Of the estimated 85 million child laborers in India today, over 40,000 of them work in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. Many of these children have been sold or forced into hazardous occupations and commercial sex work. Girls suffer the most. It is AVANI’s mission to work alongside children from the homeless, migrant and nomadic communities. […]
End 2014 and Begin 2015 in a Generous Way
December 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Where has the time gone? Another year, another 365 days has almost flown by. As we say goodbye to 2014, we look back on all that has been achieved. The Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute (GWEI) has embarked on an ambitious multi-pronged program to help eradicate the scourge of poverty and human degradation. As Gandhi said: “Poverty […]
AVANI Eco-Dome Development Update
December 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
For the Holiday and New Year we have a composite of images & notes relating to the AVANI Domes progress… Just in time for the monsoon rains last September, the exterior of the main dome structure at the five acre site was completed. The rains actually assisted in the curing and hardening process of the mud […]
Anuradha Up Close and Personal – part-2
November 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Continuing from part one, my interview with Anuradha Bhosale, Kolhapur India activist, social reformer and local hero, shares additional deep insights and reflections with us. LB: What was the worst story of exploitation that you can share with us? AB: The worst story of exploitation has occurred in my own life. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law harassed me […]
Remembering Little Krishna
September 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Six years ago I had been to the village of Udgaon to have a look at the brickyards on the river bank. There I came across two kids in a family of migrant labor employed at the brick kiln. There I met Krishna of 6 years and his younger brother. Upon asking if they were […]
Why I Contribute My Little Drop
September 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment
WHY I CONTRIBUTE MY LITTLE DROP Almost every day my mailbox receives at least one letter from a worthy nonprofit outreach agency. Like many of you, I set an annual goal for my financial contributions. Just like you, I want to serve and give and participate in ways that lessen poverty, injustice and inequality in […]
Beware of Pity
September 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Original Marathi by: Anuradha Bhosale English rendering: Arun Chavan Come to think of it, the students of AVANI Residential School are the flotsam of the turbulent oceans of life. They are living embodiments of pain-filled stories and traumatic upheavals that are far beyond the tolerance thresholds of their tender souls. Having known the stories whose pathos […]
Anuradha Bhosale Receives Prestigious Award on National TV
August 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
KOLHAPUR, INDIA: Anuradha Bhosale was recently presented with a very prestigious award on national Indian television from the well respected Indian Supreme Court Justice, Mrudula Bhatkar. She brought several children from AVANI with her. The award was presented on Zee Marathi TV, one of the most popular Marathi channels and that has carved a niche […]
Miracles Rising In Kolhapur!
August 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
As GWEI president and founder, Dr. Arun Gandhi, has stated: “It is a sad commentary on our civilization that millions of children all over the world are denied basic amenities like, food, shelter, clothes and education. If civilization is measured by the way it treats its children then we are far from being a civilized […]
A Dream Called AVANI
June 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Hal Edwards has traveled to India and Egypt where he became personally involved with Arun and his family. In addition to being a pastoral psychotherapist and spiritual director, he is involved with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd, a worldwide movement that teaches the ancient meditation method of centering prayer. He has four children and ten grandkids. Gardening, […]
AVANI’s First Graduate: Sunil Kamble’s Story
June 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sunil Kamble was the first in his family to graduate from school. The SSC exam (Secondary School Certificate) is a state board final exam all students must pass out of their 10th grade of secondary school education. Once a student passes the exam, they are eligible to enroll in junior college for the next […]
AVANI Impacts Children’s Lives, Please Help
June 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Akanksha’s Story The Avani organization provides a home for displaced children where all the basic necessities are delivered for 38 children. Each child has a compelling story that pulls at the heart strings.* ……..*See: Gandhi Sponsor the Children Fund As an example, Akanksha was only five years old when her father died as a consequence […]
Summer Camp is a Special Time
May 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Every year in the month of May, AVANI organizes summer camp for the children. The duration of the camp is 10 days. The objectives of this “camp” are to help children to develop a variety of different skills, as well as to make each of them aware of their own special talents, potentials and uniqueness. […]
A Trusteeship of Intention
April 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
AVANI, Gandhi Worldwide Education Institute and Mahatma Gandhi Foundation came together with an intention to serve the children and in doing so serve whom Bapu (Gandhi) held dearest, ‘Poorest of poor and weakest of weak’. ‘Child trafficking’ is a newly coined fancy term for the age old practice of exploiting and abusing the weak and […]
CalEarth Apprentice Arrives in Kolhapur to build (and teach) Super-Adobe Structures
January 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Excerpt from Whitey Flagg’s ShelterSpace blog In September I returned to Southern California to begin my long-term apprenticeship at Cal-Earth. I learned Super-adobe and many different types of foundations, flooring, plastering, waterproofing, and much more. I have been studying Permaculture for some time but was also able to participate in a PDC course and finally receive […]
