About Om Sai Sevashram - Oldage and Orphanage Home at Madinaguda, Miyapur

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Prasanthi Uppalapati

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Jun 7, 2012, 2:34:22 PM6/7/12

to birdsofsamefeathers, MAD

Hi Friends,

This is another good experience. Feel like writing a lot but I know it would be like deviating from the core topic of discussion.

Name: Om Sai Sevashram. Initially it was Vivekananda Seva Sangh

Founder: Sri Rajarao retired as Accountant General and he was the one who was responsible for many layouts for AG office employees. He was the one who started the Prakasam school, allocated land for community hall and ground in Anand Nagar Colony, Khairatabad.

Inspiration: Smt. Bharati became baba devotee during a very difficult time of her life and with the advent of baba in her life, all her problems began to vanish and even if the problems persist, she gained the confidence and courage to face them. So she decided to do service and that was how they started the home.

Location and Direction: Prashant Nagar Road, Madinaguda near Miyapur. This is in the lane after crossing VIP Shoppe at Madinaguda while coming from Lingampally. In this lane, there is an electricity office.

Year of Establishment: 1982. Sri Raja Rao and Smt. Bharati started it in 1982 in Khairatabad and later run a home at KPHB. They executed some govt. projects but were completely at loss (still they need to get 6 lakhs from the govt.). They moved to the present own premises in 2010. The land, which is demarcated for an oldage home, was given at a nominal rate by the govt. in 2005. The entire building construction is through their own funds and the fund raised from friends and relatives.

Exemptions: The home has both 80G and FCRA permission.

Area: The home is in 1500 sq. yd plot. Baba mandir is being constructed in the premises which was started as a prayer hall. While digging the ground, they found the neem plant. Since this is a premises for old age and orphans as well, they felt that a temple in the premises would help them gain composure. I assume that if the temple gains prominence, the temple funds also can be used for the home.

Current Strength: 18 children - 6 – boys; 12 - girls;

Criteria: Only orphans are considered. Single parent will also be considered depending on the helplessness of mother;

Most of the children go to Gouthami School which gives 50% concession in school fee. Two children go to Genesis school where education is completely free. They do not charge any fee. One girl is studying B.Tech. in an Engg. College in Patancheru, on a free seat. In the transportation fee, they got 50% concession.

Services: Free for children

Facilities: Games are available, Library is available. There is only one computer which is donated by one of the committee members for B.Tech. student.

Old Age Home: I forgot the number of old age people. It would be around 40 to 50. They take bed ridden patients as well.

Fee: It is different for different people. For some, it is completely free. Some will pay 500; some 800, some 1200 etc., Those who live in donor rooms will have to pay 3000 rs.

Medical Requirement:

As the founders have their car, for emergency they use the car. They have a tiel up with Pranaam Hospital. They will send ambulance if required. So they never felt the need for an ambulance.

Source of Income: Mostly the founders and then their immediate family members, friends and relatives. At times occasional donations come from new and unknown people.

Most of the software companies organize their GVD programme here. Oracle identified this home as the member and they organize an event once in every six months.

Specialty:

The staff Vijaya and Vijaya (two ladies same name) are good and other employees also seem to be very devoted to the work. It is a kind of ownership rather than working for a salary. I know it would be too early to pass such a statement. As I spoke with Vijaya garu, I found her extremely open and dedicated.

She is open to the idea of a meeting of all orphan homes and the representatives exchanging ideas and children too as required. She shared her experience that during the GVD programmes, if there are two to three NGOs, the representatives do not talk at all and she feels it very odd. She has shared this with Oracle volunteers too when they asked for feedback.

She also mentioned that they have a kind of collaboration with Sathya Sai Krupa Boys Home in Moosapet (the one we visited last Saturday) as the Founder Vijayalakshmi garu is a friend of Bharathi garu. So if Boys home get girls, they will send here. If these people get boys, they will send to Moosapet home. Even the GVD donations also are shared equally by these two homes.

Requirements:

Borewell:

They are facing a serious and severe water problem now. The water is at the level of 600 ft. now. They need a borewell, the estimate of which would be around 1.25 lakhs. They are open to preserve rain water using rain water pits and any other mechanism. It would be great if we can help them. These people can try and grow vegetables required for them using the kitchen garden and home garden techniques proposed and propogated by Intipanta Googlegroup.

Again this was a very happy experience to visit this ashram. I couldn't take pictures as I went around 5 pm and till 8:30 we were discussing. There was a break of 45 min for Evening Arathi.

Contact Number: 9246570166; 9290085730

Off-topic:

Actually I want this week to be a preparatory week so I haven't planned well about the homes to visit. So couldn't inform anybody of my schedule. I gave calls to couple of homes where some of them mentioned to come after 15th June so that all children will be there and some asked to come at a specific time of 11 am to 1 pm etc.,

Today being Thursday, I thought of going to temple in my colony and participate in the pooja there. Every Thursday I kept on postponing for one or other reason. So I was in two minds this evening. Whether to go to temple or visit a home. I told to baba that work is important for me as this vacation is precious so I prefer to go to home only. Actually I planned to visit three homes and if not, at least two. (First visit to any home has always been for introducting and getting to know the people so couldn't collect data for alI questions and at the same time couldn't take photos as well).

I gave a call to the other home in Bollarum but it was engaged the three times that I tried to contact them. As I spoke with them yesterday and as I was familiar with the place, I thought of covering it too. Since this home is on the way, visited it first as they picked. In fact, I planned to go on Monday itself but they didn't give a call back.

Though I am aware that this is named after Baba, I didn't guess that there would be a temple inside and I would participate in the Arathi. May be today I would have felt bad honestly that I missed the vrat, HE arranged it this way. As a matter of coincidence today is the completion of a mandala deeksha. By the way, the temple construction is not yet complete.

There was a very fruitful discussion with Vijaya garu (about home), Rajarao garu (about my project idea and his experience with govt.) and Bharathi garu (about baba's invisible hand in setting up and running this home and some of her personal experiences).

I started this work from Saturday and right from that day, whenever I went to a visit, baba is with me all through. This is not a blind belief. There were times when I used to ask that HE should appear to me enroute but I couldn't find a single photo or name either. Not sure if this is His way of assuring me that HE supports this work.

I have this habit of asking baba for anything and for this charity work I didn't ask if I can go to Wardha. As this was not materialized, though I switched to Plan B, I am somehow not happy completely. First for missing the chance of working in Sevagram, next about the choice of this project. My thought is that anyone can visit orphan homes and at any time and if there is any other work which I can take up utilizing this vacation time given exclusively for charity work. I didn't take time to pray but heart in heart asking Him to give direction to utilize this precious vacation in a good manner. So I feel now that baba has given His consent.

So far, the homes were set up by the people due to devotion and also as a gratitude for the divine help in their life. Sometimes it is after a personal tragedy (Santhakumari garu of Kondapur home), sometimes it is after rescue from a tragedy (Bharathi garu of Om Sai Sevashram), sometimes through a divine call (Aruna garu of Sathya Sai Home), some times through an inner urge to implement the principles of spirituality in practise (Sai Krupa Boys Home). As far as devotion and spirituality is concerned, I found these reasons. The examples given are based on the visits that I started recently.

If we consider the other homes, Shirdi Sai Orphan Home, Kukatpally 3rd Phase Balaji Temple, Raghunath garu, it was an impulse. Same with Sarath Kumar of Child Ashram, Gollapalli, Atmakur, Nellore Dt. Both picked two orphans, brought them home and later continued the work with the belief on Shirdi Baba and the confidence on His providene. Love n Care Orphan Home (a christian home, though he didn't say so that was my feeling after the visit) -- was after a personal tragedy and help he received from Jesus through His followers. Rosy of Christ Children Ministries. This is an inner urge to help inspired by Mother Teresa's service. I do not think Rosy's home is a christian home

Be it any religion, when the followers believe strongly in the divine providence, they get help in one way or other. They will be tested, time and again, till the last minute but help will come in for sure and the requirements will be addressed.

Somehow I got a feeling that if any non-believer wants to test the existence of god, he/she can set up any home (Orphans, Oldage, MR or any differently abled) without any regular source of income and commit to do good work, they will understand the presence of god.

Sorry for the long mail, but want to share this wonderful story about existence of god. One barber on a discussion with his client comments that god does not exist. When asked the reason for such an impression, he replies that there would not be these many problems in this world and people would not suffer. Then the client says that barbers do not exist in this world. Barber exclaims and asks him the base for such a remark. The client shows all the men who do not have proper hair cut and with big beards and say that they are the proof for non-existence of barbers. Then barber says that they (who are unkempt) did not come to barber and so they were so. Then the client explains that the people who suffer are the ones who did not approach god. If they approach god, probably they would not be unhappy though they suffer.

No god will say that we can escape the bad karma. Any religion will say to come out of this vicious circle of good or bad karma and attain salvation (why this salvation and if everyone attains salvation, will there be any creation at all etc., are some of the questions for which I would like to know). But belief in god gives us hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel and suffering is essential to grow as a human being and understand the values of life. I do not know if there is any study has been done on suicide cases. Among the suicides, the ones from believers would be very less as believers do not lose hope.

Thank you.

with regards,

PRASANTHI.

tmad.org

http://groups.google.com/group/birdsofsamefeathers

http://prasanthi.wordpress.com

----

When you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

The more you do, the more you can do.

Why should I be neutral. Even my pen has a stand!!

If you want anything, beg of the Lord, leave worldly honors, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be honored in His Court. Do not be deluded by worldly honor. – Sri Shirdi Saibaba

keerthi sushmitha

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Jun 8, 2012, 1:35:14 AM6/8/12

to birdsofsa...@googlegroups.com

Hi,

Your visit is very nice Prasanti garu. And the small discussion between barber and client is very good and very true.
Coming to the your experience about god is really true. I had a similar experience.

One day, when we(me & my friends) wanted to help two poor students, we had to travel from lingampally to lalaguda, so we went to MMTS station but as it was Friday, station is very busy and train is about to arrive. Queue for tickets is too long and we were 3 members. We thought, we would miss the train and next train is after long time. We were at end of the queue when one person came and told that he had additional 3 tickets to secunderabad as they had taken tickets twice, without knowing. And we got tickets& boarded train. We thought god helped as it was a miracle of someone offering the tickets, that too directly to us and for same destination, ticket for exactly 3 members, as required by us.

When we want to do something without selfishness and for good, always god shows us path when we think we are at end.

Coming to the ashramam you mentioned, i think first requirement is rain water pits (compared to borewell), as this is the right time (before rains) and also, once pits are ready, ground water levels will rise which can make drilling the borewells easy and may be even at a low price.

This is just my idea, i am not having any expertise in this field.

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