We are doing a little year-end catching up here at Sharana — not only tying together the year’s loose ends but filling in gaps in our blog stream created during the prior months, when those of us tending to the blog and communications in general were away from Pondicherry. But work never ceases, even with… Read more »
It’s Christmas time at Sharana! Our team of enterprising and dynamic volunteers scoured the market for a Santa/ Father Christmas suit and elf caps, and went on tour with these at all Sharana centers, bringing joy and laughter where they went. The children got sweets, cakes, games, and treats, too. If you would like to… Read more »
When french journalist and filmmaker Sandrine Lopez visited her friends Nathalie and Eric Ajorque, who work as volunteers for Sharana in Pondy, in late 2011 she took the opportunity to produce a little movie featuring the school of Mathur. Mathur is a small village remotely situated about 20km north of Pondicherry. Sharana is supporting this school… Read more »
While christmas season is coming and many people in Europe and the US think of their families and friends, we wanted to help everyone to send wishes and do something good: talk about Sharana, remind about all those people who benefit from Sharana’s work and donate. We produced 2 sets of cards. Each set consists… Read more »
On november 10th Rajkala – the founder and president of Sharana – came to Paris to meet about 150 supporter from France. Throughout the event which took place at l’Eglise Réformée de la Rencontre, Rajkala spoke about the status of the current programs and illustrated this with plenty of moving case studies and stories… Read more »
This past Tuesday marked a moment of reverence and festivity known locally as Ayudha Puja, which literally means “Homage to implements (or tools).” Masons will pay homage to their trowels, Carpenters to their saws, and other professions to the tools that enable their livelihoods, whether vehicles or sewing machines, or computers. On this day, homage… Read more »
Sekar was a driver with Sharana for ten years, until he died of cardiac arrest very suddenly and very unexpectedly on this very day last October. He was survived by his wife, Shenbagavalli, who works with the tailoring Unit of the organization A Way with You (AWWY), and his three children: daughters Kanchana (18) and… Read more »
Thanks to an idea floated by Nathalie and Eric, parents at Lycée français de Pondichéry and Sharana’s resident volunteers, Sharana’s Oatmeal Ragi Chocolate chip cookies are back in production. Batches of cookies are being sold for staff teatime at Lycée, and to parents, and others searching for healthy treats made only of the best ingredients…. Read more »
This is Jaya Sekar (left) and Vinayakamurthy (right). They meet each morning at 6:45am, when Vinayakamurthy comes to milk Jaya’s cow. Jaya lives in Aranganur, a village on the banks of the Chunnambar river near the town of Pondicherry in India. Jaya is a beneficiary of Sharana’s micro-credit program. She is 43 years old, and… Read more »
Last week, Amala and John Peter attended a disability training workshop in Chennai. The session was organized by the International Childcare trust, a children’s rights organization that works in partnership with local organizations in Africa and Asia. The focus of the workshop was on “Strengthening program and policy to promote rights of disabled children… Read more »