run by VVKI under its Tribal Welfare Program

n100% results in state board exams with just 3 months of e-learning through Tata ClassEdge

nEffort to preserve tradition and culture while imparting knowledge

Balancing studies with relaxation: Students take some time off to engage in outdoor activities in the beautiful environs of the school

A Child Prodigy with a Passion to Teach

Every day after returning from school Chandni gathers children from her colony and passes on to them whatever she has learnt

Patients lining up for a free medical checkup

One of the posters used during the campaign

A fun-filled Friendship Day with special children

News in Brief

Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) and Dharma Sthamba Yojana (DSY) are service initiatives of Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India [The Art of Living], a registered charitable Trust, head quartered in Bangalore with its registered office at No. 19, 39th A Cross, 11th Main, IV T Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560041

- Ph: 080-67433600 | www.artofliving.org | Email: yltp@artofliving.org -

SEVA TIMES

Inspired by Gurudev

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Editorial teamRam Asheesh

Thoheja Gurukar Bhavinkumar Nakum

To access earlier editions of Seva Times log in to

www.dsyindia.org/sevatimes

If you are working on any project or YLTP activities, please contact us on 8067433616, 9620169697. E mail: editor.sevatimes@vvki.org

4 SEVA TIMES THE ART OF LIVING INTERNATIONAL CENTER, BANGALORESeptember 2017

My journey and experience with Gurudev cannot be summed in words. It is everlasting and ever-

growing and blossoms with each passing day of life. When I look back at the journey thus far, it has been a blessed and blissful experience for me.

A Reluctant Start: I always had an inclination towards dance and hence at an early age I joined “Padatik Dance and Fitness Centre”. While I was striving hard at my job in the academy, my boss insisted that I do the Basic Course conducted by The Art of Living. I enrolled for the course only because I thought my job was at stake but after the first Sudarshan Kriya there has been no looking back! One can say that in the process of saving my job I got saved!

First Experience of Grace: Soon after I was put on a project in North East India where dance was to be used as a medium for meditation. I had absolutely no idea how to achieve this. Everything I tried with my group fell apart. It was pure chaos and confusion and nothing seemed to work. Disappointed and disheartened we started packing our bags to head back home. Miraculously, sometime later that day we received a call from The Art of Living Chapter, Shillong, not only offering us a place to stay but also providing all the necessary help that we needed to make the project a success! Gradually, things started falling in place and we got a breakthrough with a convent school where dance meditation finally took off. This was my first experience of the Master’s Grace.

First visit to the Ashram: I still remember it was in the year 2000. I reached the Ashram during satsang time. I immediately fell in love with the place, it felt very familiar and special. Next morning, I was taking a walk at the old ashram and somebody told me Guruji is meeting everyone. ‘Everyone’ at that time meant about 10-15 people. I too joined the darshan line. He came out of his Shakti Kutir and handing me my favorite sweet, smiled and said, “Tum aa gaye?” Not understanding the deeper meaning I simply said “Yes I came last night”.

Overcoming Fear: My interest in spirituality grew with passing years but yet it always felt like there is more to it. In 2010 I became an AOL teacher and was immediately sent to Srinagar to teach Yes+. And there begins my saga with unimaginable encounters.

During one of the courses, I was confronted by fanatics who wanted to disturb the course so that it would not take place. A little shaken up, I messaged Guruji. He told me, “Tarique, if you get scared how will you move ahead? I’m there with you, keep teaching and keep moving ahead”. These words of Gurudev till date are so pristine and fresh and inspire me every moment.

From that day taking courses in war zones and disturbed areas became as easy as sailing through a calm sea! Places stopped mattering to me – be it war zones, Indo-Pak border, BSF jawans, or elsewhere, all that was, and even now is, on my mind is to share Gurudev’s knowledge with many and make Gurudev’s vision of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” a reality.

Taking Comfort to War-Torn Areas: My tryst especially with war zones

was blooming. I wanted to work in the Middle East. When I expressed this desire to Gurudev, he looked into space and just nodded his head. A year later, I got an invitation from The Art of Living, Morocco Chapter, to work there. In Morocco I worked with Arabic teachers and trained them for leadership. I also conducted YLTP there. Most of the participants were females who were victims of domestic violence. From Morocco I went to Egypt and eventually to Iraq.

Working in Iraq was immensely blissful. With Gurudev’s blessings two YLTP’s were conducted there, where approx. 2100 people did the breath, water and sound course and more than 1000 people did the Happiness Program. Currently we have 27 Iraqi AOL teachers.

Transforming Lives in Prisons: Recently a YLTP was conducted in Bhopal jail where 90 inmates underwent rigorous training, of which 30 were finally selected to become yoga teachers. These prison mates are now empowered to travel to different prisons in India for spreading the knowledge of yoga.

This journey is now more than 18 years old but yet it feels like I am just a new born yet to learn many things from Gurudev. It is my good fortune to find a Master who believes that love is much stronger than the barriers of religion, caste and sects. Gurudev inspires me and that empowers me - and this is what I, being his instrument, wish to achieve for others - “Inspire to Empower”. – Tarique Khan

Seva Times l Nawada/Vaishali/ Gaya (Bihar)

In 2007 the high percentage of child marriages in Bihar at 68.9% was a great cause of concern. The Art of Living in partnership with UNICEF unveiled a joint declaration on October 1, 2007, to further the cause of child rights and protection and took on the responsibility of putting an end to child marriages. A project to end child marriages was launched and 14 blocks in the three districts of Nawada, Gaya, and Vaishali were earmarked.

To achieve their goal, The Art of Living first picked up dynamic local youth who were willing to work with the Art of Living to further the cause. In all 181 youth were selected to undergo a special YLTP that was focused on the prevention of child marriages. Nearly 80% of them were themselves victims of child marriage. The youngsters were trained to raise awareness against child marriage when they conducted Nav Chetana Shibirs. The Yuvacharyas were also given the task of identifying the “kathavachaks” in the villages. Kathavachaks are faith based

leaders who have a following of around 500-1500 people and have a tremendous influence on the villagers. A total of 418 kathavachaks along with 45 village community leaders joined the cause.

The youth leaders conducted 868 NCS between 2008 and 2013 and 1,36,000 people from 265 villages were impacted through the shibirs, maha satsangs, and padayatras. Apart from raising awareness regarding child marriages, the youth leaders also worked against drug addiction and educated the villagers on several Government schemes such as Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojana, Mukhyamantri Balika Cycle Yojana, and Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivaha Yojana.

In 2012 Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also visited Bihar. At a Maha Satsang of over 100,000 people he elicited a promise from those gathered not get their children married before the legal age.

The dedication of the yuvacharyas and teachers like Sangeeta Sinha bore rich fruit and today incidence of child marriage in these three districts is nil. Some of them shared their experience with one of our correspondents recently:

Yuvacharyas Play a Key Role in Preventing Child Marriages

Neelam Kumari Sinha (35) was married at the age of 14. “I became a mother when my physical development was still incomplete. Still incapable of taking care of my own self, how could I take care of my children? The children too suffered because of this. As I became more mature I realized that the root of the problem was child marriage. So I became a yuvacharya and took on the responsibility of raising awareness among my people. When they did not listen to me, I sought the help of the village headman or the elected representative to make them understand.”

Mamta Kumari (40) says that having herself been a victim of child marriage she was familiar with the problems it caused and was happy to work for the cause. In addition, she also worked against drug addiction.Arjun Prasad (42) got married at the age of 12 to a girl who was just 9 years old. He does not even remember his wedding. His wife became a mother at 14. Neither of them was mentally or physically prepared to raise a family. He joined the campaign so other children would not be deprived of their childhood.

Tarique Khan – Joyful Journey Thus Far

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Over one lakh people took an oath with Gurudev not to get their daughters married before 18 and sons before 21 years of age