It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
These immortal lines penned by John Lennon of Beatles fame have inspired generations of free thinkers who don’t want to be hedged in by artificial man-made lines of colour, caste and creed. Samarpan Foundation is one such not-for-profit entity which is totally inspired by the credo of a world without boundaries.
On August 15, the Foundation decided to spread this message of peace and universal brotherhood, especially among the young children who will be decision-makers of the future. “Our mission is to change universal consciousness by changing minds and hearts. We have to teach kids to love people regardless of where they belong. We all bleed the same,” says Samarpan Foundation spokesperson Poornima Harish.
The Independence Day celebration began by flag hoisting. The president of the Marwari Youth Mandal (MYM) addressed the gathering followed by a cultural programme presented by children and volunteers. The highlights of the show were beatbox performance and a blindfold rope dance on Imagine song.
The unique part of the show was that Samarpan Foundation’s children had put together a large mural of a flag which contained flags of other countries. This activity taught them the idea of “One World Family” and consequently to see the oneness in the differences.
Community painting of mandala was done by all on the day. “We are also encouraging children to express themselves through colours in Mandala drawing,” she adds. It is rooted in the Sanskrit word “Mandal’ or circle and represents the universe in certain cultures. The Mandalas generally have a central point from which emanate an array of symbols, shapes and forms. Mandalas represent the connection between our inner worlds and outer reality.
Samarpan Foundation children come from underprivileged families of Bagalur Layout area of Bangalore. They are children of construction workers, autorickshaw drivers, daily wage workers and domestic servants.
The children who attend the free pre-school classes are also provided milk and lunch that takes care of their nutritional needs. The older children are given free tuition classes in the evening to improve their understanding and performance skills. Various students from other schools are provided financial aid to pursue higher studies in a variety of subjects including medicine and engineering. Besides education, free health service is available to Balagur Layout settlement people five days a week.
The Foundation was established in 2006 in New Delhi with the vision of shedding light even in the darkest corners. The Foundation follows the policy of love, peace, happiness, kindness, simplicity, clarity.
Samarpan Foundation, works on the principle of doing the greatest good for the greatest number. Samarpan Foundation works in various other areas of affordable construction of environment-friendly structures, women’s empowerment, tree planting and animal welfare.
The organisation has its footprints in India, Nepal, Malawi and South Africa.
