Yogaswami Hindu Girls' Home at Sittandy Fund

October - November - December 2005 Newsletter

Nilufer Clubwala lives in New York

The events following the devastating Asian tsunami of December 26, 2004, have helped reveal the plight of many children in that part of the world. Nilufer Clubwala, a New York pediatrician, became aware of a little-known orphanage for girls on the East coast of Sri Lanka (visit The Sittandy Girls' Home) soon after Hindu Press International covered the story of the destruction of the Tirunavukkarasu Gurukulam, an orphanage for boys in that same area. Nilufer explains how she was moved to open the Yogaswami Hindu Girls' Home at Sittandy Fund, HHE endowment #62.

"One normally lives in a state of complacency in the hope that life goes smoothly with no waves, just sunshine and a maybe a frappucino. But then life is rarely scripted. When the tsunami struck, thousands of lives ended, and for those who survived, their lives would never be the same again."

"Being one who strives to carry Gurudeva's message of service, love and joy always in the heart, I was happy to be able to help out by gathering donations for the boys of the Tirunavukkarasu Gurukulam orphanage. It was during this work that I became aware of several other orphanages on the East Coast of Sri Lanka. One of them was the Yogaswami Hindu Girls' Home in Sittandy. Like most of these homes, it was overcrowded, badly in need of repairs, with a dilapidated drainage system and toilets, inadequate water supply and scant school supplies. They have no telephone or computer. Most of all, they need to hire teachers to help the girls with their school work. This is what inspired me to start an endowment for this home. It would indeed be a living testament to Gurudeva's message. The girls of today will be the mothers of tomorrow. How wonderful if the girls of this home could be brought up to live by the priceless teachings of Yogaswami and Gurudeva. Just envision dozens of homes one day filled with joy, harmony and mutual respect because the mothers in those homes were taught early on in life that that is what matters the most."

Chellathuraiswami, 93, is a direct disciple of Jaffna's great sage, Yogaswami. He sits with the staff and girls at the Sittandy home.

"However, before one can impart these wonderful teachings and expect them to take root, we have to restore a sense of normalcy to these children and address their everyday needs. For this we need your help as generous sponsors. It is only by putting into practice the teachings of our teachers that we have truly fulfilled our dharma as children, parents, spouses, and most importantly, as bhaktars of the guru."

The average expenditure for one of the 37 girls and one boy at the home is US$1 per day, and a donation to the endowment of $9,125 would generate $365 every year and fully support one child in perpetuity. Donations can be made on the web by going to www.hheonline.org. Donations are safe and secure, whether you live in the USA or other countries. Make a one-time donation or sign up for a recurring donation. For more information, call Sannyasin Shanmuganathaswami at 1-808-822-3012, ext. 244 or e-mail hhe@hindu.org.

April to June Endowment Contributions

MISSION STATEMENT

Hindu Heritage Endowment is a publicly supported, charitable organization recognized as tax exempt by the IRS on April 22, 1994. Employer ID 99-0308924. Founded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, its philanthropic mission is to provide secure, professionally managed financial support for institutions and religious leaders of all lineages of Sanatana Dharma.

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS

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