National Sewa USA Meeting in Houston

Sewa International had its national meeting in Houston, Texas, during the weekend of September 5th.
Team members from all over the US attended this meeting. While we were fortunate to have had
Shri Shyam Parandeji attend from Bharat, Shri Arun Kankaniji and Shri Srikant Kondaji along with others
were present to provide guidance. In this fruitful meeting, we discussed the current status and
also plotted a future course for Sewa International.

For any organization to grow, it is essential that it has new perspectives and infusion of new energy.
With this in mind, we have added new members to our national team to be led by our new Sewa
International President, Prof. Sree Sreenath, Ph. D. Please join us in support of Sreeji and the new
team. Immediate Past President, Gautam Desaiji, will continue on the Executive Team to provide
guidance. Together, we can make Sewa International grow further and reach great heights.

The new Sewa USA National Team:
President: Sree N. Sreenath (Cleveland, OH)
VP Organization: Venkat Santhanaraman (Houston, TX)
VP Administration: Babulal Gupta (Bloomington, IL)
VP Accounts: Sridhar Talanki (Denver, CO)
VP Media & Public Relations: Sonia Gosain (Fremont, CA)
Zonal Coordinators:
North-East: Syam Kosigi (NJ)
West Coast: Yagnesh Pathak (CA)

 

Shri Shyam Parandeji's US Visit

 

Shri Shyam Parandeji, Chief international coordinator of Sewa International, visited the US in the months of August and September as a part of his worldwide tour. Shyamji is responsible for coordinating sewa activities globally, training organizers of different non-profits in writing proposals and reports, and linking international organizations/volunteers with local non-profits.

Some highlights of his tour included visiting the Bhutanese communities in various places, addressing prominent Bay Area community leaders in the Universal Oneness program during Raksha Bandhan, and attending the annual National Sewa USA meeting. As the Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment (BRE) project is one of the major projects of Sewa USA, we were fortunate to have Shyamji visit many Bhutanese families throughout the US. Additionally, Shyamji assisted BRE chapter teams on how to better serve the Bhutanese community in order to comfortably integrate themselves into society.

The celebration of Raksha Bandhan through the Universal Oneness event in the Bay Area was aimed to educate our community and its leaders on this festival and its significant social meaning.
Shyamji interacted with prominent leaders and addressed to everyone the importance of Raksha Bandhan and selfless service (sewa) universally. Furthermore, at the annual national Sewa USA meeting, Shyamji’s presence
was a guiding force to the national team and the chapter organizers. Shri Shyam Parandeji’s visits continue to bring inspiration and direction to our organization towards the mission of serving humanity.
 

 

Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment

 

The Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment (BRE) project initiated by Sewa USA has been aiding over 17,000 Bhutanese refugees resettle in the US. In 2008, they began arriving in the United States in what the UN has described as one of the world's largest resettlement efforts ever. Sewa International USA has taken up a nationwide project to help these families. Currently, our chapters in various cities, along with various local organizations, are working to fulfill the immediate and longer-term needs of these refugees with several more chapters gearing up to help.

Some recent BRE project initiatives:
1. Project Vinaya Vidya: SEWA International USA, Cleveland Chapter in conjunction with Cleveland State University (CSU) arranged an information session on College Admission and Career Counseling at CSU for the Bhutanese. This project serves new Bhutanese refugees and immigrants in the Cleveland Metro Area through counseling the youth to access higher education. Customized information sessions, seminars, and individual counseling were provided by volunteers jointly with Cuyahoga Community College - Tri-C (vocational and associate degree programs) and with Cleveland State University- CSU (four year degree programs in arts, humanities, business, science and engineering). Financial aid counseling (FAFSA), campus visits, international transcript evaluation, program and career counseling were provided to potential students. Over 30 students have completed the Tri-C application electronically.
2. Project Swasthya: To honor Father’s Day on June 27th, Sewa USA along with SAI group, TANA (Telegu Association), and Riverdale Hindu Temple organized a free Health Fair. With over 300 participants from various nationalities (150 Bhutanese), health care was provided by 28 dedicated physicians representing 18 specialties, 13 nurses, 3 EKG technicians, and over 45 selfless volunteers. Numerous free exams were performed
including blood tests, EKGs, glaucoma screenings, bone density tests, and consultancy in a variety of medical fields.
3. Project Krishi: In April 2009, project Krishi brought together Bhutanese families with backgrounds in farming around Cleveland to begin working on an agriculture field through the joint effort of the Sewa International team in Cleveland and the land owners. The land owners brought a variety of plants including tomato, green peppers, green beans, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, kidney beans, and strawberries which were planted in about an acre of land. These vegetables and fruits were then cultivated by the Bhutanese families in the next months. The produce gained from this land was sold in local farmers markets in the months of August and September. All members of the families were involved in the selling of the produce as well. With the great effort put in by the Bhutanese families along with the success of this project, there are plans to continue project Krishi in Cleveland as well as expand into other areas.

 

 

Yuva for Sewa 2009 

This summer, five undergraduate students from all over the US dedicated their time for the Sewa USA service internship program, Yuva for Sewa. Yuva for Sewa (YFS) is a unique opportunity which encourages young adults to volunteer their time and effort, while using their area of expertise and interest, to help the disadvantaged.

The YFS team received an overwhelming response for the Yuva for Sewa internship program. With over 20 applications and multiple rounds of phone and in-person interviews, the interns were selected based upon their experience, enthusiasm, and sewa bhaav (spirit of giving).

The 2009 YFS interns come from different parts of the US as well as diverse backgrounds. Each intern spent one to two months on various projects ranging from micro-finance to teaching English that have in turn uplifted the communities in which they volunteered in. Aparna Garg, an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in Economics and Journalism, spent 2 ½ months documenting the success stories of slum development projects of various NGOs in Karnataka.

The projects include health clinics, self-help groups, and free tutoring for children in government schools among all others which continue to strengthen the slum areas. Her YFS experiences have given her a better understanding of India as well as created a deeper connection between her and her motherland. Nirbhay Dhapodkar and Bharat Kusuma, undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying Finance and Mathematics respectively, worked together to research about Micro-financing and Self-Help groups in Pune, Maharashtra.

Their project lasted around 2 months in which they focused on how these techniques could be implemented to help with the financial needs of the less fortunate. Apurva Kaushik, a philosophy student at Case Western Reserve University, volunteered in Bangalore, India and Guyana teaching English and Vedic Math respectively. She describes her internship as an extraordinary experience and she feels fortunate to have been given the opportunity to volunteer in these communities.

Vijay Swamy, a junior at Carnegie Mellon studying Business and Law, spent one month researching the details of legal help that people in the slums require as well as brainstorming fundraising ideas for the local NGOs.
We would like to congratulate all fellows on their successful internships. Their great dedication and effort has created a lasting impact in the disadvantaged areas they have worked in which have empowered the local community and their future generations. Each year, Yuva for Sewa brings together passionate and devoted young leaders to bring positive change in society. To read more about the YFS experiences of 2009 and previous years interns, please visit http://www.sewausa.org/yuva-sewa/yfs-experiences

 

Sewa International organized two fundraising Dandiya events in the Bay area during the Navratri festival. The
money raised from the two programs will be used to support various Sewa International projects including
Arogya Rakshak.

The first event was held on Saturday, Sept 12th from 8 pm till midnight. The local group of Dr. Sharvari Dixit played the melodious music and songs/garba to which the audience danced. The Sunnyvale temple hall was beautifully decorated and Durga Mataji’s murti in the center was especially adorned with lights, lamps and ornaments. The organizing team of Sewa volunteers was ready to receive the guests at 8pm sharp after the hard work of making sure everything was in place.
Once the music started, people began joining the garba circle that got larger and larger in no time. From garba and raas (dandiya) to bhangra, everyone enjoyed dancing to the harmonious rhythms. The music group almost made the event customized per the request where everyone indulged in the beats. At halftime,
aarti was preformed and the Sewa video was played to inform the guests about various projects.

“This is one of the best dandiyas I have ever attended

Everyone savored the pizza with paneer, vegetables, masala and cheese. Moreover, there were secret judges
who declared their top choices for prizes for best dressed and best dancer among men and women. At
around midnight, it was time to end the evening and all the team members helped cleaning while all the guests
left with big smiles on their faces.
The second dandiya event was on Friday, Sept 18th. The popular and vibrant group of Dimple Patel
was on the stage with a full set of drum and a dhol. A different kind of energy was felt right from the beginning
as the singers started with garba. There were small children as well as grandmothers; teenagers and adults;
beginners and experts – all started dancing to the best of their capacity. As the speed picked up, more and
more guests started joining the dance. The hall was comfortably filled by halftime. The aarti at the half time
was handled very well with four aarti plates going on in parallel so everyone got a chance to perform the aarti.
After a brief introduction on Sewa projects, guests watched the Sewa video, followed by a food break. Guests
enjoyed the Indian style pizza and recharged themselves for the high paced second half of raas. Until almost 1
am, people danced to the tunes of dandiya, Sanedo, chook chook gaadi (train) and of course, bhangra. By the
end, everyone was happily tired – the guests as well as the musicians and singers. “This is one of the best
dandiya I have ever attended” said one of the guests.

Diwali Food Drive 2009

 Diwali food drive by Sewa International in the twin cities of Bloomington/Normal, IL and Naperville, IL with
active participation from the Indian community has a tradition for almost half a decade., Non-perishable
Food collection drives were scheduled during following dates at different locations which were distributed
to 6 charities. Other participating organizations included Art of Living, HSS, HTBN, ISU, Jain Society, Kannada
Koota, Marathi Mandal, MCIA, Telugu Association, Tamil Sangam, and Hindu Society.

Food Collection Dates: September 19th to October 19th 2009.
Location : Bloomington, IL
Food Collection Dates: September 28th to October 24th 2009.
Location : Naperville-Aurora

SEWA International and HSS in Illinois conducted a food drive for the community in Naperville-Aurora.
Food collection centers were set up throughout the city at various Indian and American grocery stores
with over 40 volunteers from 3 organizations. Approximately 200 families donated over 1,200 pounds of food during this period. Furthermore, the Mayor of the City of Naperville issued a proclamation for the Diwali Festival on the evening of Oct 20th where all volunteers were invited for this event at the Naperville city office. The food donations were distributed on October 31, 2009 to the Loaves and Fishes food shelter in Naperville.
Media Coverage of Naperville Food Drive: http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/1839290,hindu-events-diwali_na102209.article

Annapoorna Diwali Event in Sacramento, CA: The tradition of Annapoorna in Sacramento brings
together various Hindu organizations every year on the occasion of Diwali to feed the homeless. About 25
volunteers gathered at Loaves and Fishes (LAF) to cook an Indian vegetarian dinner on October 23rd and
another 35 volunteers prepared an Indian meal on the morning of October 24th. Both events began with an
invocation song by the children in front of the Annapoorna deity and then a brief introduction to the Annapoorna
history.
Volunteers then split into groups according to each menu item and started cleaning and cutting the vegetables.
Moreover, volunteers got a chance to serve over 400 people including staff the delicious meals.
The guests enjoyed and appreciated the Indian vegetarian food and the generous donation given
by the volunteers.

 

AP/Karnataka Flood Relief Update

 

Over 500 villages have already been inundated in Andhra Pradesh while 1406 villages are marooned
in Karnataka. Nearly 1.8 million affected and half a million rendered homeless from the heavy
flooding since September 30th. Army boats and air force helicopters began to rescue hundreds of people
marooned at several places. Hundreds of people in the two states were trapped in flood waters and
were waiting on rooftops and higher places to be rescued. Over 40,000 houses have been damaged,' a
spokesperson for the Karnataka revenue ministry told IANS. While the Indian army continues to provide
help, Sewa International volunteers are engaged in rescue and relief work. Working around the clock,
the volunteers are rescuing, distributing relief materials, providing food and essential health care. Sewa
International supported NGO Seva Bharathi volunteers have cleared the dead bodies of human and animals.
Moreover, volunteers have launched relief camps in the flood affected areas of AP & Karnataka.
Seva Bharathi volunteers have prepared over 10,000 Basic Utility and Food Kits which have been distributed
among families affected by the floods. These kits consist of cooking utensils, food grains including
rice and daal, and woolen blankets. Medical camps are being conducted in numerous villages to provide
essential health care to the flood victims. Local hospitals are providing medical services and mobile clinics
to supply the necessary medical help. Seva Bharathi has initiated planning for rehabilitation for the distressed
people and reconstruction of the destroyed villages. Various means of rehabilitation for the victims
have been identified which includes supplying them the required materials for their occupation. In
this process, Seva Bharathi is coordinating these efforts with many other voluntary, social, cultural and
spiritual organizations as well.
 

 Speacial Points of Interest: