Brief information on past students who grew up in the children's homes of the Ashram

The Ashram has been a home for most poor, homeless children and women for more than fifty years. It brings up children of both sexes from their childhood and gives them totally free care including food, shelter, clothes, education, medical care, and all necessities of life so that the children may grow up in near-family-like environment and develop a wholesome personality.

Most of the children stay here for about ten to fifteen years and develop a close fraternity among themselves. As their childhood and adolescent period are spent in the Ashram, they remember the Ashram whenever they recollect their early days. 

The Ashram also helps many young girls and boys to get married and to get jobs. Children who went from the Ashram in the early years have become grand fathers and grand mothers.
The old students are spread out in many places. When Ashram-people happen to go to those places, they come out to meet and help them. Occasionally the old students visit the ashram.  Every year some of them visit the Ashram for the annual day function in February. 
 
Since 1952, more than 1500 children have passed through this Ashram. Every year about 20 to 30 children come into the Ashram and equal numbers go out. In some cases children and their mothers are supported. While the children are given total care and education, their mothers are employed and given a salary in the Ashram. After a decade or more, when the children complete their education and get jobs, the families re-settle happily.

Besides the children, the Ashram has also freely trained more than 700 young women in tailoring and related vocation in one year free, residential courses aided by Government. They also maintain contact with the Ashram.

We give below a few case histories of children who have benefited from the Ashram.

1.     Boy, PK, came to the Ashram in 1956 with his sister PC, after they had lost their father and their mother could not support them. They came as young children and stayed on till they completed middle school. The brother, PK, studied upto middle school and left to learn a trade. He worked in the sweet stall of his uncle. He is now married and is owner of the sweet stall in a town. His daughter is married. The boy’s sister, PC, was a talented singer. She stayed for a few years longer in the Ashram and got married and settled in life.

2.     Boy, AD, came to the Ashram in 1959 with his younger sister when he was about 7 years of age. His mother needed help to bring up her children, after the passing away of their father. AD grew up in the Ashram and had his education from elementary school to college and passed his B.Sc. degree. He stayed on in the Ashram for about 20 years. He also helped in the office of the ashram. He left on his marriage and joined in a company whose owners knew the Ashram and employed him.  He is now settled as a company accountant.  His daughter is a top student in an Engineering college.  The boy’s sister left after some time to get married and settle in life. Her husband is an vehicle upholsterer.

3.     Boy, NS, came to the Ashram in 1960 along with his younger brother and parents. The family had lost their all and needed shelter and support. Their parents were also given shelter and they worked in the Ashram till their last days, for about 18 years. The boy, NS, studied upto high school and joined a large retail cloth shop as a salesman. He is married and settled. His younger brother is also married and settled in life.

4.     Boy, PS, came to the Ashram in 1962 along with his younger brother PP, when they were young children and stayed for many years. PS completed high school education. On Ashram request, he was given a job in a transport corporation owned by ashram donors. Later the boy took his master’s degree and moved to a public transport corporation and rose to a good position and retired. His children are well educated and settled. His brother, PP, studied upto high school in the Ashram and left. He studied elsewhere and took his degree. At the request of the Ashram, a donor of the Ashram gave him work in his factory. He rose to become an engineer. He is now self-employed and is successful. He is married to a college lecturer and his children are at school.

5.     Girl, SM, came to the Ashram in 1962 on the passing away of her parents. She stayed on in the Ashram and completed her high school. She learnt music and went with the Ashram team on a tour of Malaysia in 1978 on the invitation of donors. She left the Ashram to get married. Her husband is a Government officer. Their two children are at college. SM is a member of the Ashram.

6.     Two sisters, AS and AV, who had lost their parents and home, came to the Ashram in 1962 and grew up from early childhood in the Ashram and stayed here till the completion of their school and further education, for nearly 15 years.  Girl AS obtained diplomas in civil engineering and in photography. She is now employed in a private institution.  Her sister, AV, took a college degree while at the ashram and is now employed in a children’s home in the Government. 

7.     Girl, TR, came to the Ashram in 1963 as her parents could not educate her. She studied from elementary school to high school. She learnt devotional songs. Invited by donors, she was one of the group who went on a tour of Malaysia in 1978. After about 15 years of stay in the Ashram, she left to get married and settle in life. Her husband is a Government officer. She is a member of the ashram’s managing committee. Her daughter is a software engineer and is a swimming champion. Her son is at college.

8.     Girl, JP, along with her brothers came to the Ashram in 1963 as their mother needed support to bring them up, after the passing away of their father. They stayed here till they completed their high school.  After school, JP worked in the nursery school of the ashram. She left the Ashram to get married. She is settled in a city and has her own nursery school. Her husband is a retired bank officer. Their daughter is married and their son is in college.

9.     Girl, KS, came to the Ashram in 1963 when she was a girl of about 13 years. She studied from middle school to higher secondary school. She stayed on in the Ashram, studied further in a polytechnic while working in the Ashram’s office and took a diploma in civil engineering. She decided to work in the Ashram and went for administrative training.  She is the Secretary and Chief Functionary of the organization.
                                                                
10.     Boy AG, along with his sister AK, grew up in the Ashram from 1964, from their infancy.  He became a state champion in high jump while at school. He took training in useful courses and came back to work in the Ashram.  He is married and has two children. He looks after the Ashram’s farm. His sister, AK, completed high school and learnt music.  She married a young man, JM, also brought up in the Ashram.

11.     Boy, SJ, came to the Ashram in 1965 when he was a young boy and his mother could not support him. He had his elementary and high school education at the Ashram.  He stayed on, studied in a polytechnic and obtained a diploma in civil engineering. While undergoing professional studies, SJ supervised construction of buildings in the Ashram.  He is now a civil engineer with private practice in a city.  He has married a girl who was also brought up in the Ashram. Their son is at school.

12.     Girl, AG, grew up in the ashram from her infancy from 1966. After middle school education she showed interest in dancing.  She was educated by the Ashram in a dance school. She obtained a diploma in dancing and a diploma in dance teaching. She is married and has two children. Her husband works as a driver in a private company.

13.     Boy, PV, came to the Ashram with his sister, PS, in 1969 as a young child and grew up in the Ashram from his early childhood. Their father had passed away and their mother could not bring them up. The boy grew up and studied from nursery school to higher secondary school in the Ashram. He left on his marriage. He is employed as a driver in the State Government. The boy’s sister, PS, had her total education in the Ashram. She obtained her M.A. in music and left on marriage after spending 16 years in the Ashram. She is a school teacher.

14.     Boy, JM, came to the Ashram in 1971 as his father had passed away and his mother could not educate him. He studied middle and high school at the Ashram. He stayed on and studied in a polytechnic and became an electric engineer. He married a girl, AK, who was also brought up in the ashram from her infancy. Both of them are now working in the ashram.

15.     Boy, AG, was brought up from his infancy, from 1973, in the Ashram and studied upto high school. He learnt heavy vehicle driving. He is now settled as a driver in the State Transport.  He is married.  His wife is also employed in Government Service. His two daughters are studying in the Ashram’s school. 

16.     Girl, AV, grew up in the Ashram from her infancy, from 1974. She was a top student through out. After completing higher secondary school, she studied for medicine in a medical college and is now a qualified physician. She decided to carry on this service of the Ashram and is working in the Ashram.

17.     Girl, VI, grew up in the Ashram from her infancy, from 1974. Her mother also was a worker in the Ashram for many years. On completion of her high school education, the girl left and worked in hospitals. She studied nursing and is a nurse. She is married and settled abroad. Her two sons go to school.

18.     Boy, AO, came to the Ashram as a young boy in 1976 after the passing away of his father. His mother could not support him. He studied from elementary school to high school while residing in the Ashram.  He was interested in arts and crafts. He was supported for his study in arts.  He became a good stone carving artist and engraver. 

19.     Boy, RU, came here as a young child in 1979. He studied from nursery school to higher secondary school while residing at the Ashram. He was selected for Law College and was  supported for his law studies by the Ashram. He left the Ashram on passing the law degree to practice law. Later he completed his Master degree in law. He is a successful lawyer in the State High Court. He is married and settled in life.

20.     Girl, MN, came to the Ashram in 1984 as a child. Her parents had passed away.  She studied from elementary to higher secondary school and stayed on. She was sent by ashram for her nursing education. Now she is a qualified nurse and is employed in a big hospital and is well settled.

21.     Boy, RB, and his sister RL, came to the Ashram in 1984 when they were young children. They were parentless and needed care and shelter.  After school education, the boy, RB, joined in a Vedic School.  He completed his education as a temple priest and is now a qualified temple priest.  His sister, RL, started from nursery school education in Ashram’s English school. She passed Higher Secondary School and has been sent for nursing education by the Ashram.  She is in the first year of nursing course.

22.     Boy, KV, his brother, KB and their mother came to the Ashram in 1989. Their family was broken and they needed shelter and support. The boy’s mother was given work and the two children were educated in the Ashram. Boy, KV, studied from elementary school to higher secondary school in the Ashram and left. His brother, KB, studied in the ashram’s English medium school and completed high school.  KV got a job as a medical representative. When he got sufficient earnings, he wanted to take his mother and younger brother with him. After 14 years of stay in the Ashram, the mother and younger brother also left to be with the elder son and re-build their family. They are settled in an industrial city. The younger brother is now a student of commerce.

23.     Boy, SS, came to the Ashram along with his mother and two brothers in 1990. They needed shelter and support as their father had expired. SS studied from elementary to higher secondary school. He stayed further in the Ashram and received help to study engineering. On passing the diploma with honors, he was employed by the wind farm nearby who are donors to the Ashram. His elder brother had also finished his education at the Ashram a few years earlier and is employed in a leading private company. The younger brother of SS, SK, also had his total education at the aAshram, from nursery to higher secondary school. Now he is in the first year of a diploma course in engineering supported by the Ashram. The Ashram had supported the mother and the three boys for 15 years. Now they have left the Ashram and are happily settled in their native village.

24.     Girl, PK, and her brother, PS came to the Ashram in 1993 on the demise of their mother. Their father could not bring them up and support their education. The girl stayed here to study through middle and high school and left on completion of her school education. Her brother also left after completing high school. The girl took up further studies on her own and passed her B.A. in Sanskrit. She is now enrolled with scholarship aid for M.A. in Sanskrit language and plans to do research. Her brother has also become a graduate teacher and is married and settled in life.

25.     Boy, RK, came to the Ashram in 1994 as he had lost his father and his mother could not educate him.  He needed total support. He started his education from the nursery school and studied in the English medium school of the Ashram. He studied upto std. XII and stood first in school. He left to pursue further education in Engineering. Now he is studying in an engineering college.

The list goes on with good, impressive and happy, success stories of young, poor, parentless or homeless children who came to the Ashram needing shelter, care and support.  Children, who had gone from the Ashram, remember gratefully the Ashram and all the donors. They were given good care and opportunities only with the kind and generous donations of all donors and donor organizations in India, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the U.K., Canada, Australia and the U.S.A. and Government aid. We thank all the donors and donor organizations for their very kind and generous support by which the children could get good care and education, qualify themselves, get jobs, succeed in life and settle happily.                                                         
de heer Krishnan
24 oktober 2005