Dear all!
Thanks to your kind donations, the time has finally come:
On 19.8.2024 early in the morning, Mother Earth was asked with a ceremony to give her blessing for the construction of our Om Shanthi
computer room. The date for this “Bhumi Puja” was determined by priests. This puja was performed by our Manoharan, the construction manager and the craftsmen involved. The ceremony is reminiscent of the laying of the foundation stone before the start of construction.
Here in India, Mother Earth is now asked for permission to dig into it and for her blessing to successfully complete the construction. She is asked to bless all people who visit, work or learn in this space in the future. This ceremony was also performed every time before the start of construction of our two houses, Florence Home and Kati Home, and could be the reason why a special blessing lies on our Om Shanthi Home and our women.
Mother Earth is blessed and honored with flowers, water, fruits, spices, oil lights and the scent of incense sticks. Prayers and mantras are said and bells are rung. We ask the dimension that we cannot see, hear, smell or touch for help and blessings, because we cannot do it alone. We need the support of Mother Nature, for it is she who gives us life and nourishes us, and the photos and video attached should help you to experience this ceremony. Many of you have helped to set up this computer school for our widow and village children through donations and we are immensely grateful for your help, but we have somewhat forgotten that we need help with the day-to-day upkeep of the 28 elderly women in our Om Shanthi home, their caregivers and the daily maintenance costs for our home.
We have lost a very important foundation as a donor since the beginning of the year. These two events: Concentration on our computer room and loss of our major donor have created a hole in our normal donation income.
However, we have a lot of confidence in our work and you, our donors, because we know that our work with the old and young widows and their children is urgently needed and unique.
We are very hopeful that with your help we will be able to cover all the costs of running Om Shanthi Home again next year. You will find our bank details in the footer of this mail, have you ever thought about visiting us in winter? We are very happy about visitors in our Om Shanthi Home. Please get in touch with me! Our annual club outing, this year to Unkel on 20.9. with the boat from Bonn to Unkel and back,
still has places available. Please call me if you are interested: 0228/9658884
Thank you so much for everything you have created here in Tiruvannamalai through your donations. Your help is still very much needed.
You have already noticed:
“The secret of happiness is not in possessing, but in giving. He who makes others happy, becomes happy!”
(André Gide)
All the best from all of us!
Anna