Without parents, there is a void in life that no one can ever fill. If that void comes about when one is a child, this wound is even deeper and can have a lasting negative impact on the child’s life.
Keeping in mind the importance and urgency of providing a safe haven for an orphaned or abandoned child, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Seva Mandir school was started. This free school built by the Art of Living is situated on the foothill of three surrounding mountains in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, which is a Naxal-affected area. The school currently provides free education to around 252 students. It also has a residential hostel facility for around 60 kids and these kids have only one family – and that is The Art of Living.
This is due to the fact that these children do not have parents and have a history of trauma and emotional neglect. Some children are orphaned because both their parents were slain as a result of violence in this Naxal-affected area. Other children have lost their parents as a result of HIV. Many others come from shattered households where their parents abandoned them to start a new life with a new partner.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Seva Mandir in Guntur has a structure to house these abandoned children, making it the first Art of Living free school to also include a hostel. Most children studying here are perhaps the first generation from their family to ever attend a school.
We present to you the transformations in the life of some children who have been nurtured in this school through the stories below.
Innocence in the eyes, Curiosity in their speech,
Sharp, observant mind, yet playful all the time,
They exhibited qualities no different from any other child.
Yet, they were not just any kids – unique, one of a kind.
Running around joyfully in the wet mud, drenched by the showers,
One might fail to comprehend the smile that has come after many meditative hours,
For life had something else in store for them,
Abandoned by their families, yet nourished by the creation,
Their stories reflect love, belongingness, courage
And the power of transformation, that selfless service can bring about…
We tell you a few tales!
