Intrfait Educaton Program

of

Kairana
Utar Pradesh, India 2017
Nirvanavan Foundation is a small grassroots organization based in Rajasthan, India. It was founded in
1999 by Nirvana ji, who believed that basic education is a human right of every child in India and not a
privilege of a chosen few. Today it supports 12 community-based schools in villages across Alwar
District for children from marginalized and stigmatized communities, besides other programs to
holistically promote the rights of vulnerable children.

Nirvanavan Foundation promotes the rights of vulnerable children through advocacy of their human
rights and access to education, as well as by removing caste and class barriers that leave children
systematically disadvantaged. In this spirit the foundation has accepted the proposal our elders in
Kairana have put forth, an interfaith collaboration for the sake of the education of their children.

In this region, we aim to replace the usual news of sectarian strife with sectarian harmony. The leaders
of this community have offered their land and a beautiful Madrasa in order to establish the first school,
and we bring Nirvanavan Foundation's extensive knowledge in the field of education to the table.

Our Hosts, Village in Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, 2016

 Te Histry
About three years ago Halim Ina was privileged to visit this region through the generosity of Zakat
Foundation of India. In the beginning it was a photographic documentation of the refugee crisis
resulting from the Muzaffarnagar Riots of 2013, in which tens of thousands of families were forced to
leave their villages due to extreme violence and instability. The villagers of this region gave their lands
for the sake of these refugees, and the area was filled with makeshift tents as the families began the task
of resettlement. Years later the same families signed over the lands to the affected families, allowing
them to build permanent homes.

This impressed Halim very much, seeing what the local villages were willing to do for the sake of their
brothers and sisters. As a result a conversation was begun in order to ascertain what else was needed.
The local leaders advised that what was needed was an augmentation to their exceptional system of
Madrasas. The local leaders, religious leaders in fact, advised that they wished that a formal curriculum
was also in place for their children, so as to compliment their religious training.

As one elder so eloquently phrased it: "our time is almost over now, please help educate our children
and reach out to our Muslim brothers and sisters in your country. Once these words were spoken, it
became Halim's responsibility to do his best to make it happen. Thus the idea of supporting the first
school was born, and the conversation continued. The elders advised that they would provide the land,
as well as the Madrasa, for the establishment of the first school. What was needed was the coming
together of the faithful communities from around the world, and the financial support resulting from
such an interfaith collaboration.

Upon returning to the United States Halim began his drive to do so. First it was at the individual level
where much traction has been gained. Then, as per the instruction of the religious leaders from the
region, the interfaith opportunity was taken to the local mosques and temples. The idea is to connect
each center of spiritual learning here in the States with one Madrasa in the District of Kairana, and
beyond. This is our first school in the district, and in establishing it we will make it a center of learning
as well as an example to the region and much further.
 Te Budget
Thankfully, Nirvanavan Foundation is incredibly organized and has a detailed budget for this school.
Since Nirvana has offered the services of his foundation for this collaboration, he has kept the budget
focused on the school alone... adding only the salary of a co-coordinator to the basic expenses. This
allows us to maintain a very clean spreadsheet as can be seen below.

Rather than training the teachers and leaving them on their own, Nirvanavan Foundation has two
annual events when the teachers are transported to the main city for workshops with the other teachers
from the foundation. This is of course accomplished with the permission of the teachers and their
families.

Four times per year the foundation holds sharing meetings, when the teachers gather to express their
thoughts with their peers, from what has been their collective experience during the previous three
months to what can be done to improve their classrooms. Once again, only the transportation and
refreshment expenses are reflected in the budget below thanks to Nirvana's generosity.

In addition, the foundation supplies each teacher with a SIM card for their phones so that they can feel
free to contact their co-coordinator, or anyone else they may need from the foundation. This expense,
as well as the monthly visits by the team, are covered by the foundation through their general budget.

The Grand Total for the school is presently $11,151.83 at an exchange rate of Rs 66.85 = $1 US
 Te Future

As Nirvana told us earlier this year, now it is time to establish the schools. It is one thing to mobilize
the community, to bring the hope of education to their children... and it is yet another thing altogether
to establish the schools as true centers of learning.

The first year has been incredibly hopeful, as the conversations have truly enlightened our team as to
the needs in the area. The emphasis needs to be put forth here, in that it is the desire of the communities
to which we respond, rather than the other way around. Our response is to their needs, and our hosts
have made it clear that the interfaith approach is embraced by their community.

The co-coordinator of this school will reach out to the teachers on a daily basis. In this way he will be
able to monitor the progress and make adjustments whenever such are needed. The students will truly
respond well, as has been witnessed by our team at the other schools sponsored by the foundation.
Presently we have two schools being monitored by Nirvanavan Foundation, and they are run incredibly
well, and efficiently.

As part of the effort to establish these schools as centers of learning in the region, the curriculum is
being improved constantly. As mentioned earlier, Nirvana looks forward to introducing further classes
such as group action and periods of reflection. In addition, the number of hours spent in the classrooms
is to be improved, nearing the example of the foundation's model school at Advaita Garden in Alwar,
Rajasthan.

Once the first school is established, the demand for their children's education will hopefully increase.
As a result, we look forward to the day when we can build a physical center in this region. Such will
give the foundation the ability to work more closely with the communities, and expand its reach to
other nearby and worthy villages. The need is immense, and this team is poised to act as our fund-
raising efforts become more successful.
 A Testmonial fom a Student in Our Existng Schools

My name is Aachi Gurjar, and I am 13 years old. We have nine members in my family. My Father's
name is Ram Karan, and my mother's name is Kalli Devi. In my family we are five sisters and two
brothers. My father and mother are working as laborers in our home village of Kheda near Virat Nagar,
Rajasthan. My family is very poor.

Due to poverty, my elder sister and brother cannot read because, during school time, we need to work
at our home to earn money. So due to poverty my family is not able to get an education. One day,
Krishna told my father about a school in our village. However, my father and mother told her that I did
not have time as I take the goats for grazing daily.

Then Krishna, our teacher, told my father and mother that the school starts later, and that I could come
easily. My father agreed and enrolled me in the study center. Now I am coming daily to the school, and
I am very happy to start a new life. Now I am not only Anchi, but also a student in this school. I and
my family are very happy.

My teacher is nice, and she loves us. Here I am learning Hindi, English and Math also. We participate
in the Baal Sabha on Saturdays. At the end, I wish to continue my study. I would like to thank this
school for giving me the opportunity for an education.
 A Litle About Our Partner Shri. Nirvana Bodhisatva
Educational Qualification and experience

1978- 1981 B.Sc, University of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh

1981- 1986 Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar Yoga Bharati, Munger, Bihar (affiliated to the
Bhagalpur University, Bihar)

1986- 1992 Living the life of a wanderer, a seeker. These years were spent walking around
India. Part of this search led to being a Senior student of Vipassana meditation as
taught by Shri. S.N.Goenka of Vipassana International Institute, Igatpuri,
Maharastra.

1992 Settling in Alwar, Rajasthan and beginning the work which was to develop into
the Nirvanavan Foundation.

1999 Chairperson of Nirvanavan Foundation.

2001 Nirvanavan Foundation registered as an N.G.O in Delhi.

2001 Director of Bodhivriksha schools and beginning the Alternative Education

Programme with the Nat and Kanjar community in the Alwar district of
Rajasthan.

2002 Director of Childline Alwar. Childline is a national telephone helpline for

children in need of care and protection. The Childline project is sponsored by the
Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Shri. Nirvana Bodhisattva

Advaita Garden Childrens Village
Advaita Garden Marg
Village Hajipur-Dadikar
Alwar 301 001, Rajasthan
India
Tel: 91-144-2908206
Mobile: 09313266969
www.nirvanavanfoundation.org.in