Isha Vidhya’s new kitchens on campus

Isha Vidhya turned the page on a new chapter in its existence, with the inauguration of a kitchen and kitchen garden on July 1st in…

Isha Vidhya turned the page on a new chapter in its existence, with the inauguration of a kitchen and kitchen garden on July 1st in each of the seven Isha Vidhya schools. The facilities were made possible thanks to the generous contribution of a donor from Dubai, and each school can now prepare the children’s noon meal within the school premises. This will make a world of difference for Isha Vidhya students, many of whom come from families which are financially challenged and where even the bare necessities of life are scarce.

Each kitchen is right now equipped for 800 students, and will be expanded in future to provide for up to 1500 students. The meals cooked in these kitchens will be fortified with eight essential micronutrients. This will also help address the problem of malnutrition that is so rampant in rural India. What’s more, once the kitchen garden matures, the children will be eating food grown right in their school’s own backyard!
Here’s the delightful invite from the students, staff and volunteers of the Isha Vidhya School in Alandurai,

“Our Isha Vidhya School is getting a new noon-meal kitchen. We are also starting a nursery to raise seedlings and an organic kitchen garden in our school. We are extremely happy to invite you and your family to join us on this day, to celebrate and launch us on a new journey of learning. Please come with family and friends.”

One of the residents of the Isha Yoga Center who visited the Alandurai school speaks about her visit,

“For the past 6 years, wherever I had the chance, I have been talking about these schools, starting fundraising projects, events, encouraging people to donate and raise funds.

Yet I had never been to any of those schools. Recently, that changed when I went to the Isha Vidhya School in Alandurai. The site that welcomed us was so beautiful. The building itself was dressed in a warm orange so typical of Isha. Two huge creepers with bright yellow flowers climbing alongside one of the walls, beckoned us to the world of Isha’s rural education. I was taking in all these sights and was thoroughly absorbed in the wonderful school campus until we approached a line of little ones walking our way.

The Namaste they gave us was so bright eyed and lively – simple yet filled with so much grace. And that did it. My eyes blurred with tears brimming over and then wherever I turned it only got blurrier. I was so overwhelmed. Seeing one teacher explaining patiently, seeing the bright playground, listening to the children repeating a sentence… Everything I perceived in this place made me ache with a longing to do more, to reach out more, to get more people to SEE and feel what the few dollars they give have done for these children. The “bright little eyes” that Sadhguru spoke of in the video are here…540 of them.

I met with the principal who is doing such a great job, thanked and congratulated him on his patience and all his efforts. His humble response was heart-warming. These are his words:

‘I was in Dubai for 25 years and when I came back, I decided to help. These children are now being given a chance that we never had.’ Another arrow through the heart.

The Namastes, the neat clean classrooms, the teachers’ dedication, the principal’s words, the garden, the flowers, the neatly placed shoes…the library, and the bright, bright faces left me a bit shaken, melted and much more determined.”