May your heart open here Loving Community
Love All, Serve All
“To say that a single human being, because of his birth, becomes an untouchable, unapproachable, or invisible, is to deny God.� GANDHIJI
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history
history
T
he Gandhi Leprosy Seva Sangh was originally settled along a dry riverbed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat 40 years ago—the origin of the community being the exiling of
a leprosy-infected sect of people believed to be endangering the healthy population. Forced to flee native villages—sometimes facing very real danger of being burned alive—leaving family behind, rejected from society and the communities in which they were living, men and women afflicted with the disease travelled
for miles from varying states in India (mostly from the South) reaching Ahmedabad, finding a place where they could live with some semblance of acceptance—a place where they could escape from the stigma of leprosy and live out their lives with a 1]
sense of peace and dignity. From this initial movement of fear and rejection, something quite special evolved on its own. People of different cultures, faiths, beliefs and lifestyles came together to live as a close and supportive family due to the one commonality they all shared: the disease that caused them to be rejected from society. A convergence of disparate, afflicted people has become a community filled with love and togetherness.
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In the early years, the Gandhi Leprosy Seva Sangh members would spend nine months of the year building their community, their homes and their lives, then during monsoon season it would all be washed away, with this cycle being repeated each year. The Lion’s Club of Ahmedabad became involved after a successful plea and helped the community organize, secure land, and build functional homes. Initially, they searched for a convenient site where access to basic needs could be met, however this was not possible due to the social stigma of the disease, and thus ended up securing land from the government
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on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, in Amraiwadi, approximately 45 minutes by car from the Gandhi Ashram.
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Today, though, Amraiwadi is very much a part of Ahmedabad, as a result of the population growth and development of the city. The homes and structures of the Gandhi Leprosy Seva Sangh have grown to accommodate over 430 residents; second and third generations of the native settlers have emerged. All the leprosy patients have received medical treatment and as a result are not contagious and the disease has stopped spreading—there have been no new cases in the community. Residents are proud of their community and maintain impressively clean
1] There have been no new cases of leprosy in the youth 2] The Ram Mandir (Temple) 3] A resident bathing outside 4] Priyanka enjoying her mother’s love
homes and surrounding areas—they are committed to making a good life for themselves and their children. Despite the community being relatively financially poor, it is not typical of a slum environment. The evolution from rejection and despair to the creation of a thriving community is both remarkable and inspiring. manavsadhna.org
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“Can I beg with you?
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I am your son.”
history
coNNecTING HearT To HearT
A
few years ago, Jayesh Patel (left) of Manav Sadhna, joined 30 friends, volunteers, and karyakartas on a “walk of forgiveness” in
response to religious tensions and conflict, which resulted in violence in Ahmedabad. The walk began from the hallowed prayer ground at the Gandhi Ashram and ventured through the city visiting various religious houses of worship, including a Hindu temple, Islamic mosque, and Christian church. The group interacted with people they met during the inspired walk, and in a spirit of unity sang songs and performed small acts of service along the way. As the group left the Christian church, Jayesh was deep in thought about the unconditional love of Jesus, when he saw two leprosy-infected beggars begging for change. He immediately approached one, touched her disfigured foot, and said, “Can I beg with you? I am your son.” The beggars were shocked, in total disbelief. They declined his offer. Regardless, they went to a local chai shop, shared tea and sweet rolls, and then parted ways.
faTed eNcoUNTerS About a year later, Jayesh visited Ram Roti, a sadhu in Ahmedabad, who serves meals to several hundred poorest of the poor daily. It ended up being the first of several visits. The two got to know each other personally, as Jayesh became involved with the meal program by assisting in the serving and cleaning up. One day, Ram Roti asked Jayesh to bring some excess grain to a leper community he had been hearing about to see if they had use for it. Jayesh made the trip, and lo!—amazingly—he encountered the two lepers whom he had met the year before at the church living in the community. manavsadhna.org
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history
THe loVING coMMUNITy
J
ayesh and others from Manav Sadhna started visiting the community regularly, sharing meals and tea with the residents, getting to know them
personally. It was during these visits that everyone recognized how loving and warm the community members were—so a new name was given that focuses on something other than the disease: the Loving Community. Anyone who visits soon ďŹ nds out why and is typically struck by the loving atmosphere that opens the heart. Manav Sadhna began to identify genuine needs within the community. There were infrastructure needs, sanitation issues, leprosy patients who needed medical treatment, and there were emotional needs as well—to regain love, compassion and acceptance lost when residents developed leprosy and were cast out of their native homes. After some time, Manav Sadhna started to discuss areas for improvement with the residents and community leaders. Formal projects sprouted naturally from these visits and discussions and it has been a hand-in-hand collaboration since.
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projects
projects
MedIcal TreaTMeNT
T
he first project was the most urgent—providing a diverse selection of medical/health-related treatment to community members.
This treatment not only provides benefits to the community itself, 1] it also affects the larger public, as many of the leprosy patients
spend all day in public spaces begging with open, festering wounds. The disease still carries a stigma and there is acute concern over catching it. Elements of the ongoing program have included: • Free medical supplies to treat wounds • Free medical camps with MD visits to the community to check patients, diagnose and prescribe treatment for leprosy symptoms such as skin irritations and sores, hand and feet issues, nerve and vascular problems, and pain • Free dental camps with DDS visits to the community to treat dental problems • Free eye camps with ophthalmologist visits to the community to treat blindness, a common symptom, and other vision-related problems • Free, specialized leprosy sandals by partnering with a local organization, designed to provide walking comfort, as leprosy grossly affects the extremities, making walking in normal shoes uncomfortable or impossible
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1] Cataracts are a common side effect of leprosy 2] Untreated leprosy causes a slow, painful erosion of the fingers and toes 3] With no use of her legs, this resident must rely on a makeshift wheel barrow for mobility and begging
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photos
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projects
Tree PlaNTaTIoN
A
t Manav Sadhna, we get to know who we are working with personally first and
let the people tell us what they need and want to improve their living conditions. We also observe community activities and dynamics to see what is working and what changes may be beneficial—we never want to impose our idea of what should be, as this is the root of ego-based activism that strips away the dignity of those who we are serving. It was the residents of the Loving Community who expressed their love of and desire to have new trees planted, which they could care for and in turn, help beautify their area. We listened to this request and organized a tree plantation. The trees that were planted have contributed to the beautification of the community, provide shade, and have created an area that has become an attractive place for resting and congregating.
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Manav Sadhna builds heart-centered [ 14 ]
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projects
ToIleT INSTallaTIoNS
O
ver 30 homes in the community were without toilets when we arrived, so we part-
nered with the NASA organization to construct functional, low-cost toilets at no charge to the residents. This particular sanitation program helped to mitigate the risk of health hazards in the community by providing a hygienic and dignified solution for human waste elimination. The improvement is particularly important during the monsoon season, as people walk around barefoot through potentially contaminated running water.
1] Community grandmothers gather in the cool shade
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2] “Sanitation is a way of life”
relationships first—before any work begins. manavsadhna.org
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projects
loVING ceNTre coNSTrUcTIoN Due to the generous support of the Katherine and Rohit Desai Family Foundation in New York City, we were able to coordinate the construction of a Rs. 19L community centre, known as the Loving Centre, in the heart of the community in 2009. The Loving Centre has become a focal point of the community and provides residents with a beautiful, shared space to call their own. It is an impressive facility, which serves to uplift the community by providing such services as: • Houses Manav Sadhna workshops and educational programs • Serves as a venue for festival gatherings and shared meals • Hosts community-wide meetings and programs • Provides outdoor courtyard with a cooler, clean area for sleeping for residents whose homes get extremely hot in the summer • Provides indoor shelter for residents whose homes are prone to flooding during monsoon season • Provides lighted area for children to congregate and study, as well as play • Serves as site for the free Dinner Program for some of the most needy members of the community
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1] Outside courtyard of Loving Centre with adjoining kitchen 2] Inside the spacious hall used for programs and special events 3] The Loving Centre houses a room (“Gandhi’s room”) for office and overnight guest use
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projects
aNGaNWadI — SerVING oUr cHIldreN
S
ince the beginning, Manav Sadhna has focused on serving women and children, as they are the key to building a better future in poverty-stricken areas
and typically the most willing to embrace positive change. Our Anganwadi Program for underserved pre-school children is run in conjunction with the government of Gujarat. It is one of Manav Sadhna’s core programs and one of the most successful. Manav Sadhna currently employs over 150 Anganwadi teachers and reaches over 9,000 children in slum areas. We are in the process of building 66 pre-schools in Ahmedabad’s largest Tecro slum, home to 170,000 residents. The students are given value-based educa-
tion, including lessons on health, hygiene, and nutrition through stories, songs, dances and occasional field trips. Anganwadi seeks to change the fate of children—a fate that often includes disease due to poor diet and hygiene, death in some cases, tobacco and alcohol addiction, and a sense of hopelessness and resignation about improving one’s circumstances, all of which contribute to the continuation of the poverty cycle. The Anganwadi launched at the Loving Community in 2010 and is taught by Aruna Chuhan (right), a full-time resident of the community, and serves children ages 3 to 6.
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projects
PlaNTING SeedS — loVING leaderSHIP ProGraM
K
rishna initiated this program a few weeks after arriving at the Loving Community, along with Aruna Chuhan,
noticing that there were a group of children who had a certain glow to them and somehow stood out. They all, according to him, “demonstrated extraordinarily caring characters—caring about nature, caring about fellow human beings. They are almost (smile) always willing to lend a helping hand, even if something more fun is going on around them, and they all have emotional maturity well beyond their years.” We thought it would be a good idea to provide special training to this group to formally develop their natural, loving, leadership abilities. The training included shared time together, meditation, prayer, field trips, interaction with Manav Sadhna karyakartas, team-building exercises, and community-based service projects—all revolving around the Nature-derived values of: Seva, Harmony, Life Promotion, Self Knowledge, Initiative, and Problem Solving. Despite being a process-oriented and valuebased program, there are two main ideas driving it. The first is to create future community (world
The second is to cultivate a sense of optimism (as
even!) service leaders. The Loving Community
opposed to hope) that if these children want to, they
will need caring individuals who are willing to
can change their life circumstances and pursue their
listen to neighbors’ problems, take responsibil-
dreams despite beliefs about impossibility. Part of the
ity for community issues, problem solve, and set good examples for future generations to follow. [ 20 ] Loving Community
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“Love is Seva,
photos
training is designed to disrupt the common mindset
The children have grown considerably as a result of
that can develop in poverty situations, where one can
the program and have become a beloved addition to
feel as if life is resigned to the way always known,
the Manav Sadhna family—ask any one of them what
that there is no way to make a change, if desired.
Seva is and they will enthusiastically (and loudly)
Seva is Love!”
respond, “Love is Seva, Seva is Love!”
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projects
NUTrITIoN, GeNeroSITy aNd coMPaNIoNSHIP — dINNer ProGraM
I
n April 2011, Manav Sadhna, in collaboration with the Loving Community, launched a daily Dinner Program that provides a free, nutritious meal to a special group of approximately 23 leprosy patients living at the community who beg and are without family, having fled native
villages upon developing the disease. The opening of the kitchen doors was an energetic event that sent a warm, loving charge throughout the community, creating many smiles along the way. The Dinner Program was created to first, provide a free, nutritious meal to a group of some of the neediest residents of the community (most beg to earn Rs. 20 daily, so one less meal to worry about is a big deal to them). Second, to create a daily community-wide event with a foundation based in seva, in love, where residents can get together, pray, help serve meals, and otherwise engage in enlightened community where there wasn’t one before. The kitchen team, led by Jyoti Koli, a wife and warmhearted mother of three, prepare the meals in the spirit of service and love. The dinner is conducted in a sacred manner, starting with an all-religions prayer and is like medicine for the guests, who are the poorest of the poor, leprosy infected, and alone. Children from the Loving Leadership Program are involved, who often assist in the cleaning of the area beforehand, as well as the prayer.
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Each guest was asked how they feel about the Dinner Program. Two answers kept repeating: appreciation for the social activity and for having one less meal to worry about. When you earn as little as they do, one free meal a day makes a big difference.
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projects
SaTHya SHaKTI fITNeSS ceNTre
I
n poverty conditions, one of the greatest investments that can be
Fitness additionally instills
made is in physical fitness and health, as fitness boosts the immune
optimism that if one works
system to help protect against diseases (critical at the Loving Com-
hard enough toward a goal, it
munity, as diseases transmit easily due to its small size). When physical
can be achieved. Needless to
health suffers, already-limited funds funnel to doctor’s visits and poten-
say, affordable access to high-
tially ineffectual medical treatments, taking away from the essentials of
quality gym equipment isn’t
school fees, supplies and food.
typically possible for people
Keeping fit also instills a sense of purpose for something outside of daily,
who struggle financially.
grinding work and family routines. It helps to keep an optimistic outlook
Manav Sadhna launched the
on life and eliminates the feeling of being burdened by relatively restricted
Sathya Shakti (True Strength)
life circumstances. Often too, when people start getting into a better state
Fitness Centre in August of
of mind and health, their appetite for health detractors diminishes—they
2011 and it was a welcome
no longer desire tobacco, alcohol, sugary, overly oily or processed food,
addition to the Loving Com-
items that traditionally reap havoc in poor communities.
munity. The philosophy of the gym is to use new found health and strength for the benefit of the community. It is managed by a full-time resident of the community and charges token membership dues of Rs. 50/ month to make access to it as easy as possible.
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IMProVING QUalITy of lIfe — GoVerNMeNT-aPProVed ProJecTS
A
s Manav Sadhna’s work has grown in visibility and reputation, the organization has been fortunate to catch the attention of busy community leaders and
government officials. The Mayor of Ahmedabad, Asit Vora, and other members from the AMC (Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation) paid a personal visit to the Loving Community early in 2011 to see how the men, women and children were faring and what types of needs they have. As a result of the visit, several projects that will have tremendous impact on the community were approved, including: • Creation of a large garden in the back of the community on what is a filthy, abandoned piece of land that collects trash and is a breeding ground for disease • Installation of a paved foot path along the main road entering the community to keep pedestrians safe from the constant flow of incoming and outgoing traffic • Solid waste management program and the distribution of large, sturdy waste bins in areas of the community where trash tends to collect • Rs. 2L renovation of an old, run-down structure that will house the Anganwadi and Fitness Centre • Tree plantation in a barren area of the community that collects trash and waste The Loving Community received a major blessing by the Mayor and AMC taking the time to pay a visit and approve these important projects. The residents know that Ahmedabad has vast areas with many people in need, and are thankful to the Mayor and city government officials for their care and support.
Hum aabhaari hain! (We are grateful!)
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“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, people will never forget how you made them feel.� M AYA A N G E LO U
people
people
PoSHaIya MeSTIrI — PreSIdeNT of THe loVING coMMUNITy
P
oshaiya, 73, arrived at the Gandhi Leper
Because of his leadership early on, Poshaiya is highly
Seva Sangh in 1978, just three short years
respected in the community to this day and he is still
after the community was founded in 1975.
the primary decision maker for community matters.
He was born in Hyderabad and treated early for
When asked about Manav Sadhna, he says their in-
leprosy, but like many others suffering from the
volvement “felt like an answer to a prayer”—as soon
disease, he fled to seek the safety and acceptance of
as they got involved “everything changed.” He talks
a leprosy community in Ahmedabad. He has been in
about the attention they began to get from the city
the community since the beginning and has been a
government, the many new faces that came to visit,
part of every major change and evolution, including
the people who wanted to do programs, and the new
the time when it was more like a slum.
rush of loving energy that energized the community.
When Poshaiya arrived at the community, the situ-
Though not a formal Gandhian, Poshaiya does sub-
ation there was disorganized and dire. People had so
scribe to Gandhi’s values of non-violence, love, and
many problems. No money. Health issues. Slum-
seva that permeate throughout the community. For
like housing—typically makeshift tents that were
over a year, the community sponsored a Rs. 10,000/
decimated in the monsoon season each year. People
month lunch service project to homeless, mentally
were struggling for survival. There was no leader-
ill people living outside of the Loving Community.
ship—nobody with the vision to see how to help
Unfortunately, this program has ended due to insuf-
improve the situation. Until Poshaiya. He was able
ficient donations to continue it.
to bring direction to the chaos. Because he was educated and spoke a little English and a little Gujarati, he was able to make a professional proposal to the Lion’s Club chapter in Ahmedabad for assistance, which they accepted.
and the rest of his community. With the knowledge he possesses from his long legacy of involvement and his kind nature, he expects to continue to serve for the remainder of his years by delivering grand-
The Lion’s Club helped organize the community, secured official land from the government, got the leprosy patients medical treatment, and built homes for them. This shift marked the beginning of the Loving Community—the situation improved considerably from there.
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Poshaiya lives a peaceful life with his wife, Laxmi,
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fatherly advice to the community he helped shape.
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people
S
arUNa cHUHaN — No SUcH THING aS SMall
he stands out from the crowd—and always draws one to her. Her will is strong and her vision is clear. Aruna, just 19, has a dream to attend professional dance school to become a dance teacher—it is a dream that combines her love of dance with her love of teaching. She is unique in the Loving Community. Most
girls growing up in India do not pursue dreams or higher education or think about having their own careers because their traditional way is to serve husbands and family. The mere fact that Aruna is going against the grain like this and pursuing her dream, says a lot about who she is. Everybody that meets Aruna is typically inspired by her star quality and how bright, strong, and talented she is for her young age. Born and raised in the Loving Community—her father recently died from leprosy—Aruna
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being more caring toward herself, others and her environment. She is a fast, avid learner and is at school level Standard 11—most girls do not go past the 10th grade. She learned English on her own (a feat that can’t be emphasized enough considering her lack of access to quality English instruction)—and has achieved basic conversational fluency. She learned dancing too, on her own, by studying Bollywood videos on TV at home—and she has become a great dancer, usually found with several young girls bouncing and smiling around her wanting to learn. Basically, anything Aruna puts her mind to, she accomplishes—which is what makes her such a great teacher. And with Manav Sadhna, teaching the Anganwadi Program at the Loving Community, has been Aruna’s primary role. She is excellent with children. Tough, yes, but also very loving. If she’s tough, she says it’s because “a principle is involved” and she wants her children to “develop good habits,” such as no public spitting, brushing teeth and washing hands, as well as respect for the community, by not littering. She says she learned everything about working with children from her mother. Aruna is a natural leader. Her core value is humility—something she wants to foster in others. When asked about what her message to the world is, she says that “small acts of service, such as picking up comes from a large family, with two sisters and
trash, smiling at a stranger, planting a tree, are not
three brothers. Her mom being chief among her
really small.”
inspirations.
Besides being the teacher of the Anganwadi
When she was a bit younger, Aruna admits to being
Program, Aruna also helps Manav Sadhna organize
“mischievous,” but after meeting Jayeshbhai and
community programs and events. Because leader-
getting exposed to Manav Sadhna and the Gandhi
ship and hard work come naturally to Aruna, she
Ashram a few years ago, she says her life changed
does this job exceptionally well and is an invaluable
and she started cultivating positive habits and
asset to Manav Sadhna and the community. manavsadhna.org
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people
SrINIVaS aNd JyoTI — a coUPle MoVed By loVe
F
or Srinivas and Jyoti Koli, seva is a way of life. The couple and their three young children live in the Loving Community and deliver love daily (in the
form of meals) to others in need. Their motto is, “work first, rest second.” Jyoti is a wonderful cook. From the time she wakes up in the morning, until she finally feeds her own family late at night, Jyoti is constantly cooking and serving meals with love. She is the head chef for the daily Dinner Program, which feeds approximately 23 elderly members of the community who spend their days begging and have no family of their own. Jyoti runs her kitchen with care and compassion. She squats in the hot, smoky quarters, rhythmically rolling perfectly round rotis and transferring them to the griddle, where they fill like balloons with hot air. She never misses a beat, all the while joking and laughing with the other cooks in the kitchen. There are days when Jyoti will not eat her own lunch until well past two o’clock, making sure that her guests have filled—and cleared— their own plates multiple times. With the help of her husband, Srinivas, who drives an autorickshaw, they delivered home-cooked lunches seven days a week for over a year to mentally handicapped, homeless men and women living outside of the community. Unfortunately, this program recently ended due to insufficient community donations. Although driving the auto-rickshaw is an important means toward the family’s livelihood, Srinivas never hesitates to offer his services to his friends and neighbors in need at no cost. These are some of the special qualities of Jyoti and Srinivas that make them so significant to the community: They work hard and serve others, but not for recognition or thanks—they simply care and are moved by love.
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people “KrISHNa”
W
atching Christopher Lowman, or Krishnabhai, as he is affectionately known at the Loving Community,
interact with the elderly leprosy patients or play with the children who giggle and follow him around constantly, you would think he was born in the community. But Lowman’s story began in a very different place, with a very different trajectory. In 2001, Lowman, an American, was finishing up his degree in philosophy at New York University with aspirations to become a lawyer. Then, in his senior
year to develop a program with Manav Sadhna and
year, he met an Indian Ayurvedic doctor in London
upon arrival, Jayesh Patel and Viren Joshi were both
whose single treatment would completely alter his
adamant about him spending time at the Loving
understanding and radically alter his path.
Community.
“I clearly realized that everything we would want
Lowman lives and works full time at the Loving
from the outside world is derived from within,” he
Community during the week where he provides
explains. “Traditional medicine is a way to remove
traditional medical treatment, organizes programs
deep-seated internal disharmonies that prevent our
and activities for the children, and helps to facili-
true and luminous potential from being realized;
tate basic community development. In addition,
it’s also effective for mitigating or eliminating the
Lowman leads a group of 11 gifted youngsters—
symptoms of any kind of disease.”
“Loving Leaders,” as he calls them—with the intent
It was then that Lowman abandoned his career path and embarked on a decade-long journey into the study and practice of an ancient form of Japanese medicine, as well as holistic approaches to trauma
of creating future community service leaders and cultivating a sense of optimism that it is possible for them to pursue their dreams, despite beliefs about impossibility.
care that turned out to be ideal preparation for the
Jayesh renamed Lowman (as he is known to do) as
life’s work he is doing today—bringing compas-
Krishna when introducing him to the community
sionate care to the people of the world. In 2009 and
because he considers Lowman to be a man of com-
2010, he traveled to Africa to treat young Rwandans
passion and love. With his new name, which char-
who had survived the 1994 genocide, but had been
acterizes the devotion and empathy that drives his
orphaned and severely traumatized. Lowman came
work, Krishna meshes seamlessly with the residents
away from those experiences with a more solid
he lives and works beside and has been accepted as
understanding of how he would use his training.
one of the community’s own.
In 2011, Lowman decided to come to India for the
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people
GUrU — loVe KNoWS No BoUNdary
T
he 11-year old boy severely disabled from cerebral palsy Krishna met in February 2011, on the surface, appeared to be the
antithesis of the strength and wisdom that typically characterize a Guru. Krishna found the undernourished child lying with his weak limbs contorted on the floor of his home, wheezing uncomfortably with labored breaths. A mosquito net shielded his face from the flurry of flies surrounding him because he is unable to swat them away due to his condition, which prevents any effective use of his body. Moved deeply by the boy’s situation, Krishna arranged with Guru’s family to treat him twice daily without any agenda other than to, in his words, “see what wants to happen.” This would turn out to be the start of a miraculous journey that has inspired and touched many lives—both here and abroad— and shown that love knows no boundary. As treatment progressed through the months, changes were dramatic. The previously dissociated, trauma-stricken child, minimally responsive to external stimuli, began to connect with his environment and the people around him. The sounds of clapping hands or snapping fingers now caused
to show outward signs of improvement.
Guru’s wide eyes to light up and his mouth to form
Since birth, Guru’s parents’ lives have been con-
into an unfamiliar smile. The sound of his brother
sumed with his around-the-clock care. They sit
giggling and gurgling brings Guru’s eyes to focus
over him for hours, fanning the flies away from his
on the baby’s round face, showing a recognition
face and wiping the drool he can’t control from his
that his family has never seen him express like this
mouth. His mother provides water with a spoon,
before. Guru’s frail frame began to show signs of
Guru’s under-developed muscles unable to swallow
growth, his breath quality improved and his bone
large amounts. Each small act they perform is filled
structure (to everybody’s astonishment) even began
with love and hope for the life their son may enjoy.
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In May 2011, Guru’s treatment reached a major
The sight of Guru’s face breaking into a wide smile,
turning point. He began attending weekly appoint-
and the obvious joy in his eyes when he experiences
ments with a team of cerebral palsy specialists at
a new sound, or sees the familiar face of his mother,
Blind People’s Association in Ahmedabad (BPA),
is a true inspiration. Confronting so many obstacles,
a hospital that specializes in the free treatment of
the experiences of Guru’s family have been a subtle
people with severe disabilities. Though they say it
but powerful guiding force for the members of the
will take a long time, the doctors are confident that
Loving Community, showing how compassion and
Guru will be able to start eating solid food, hold his
good will can enlighten even the darkest moments
head upright, and perform other basic functions.
of an individual’s journey. The family who had all but lost hope is quite optimistic now about Guru’s future and quality of life. manavsadhna.org
Loving Community
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“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.� C H I E F S E AT T L E
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HoW yoU caN loVe all, SerVe all
A
t Manav Sadhna, we do our best to practice Gandhiji’s philosophy to Love All, Serve All each day. By seeing God in every individual (Manav), charity is trans-
formed into sacred spiritual practice (Sadhna). Manav Sadhna is engaged in constructive humanitarian projects that cut across barriers of class and religion while addressing issues faced by socio-economically neglected segments of society. Manav Sadhna is guided by Gandhiji’s strong beliefs in Peace, Truth, Non-violence and Compassion. If you are inspired by the Loving Community and want to be a part of our Love All, Serve All way of life, here are some ways to get involved. To make a tax-exempt financial contribution, make checks payable to Manav Sadhna and mail to: Manav Sadhna
May your
Gandhi Ashram Ahmedabad, 380027 Gujarat, India Consider serving with us in Ahmedabad. We graciously welcome volunteers for any duration of stay, from any part of the world. Contact info@manavsadhna.org, if interested in volunteering at the Loving Community or with any of our other projects. Additionally, we always encourage people to do small acts of service with a lot of love in their neighborhoods and communities.
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Loving Community [ 41 ]
Be the change you wish to see in the world
Prayer for World Peace
Sarvetra sukhi na santo, sarve san tuni Ramaya Sarve bhadrani pashyantu ma kaschid dukh mapniyat Om shanti, shanti, shanti May all people become happy, become Self realized May we look out for everyone’s well-being There should be no sadness for anybody Peace, peace, peace
“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj (freedom) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away.� GANDHIJI
In service to humanity since 1986 Find us on the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad www.manavsadhna.org