Bhatti Mines School

Since 2007, The Amala Foundation has partnered with the Bhatti Mines School, which resides in an impoverished village on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. Through the partnership, over 200 children have been offered an alternative to child labor, a way out of extreme poverty, hope for the future and the freedom to thrive. $195 educates a child for a year and frees them from forced labor. Change a life and sponsor a child today. Currently, there are 156 children enrolled at the Bhatti Mines School.

In addition to offering funding and resources for sustainable development, the Amala Foundation organizes groups of volunteers from the United States to travel to the school to teach classes, train teachers, and participate in a cultural exchange. The last three years, one graduating delegate of the Global Youth Peace Summit and One Village Project has traveled to India for the first time to serve at the Bhatti Mines School.

The Community

The Bhatti Mines community faces extreme hardship of poverty and unemployment. This is one of the most impoverished areas of Delhi. The 30,000 residents of the villages live in slum-like conditions lacking adequate shelter, running water, electricity, health services, schools and economic opportunity.

The School

The Bhatti Mines School gives children in this area an alternative to forced labor: every day 200 children receive an education, empowerment and hope for the future. The Amala Foundation has been in partnership with the Bhatti Mines School for three years.

The Connection

Santosh and Archana Singh began teaching the children of Bhatti Mines ten years ago out of a deep calling to address the issues of child labor and poverty in their community. In 2007, Vanessa met the Singh family while serving in India and was moved by their sincerity and devotion; she felt inspired to reach out to the Amala Foundation community to form an Alliance based on the Foundation’s guiding principle that sustainable peace begins within. From this meeting, the Bhatti Mines Partnership was birthed.

India Service Retreats

Each Fall, a small group of willing volunteers commit 10 days of their life to deep immersion into culture and service through an intensive retreat experience. Not only is each participant deeply impacted on a spiritual and personal level, they also positively impact the lives of many through their service to the Bhatti Mines School and community. This year’s India Service Retreat will take place from October 27th – November 5th.

For more information about the India Service Retreat please email Haripriya Walton at Haripriya@amalafoundation.org. To sign up for this transformational experience, please click below:

2012 India Service Retreat Application

The India Service Retreats are a unique blend of personal reflection, selfless service, and cultural diversity. These Retreats provide an opportunity to deepen our roots in sustainable peace by meeting and containing all that arises within and around us in the face of extreme poverty and hardship while we work with the beautiful people of the Bhatti Mines community. It is our hope that through this we come to know and honor the humanity within ourselves and the world around us.

The India Service Retreat is an intensive experience in extreme conditions, focused on being with the children at the school for a week, offering ourselves fully. We will stay at an ashram within walking distance of the school. There is a beautiful balance of direct hands-on service combined with time and space to fully arrive, prepare, rest, deepen, process and integrate. There are daily meetings with Vanessa, and she will be present to guide and contain the experience of the Retreat from beginning to end.

India is a place like no other. It will jostle your entire being, challenge, inspire and confound you all at once. It is exactly what you make of it…not merely a place to see, it is a journey impossible to define because it is so different for everyone. No matter where you go, what you do, it is a place and experience that you will never forget. Be prepared to immerse yourself. Given the nature of India, you may at times find yourself in outer discomfort and inner resistance. Without question there is beauty in the children, culture, and in the service…but we want to be very clear that this is not the Taj Mahal tour of India. It is a true invitation to be in deep service to humanity.

Sponsor A Child

Over the four years that The Amala Foundation has been in alliance with the school, we have seen children rise from impoverishment and illiteracy to becoming healthy, thriving youth receiving a heart centered, global education. Meet some of the children of the Bhatti Mines School:

My name is Aman and I am from Bhati Khurd village. I am 12 years old and in the 5th grade. My favorite subject is Math and I hope to be a doctor when I grow up. Being at the Bhatti Mines school has taught me about love and respect.

Hello my name is Chamanlal and I am in the 2nd grade. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. My favorite subject is English. I come to school because I like to learn and have fun. I hope that through this school I will be able get a good job and help my family.

My name is Laxmi, I am 11 years old and in grade 5. I love to dance. My favorite subject in school is English and I want to be a nurse when I grow up. My heart feels happy when I am with my family.

Hi my name is Manisha. I am 14 years old and in grade 6. I have been at the Bhatti Mines school for 4 years and really love it here. My favorite quality about myself is that I am a good student and enjoy helping my friends.

Riya is 6 years old and in the nursery program. She has 1 brother and 2 sisters. She enjoys playing sports and wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Her favorite thing about school is art class. She has a tender spirit and a sharp mind.

Sourav is 4 years old and in the nursery program. He lives in the nearby Hope Village with his family of 5. This is his first year at the school and his family has seen great progress in his behavior at home. He is very active and thrives group activities. Sourav’s enjoys playing with chickens.

Sponsorship changes the lives of children….. and their sponsors.

Sponsor a child and help give a beautiful child an education and hope for the future.

Look at what $0.53 cents per day/$16.25 per month/$195 per year can do for a child at Bhatti Mines:

A year of education at the Bhatti Mines School
Exposure to International volunteers and cultural exchange programs
A safe environment that promotes acceptance, self esteem, and an experience of dignity
Year-long connection and support from students, donors and volunteers in the United States.

Other ways to help…

Sponsor a teacher for $1440/year (6 teachers need sponsorship this year): Help provide a monthly salary and an employment opportunity for an emerging village teacher.
Adopt a classroom for $7,615/year: This is a perfect service project for classrooms and schools in your local community. Help build a bridge community to community… classroom to classroom…heart to heart.
Entire school for $30,460/year: Become an Angel Donor and infuse the entire Bhatt Mines community with a blessing that will impact the lives of an entire community.

By saying YES to sponsorship, you are giving yourself the gift of connection.

It’s easy to sponsor a child:

Visit our Sponsor A Child page.
The Amala Foundation will use your contribution of $195 to provide your sponsored child with all he or she needs to thrive and be given an education.
And if you feel called…. Travel with us to India for the 2012 Service Retreat, October 27th – November 5th. Join a group of International volunteers to engage in meaningful service at the Bhatti Mines school and community.

Why India?

World’s second largest population- 1.12 billion.
There are 50 million child laborers in the country.
53 cents per day frees a child from forced labor and extreme poverty.
India is one of the few countries in the world which gained independence without violence.

Our Success

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of devoted community members over the past 4 years, 200 children formerly engaged in child labor have been educated at the Bhatti Mines School. This is what we have accomplished with these contributions:

Six teachers were trained and hired
The children drink clean water each day
Enriched the learning environment with fresh supplies, hung educational materials and new chalkboards in each classroom
Purchased clothes for students
Rent and electricity are provided for the school.
A new school building has been obtained
Warm blankets were provided to families in need
Several uplifting murals were created
Developed school curriculum
Supported Singh family in making their transition to a home offsite
Distributed toothbrushes and eyeglasses in Hope Village
Completed uplift of school building: cleaned floor to ceiling, refreshed all school furniture, applied fresh coat of paint in each classroom, helped the school to maximally utilize the entire building
Provded a Diwali gift for each child and teacher
Taught English to the children through workshops and media
Launched “Sponsor A Child” Program

Goals For 2012

Implement a sustainable food program, providing daily nutritious meals for the children
Move into new school building
Buy a van for the school
Develop infrastructure of new building and grounds
Prioritize the special need of educating girls and women
Further develop holistic and progressive curriculum
Implement computer literacy program
Hope Village art installation

The Wisdom Alliance

The Wisom Alliance is an opportunity for individuals or groups who are traveling to India to share their specialized skills or knowledge with the people of Bhatti Mines. Wisdom Ambassadors give in many forms; teaching English, running health clinics and training in vocational skills and hand crafts. We are excited to share that Wisdom Alliance is off the ground and gaining momentum. Since the last service retreat, we have had a couple of community members serve the school over the last year including Jamal Essayah and Joshua Adair.

Do you have something to offer? Do you want to travel? Would like to make an impact and be impacted? Contact us at 512.476.8884 or email us at info@amalafoundation.org.

School Wish List

Projector
Webcam
Computers
Educational Computer Software
Bus/Van

Partner Organizations

Paragon Prep Middle School

The youth at Austin’s Paragon Prep Middle School have raised over $8,000 for the school! This is an inspiring example of youth supporting, empowering and uplifting each other. The students at Paragon Prep Middle School truly exemplify compassion in action.

Yoga Oasis

The beautiful community of Yoga Oasis has committed to supporting the children of Bhatti Mines through their weekly YoGive! program. YoGive! featuress live music with Bronwin. Darren Rhodes and Rachel King alternate teaching every week and 100% of the proceeds from this class goes directly to the Bhatti Mines School.

YoGive!

Turn your yoga strength and stretch into seva-service!

With great enthusiasm we have launched YoGive!, a growing network of partnerships with yoga studios in Austin and across the country to fundraise for the children of Bhatti Mines. Inspired by Darren Rhodes of YogaOasis in Tucson who has raised over $3,000 through a weekly karma yoga class.

Are you a yoga teacher? Do you own a yoga studio?

Join other teachers and yoga studios in supporting the children of the Bhatti Mines School. We are inviting yoga partners across the country to turn their practice into an offering of service. There are many ways to become a YoGive! partner. To learn more about how to turn your yoga strength and stretch into seva-service, contact Jessica@AmalaFoundation.org.