From: NaChaKi (Kiran Chakravarthula)
This is a forwarded message from a writer I personally know and I do believe that the whole writeup is authentic. Can we do something about it? Are we in a position to? Can someone "on the field" get more details, please? Thanks. NaChaKi **** Dear Friends, During the early part of nineteen nineties, our good friends Arunkumar Kambhampati and Susila Kambhampati were part of Austin’s jubilant community. Arunkumar was working for 3M and Susila was teaching at a school for disabled children in Austin. They used to actively participate in the community activities and Telugu Cultural Association from volunteering to Executive Committee roles and most of all they were great friends to one and all here. Susila garu initially came to USA in 1964 as a graduate student and after getting her degree in Linguistics went back to India in 1966. Coming back to the United States in 1973 and staying up to 1995 in various cities here, Susila garu was always fascinated with the less fortunate and down trodden children and wanted to help them in whatever way she can to brighten up their lives. Susila garu received an MS in Audiology (UW) and worked in a school district in Minnesota before moving to Austin in early nineties. She was one of the founding members of SAKHI, a non-profit organization for domestic violence and worked as a volunteer for the center of battered women in Austin. Unfortunately a day after Christmas, our great friend Arunkumar left us all suddenly exiting from this world and remaining only in our thoughts and sweet memories. Leaving her grown up children in USA, she left for India and joined the Bhagavatula Charitable Trust (BCT) in Visakhapatnam area. She started working with the poor children, providing them the required education through a community based rehabilitation program for the rural disabled for 5 years. She also worked in the residential school at BCT. After serving at BCT for 5 years, Susila garu moved to Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, India in the year 2000 and started a residential school Praja Vidyalam for the less fortunate and disabled children, child laborers and neglected street kids. Her agenda is and has been to pick up kids from the lowest socio economic strata of the society that includes child laborers, slum dwellers, migration workers etc. Susila garu had to do a lot of convincing to their parents and paying them some money or showing them some other income to compensate for the loss of income from their ten year old kids! The Praja Vidyalam in Kakinada has a library, a sewing center for girls, among other facilities. Susila garu told me – ‘We have been offering midday meals and milk for the students, but this year we may not be able to do that due to the paucity of funds. We would like to open a hostel for some girls, who are destitute but once again the funding is a problem. We have from nursery to 10th grade. Our first batch has successfully completed 10th this year. Our students are joining PR College, Kakinada in Vocational Technical Training. Two girls have joined in Girls Polytechnic this year. We are in the process of getting State government recognition for the high school. Some of my students completed high school, polytechnic, sewing and other trades at our school and settled down in life as responsible adults. If I don’t pick them up from the streets, bring them to my school and educate them, they will remain on the streets, ending up in criminal activities or suffering from poverty and disease. There is a continuing export of young girls of 12-15 years of age to other countries such as Nepal and Gulf Countries forcing them into prostitution. I could not take that any longer and I decided to save as many girls as I can from this situation’ Susila garu is running the school – Praja Vidyalam, all alone without any help from anybody for the last ten years and she is totally committed in living fully for this noble cause. She has been running the school with her own money and occasional financial help from her family and friends in US. Susila garu is visiting USA now and I invited her to come to Austin and share her experiences with us. I am arranging a get together with Susila garu from 2:00PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, June 20th in my house, situated at 1006 Vanderbilt Circle, Pflugerville, TX 78660. If you are interested, please come down and join all of us to listen to her experiences, thoughts and success stories. I would like to raise some money from the Austin Community and pass it on to her school Praja Vidyalam. We will accept any donations if you like to contribute and there is no obligation absolutely. We made arrangements with Vanguri Foundation of America (thanks to Vanguri Chitten Raju garu of Houston) to get you tax breaks on the money you donate to Praja Vidyalam. If you are unable to attend the get together but wanted to contribute your tax deductible donation, please write your checks in the name of Vanguri Foundation of America specifying “Praja Vidyalayam” at the bottom of the check in the memo portion and mail it to me at my home address given above. We certainly appreciate your help and support for this noble cause. If each one of us helps just one more person, there won’t be any less-fortunate people in this world. Thanks and with very warm regards, Satyam Mandapati -- -- Thank you. with regards, PRASANTHI. http://groups.google.com/group/birdsofsamefeathers http://prasanthi.wordpress.com ---- When you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
