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St. Mira’s College of Girls is a TOP 10 Emerging College of the CENTURY!! And the TOP college of Pune - based on several academic administrative and leadership parameters. Rated by India Today independent rankings 2020! Revered Founder Sadhu Vaswani’s vision continues to scale heights. And it all started with a 2-paisa coin in a basement by a professor who started an institution for the education of girls, when many did not even believe in his vision.

Encounters with Hunger The Panshet Adventures in Seva 23 Villages | 83,880 meals Epilogue: “We were on our way to carry out the ration kits distribution and it was about 4 pm. The terrains are in the mountainous regions and we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere. As we looked around, there were few hutments at a distance. Our stomachs had begun to rumble with hunger, and we were looking for an eatery to fill ourselves. Not finding any eatery, and after much discussion amongst us, we decided to approach one of the villagers. Hesitantly we knocked at one door and said, ‘Can we please have something to eat?’ The answer we got was numbing, ‘Sir, what shall give you, we have nothing for ourselves here.’ We looked at each other for a moment, rushed to our van and ended up carrying out a distribution here. A few blocks later, we spotted an eatery and had our fill of Maharashtrian traditional food — bhakri and pitla. We ate in silence; every morsel of the food reminded us of how hunger feels like, it left us pained with the thought of how countless people go hungry, every day. Maybe, it was Beloved Dada who sent us to that household and the many others he reaches out for it is he alone who knows what they go through. That day, we returned home with our hunger met and more so, a satisfied heart.” 1st July 2020: The Journey Continues Sadhu Vaswani Mission, realising the need of the villagers who remain out of employment for reasons of the pandemic, persevered in its efforts to carry out sevas in the Mangaon/Panshet villages. Starting as early as 7:00 am, volunteers embarked on their journey to serve the villagers. With loaded vehicles and devoted hearts, the round two of Panshet sevas continued. In the second round of the Panshet sevas the Mission distributed 175 ration kits to the villagers. Recalling the seva experience, a volunteer says, “The roads and terrains were rough and extremely difficult. While the scenic beauty was enthralling, the task at hand was to reach out to the villagers. Besides, every village is located at a distance of half an hour to 45 minutes. In all our earlier sevas, we had the benefit of having the villagers ready for distribution before we got there; all the back-end work was handled on the local level. But these villages are so remotely located and inaccessible there is no way of communicating before we actually get there. So, upon reaching these areas, we have to gather the villagers as a self-effort and then begin the distribution. But the smile that we see in their eyes and the gratitude that is shown in their mannerisms is refreshing. We find all our exhaustion melts before their love.” 6th July 2020: The Journey Concludes Sadhu Vaswani Mission volunteers in a day-long seva effort distributed 76 kits in villages of Panshet. “We covered 4 villages today but it took all our day. We returned late into the night. It so happens that if you wish to access a particular village and then move to the next, you have to go all the way back for your road is blocked either by a river or is simply inaccessible. In this back and forth we managed to complete the Panshet sevas. Around 5 in the evening it had begun to turn dark and with the roads being utterly deserted, we had to quicken the distribution. Monsoons have also set in and washed away most of the roads. It was indeed a difficult ride but when we see elderly people abandoned by their children and find their hope and food in the Mission, we find the journey worthy every minute, every bit!” A journey that involved venturing into the remotest and inaccessible villages of Panshet in the district of Velhe came to a conclude on 6th July 2020. As on 6th July 2020, a total of 466 ration kits were distributed in 23 villages of Panshet. #karunaseva #sevadiaries #coronawarriors

Pimpri-Chinchwad Karuna Seva by Sadhu Vaswani Mission continues... 19th & 20th June 2020,  Round One:2100 ration kits distributed in Anand Nagar Slums 23rd June 2020, Round Two: 300 ration kits distributed at Sai Baba Nagar Slums 26th June 2020, Round Three:355 ration kits distributed at Yamuna Nagar, Akurdi-Talawde Road and Nanekarwadi Slums. A total of 2755 Ration Kits have been distributed in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area. In addition, cooked dinner meal packets are being distributed daily in other Pimpri-Chinchwad areas. Sadhu Vaswani Mission distributed 339 ration kits in Ambedkar Basti slum, a containment zone, in Pimpri Chinchwad.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission undertakes a massive relief effort distributes 2100 ration kits in Anand Nagar, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation biggest slum 50 volunteers engaged in procurement, packaging and distribution Additional Commissioner of PCMC, Ajit Pawar joins survey, planning and field inspection Additional Commissioner of Police, PCMC IPS Ramnath Pokle lauds efforts Mission will serve adjoining slum areas also including Ram Nagar settlement 19th June 2020 Sadhu Vaswani Mission Pune commenced a two day seva of distribution of ration kits in the COVID hotspot, Anand Nagar slums; largest slum in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) area. “We heard of the mounting need growing in the Anand Nagar slums, a COVID hotspot where the enforcement of a strict and severe lockdown was adding to the slum-dwellers woes. They couldn’t get to their jobs nor could they procure groceries for themselves. The moment we came to know that the dwellers were running out of food essentials, we got in touch with the authorities,” said an official of the Mission. “We were then put in touch with the Additional Municipal Commissioner PCMC Ajit Pawar and he joined in the survey, and planning efforts. A detailed list of persons in every household was collected, the number of houses counted and a list prepared. Once we received the list that stated 2100 households, we began with the procurement and packaging,” he added. The packaging, loading and distribution involved 2 days of efforts with a ration kit that included 5kg rice, 5 kg wheat flour, 2 kg dal, 1 kg pulse, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg poha, 1 ltr oil & 250 gms tea powder. Volunteers relentlessly carried out the seva to meet the demands as early as possible. The distribution began once protocols were met. Before beginning the distribution, every household was provided with a coupon that they were required to present at the time of collection. Real-time software was also set up by the commissioner where the identity of every recipient was confirmed against the coupon provided. The slums have been divided into three zones where the distribution was carried out. A medical team was also set up to monitor anyone who showed symptoms to avoid contact and make sure all protocols are followed. We received all support from the Police Department and Local Corporation to ensure smooth distribution. Additional Commissioner of Police, PCMC IPS Ramnath Pokle said, “The Mission has executed an excellent timely work in the supply of rations to the needy and poor of the Anand Nagar slums.” Additional Commissioner PCMC Ajit Pawar appreciated the efforts. 50 volunteers have been engaged in the massive effort to meet the needs of 2,100 households. The Mission is now continuing to reach out to micro-contained areas in PCMC in coordination with the authorities.

In the rustic charm amidst the mighty Sahyadri mountains, hunger dwells. The terrain was rough and bumpy but the destination made up for the journey. Upon reaching Panshet, our volunteers team split into two and set out and serve the families. We realised they were in dire need of daily essentials. Every house had a story weaved in itself. Homes covered with tarpaulin sheets and hearts with gold welcomed each of us to come and share the traditional ‘Bhakri’ made and served with love. We shared with them our Beloved Master Dada JP Vaswani’s love by distributing ration kits that will serve their needs in the days that follow. Their love and reverence for Dada was pure and divine and their gratitude and blessings genuine and sincere. One such incident that I recall is of a family with a special child; this child was given a chocolate and biscuit packet and his happiness knew no bounds. Instances as these make us want to reach out to more and more people in need of essentials and of course, love! This seva was carried out on 25th June by Sadhu Vaswani Mission in 8 Mangaon/ Panshet villages. 215 ration kits were distributed to needy families belonging to the tribal community and daily wage earners.

This story begins in the year 2006. Padmini Stump lost her 28 years son in a tragic accident in Dubai. She was completely devastated. She did not know how to overcome the grief of losing a young child. To alleviate her sorrow, her friends brought her to meet Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani. He comforts her and asks her to be strong and accept the situation as she had no choice. “I have no strength,” she replied. He asked her to look within and she would find it in plenty. He then in his mercy blessed her and asked her to go serve animals. He told her that they may not take away her pain of losing her son but they would help her heal. She did not put much thought into what Dada meant as she did not know anything about serving animals. Just 3 days later, a puppy walked into her bungalow, changing her life forever. She started taking care of it, naming it Masti. That was the beginning of - Mission Possible - a foundation she started with the inspiration of Dada. Along with Dr. Ravindra Kasbekar, renowned Oncologist, Padmini runs a shelter in Pune for abandoned stray dogs and cats, buffalo rescued from slaughter, an abandoned cow, & a rooster. It has grown over the years to two locations in Saswad and Shankerseth housing over 1000 sick, injured, accidental cases and also rescued strays. “We have seen her love & dedication, accepting all the complicated rescue cases even in the middle of night, refused by others. We have seen her keeping awake many nights attending to emergency cases. They are treated with love and proper medical care to live a new life. She has given over 5000 rescued strays for adoption without asking for a single rupee in return,” said the SVM volunteer. With all her mammoth efforts, Padmini has won several awards. “It is a marvel to see her expertise of a seasoned vet and a nurse. Along with Dr. Kasbekar, they both are silently dedicated to the cause 24x7 without much hype,” remarked the SVM volunteer. Padmini & Dr. Kasbekar faced many obstacles in their noble cause. Not charging anything for accepting the voiceless rejects, it became a huge expense to maintain the 2 shelters. They have liquidated their assets to keep afloat. The recent cyclone caused more damage to the shelters with the animals getting wet with water coming from the sides, with gushing winds. It was brought to the notice of SVM. Realizing their critical requirement, SVM immediately rushed to their aid. On 7th June, 32 tarpaulin sheets were bought & sent with a dedicated team of volunteers to set up at the shelters. The seva was accomplished within half a day. In addition, a total of 4000 kgs of rice, poha, and biscuits, sholapuri bedsheets, feeding bowls plus an infrared thermometer was provided. Ration was given for the caretakers too. “Indeed it is Revered Sadhu Vaswani, who now protects these animals with His invisible hand. This shelter is a blessing of none other than our Revered Sadhu Vaswani and Beloved Dada,” remarked another volunteer. The volunteer told Padmini, "Thank You Dada for showing the Mission and thank you Padmini for making it Possible!" to which she replied with all her heart & soul: “Dada has made this MISSION POSSIBLE.” She added, “Ever since you all (SVM volunteers), have come into my life, all the problems of the shelter have been getting resolved so very promptly that it leaves me in awe to see His Grace working all the way.”

Amid the pandemic, came another catastrophe — the Cyclone Nisarg. It wreaked havoc in many regions of Maharashtra. Along the coastal Raigad district, it affected several villages with tremendous damage. Amongst these villages, the tiny hamlet of Umbarvira in the interiors of Khalapur district, around 65 kms from Pune was the worst hit. On 9th June, 58 families, including an infant, took shelter in an old railway tunnel near Khandala. Most of the villagers are adivasis and for their livelihood depend on construction projects along the Pune-Mumbai corridor. Lion’s Club Lonavala brought it to the notice of the Sadhu Vaswani Ashram Medical Center, Khandala. Sadhu Vaswani Mission Pune immediately joined in the relief efforts. "58 families were left without shelter after the cyclone blew away their huts. They were living in an unused railway tunnel in a pitiable condition. As soon as it was brought to our notice we rushed with aid," said the Mission official. At the Mission headquarters, volunteer team was pressed into action to make generous ration kits for them overnight. Ration kits included 5 kg rice, 5 kg wheat flour, 1 kg pulses, 1litre cooking oil, 1 kg poha/sabudana/suji, 1 kg sugar, and 1 kg tea powder & hygiene essentials. On 11th June 2020, the seva was executed. The location was accessible only to a certain point where a truck was stationed and arranged by Lion’s Club. The villagers were brought from the pickup point to the Sadhu Vaswani Ashram Medical Centre, Khandala. The Solapur chaddars, blankets, towels, and tarpaulin sheets were provided for the damaged huts. The villagers were then brought back to their village.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission helps needy Muslim families celebrate Eid during Corona Pandemic Dates, Sherbat, Milk, Sevaiyan & Bananas for Roza along with groceries to make their EID special. Police informs Mission that about a thousand Muslim families need help for EID and Mission presses into action with Sadhu Vaswani’s teaching - Religion, let us talk of it less and practice more’. 24th May 2020, as the crescent moon appeared in the peaceful night sky and spread its silvery, cool moonlight and announced the auspicious festival of our Muslim brethren — Eid-Ul-Fitr millions of hearts joined in a prayer. Joining in the festivities was Sadhu Vaswani Mission. Volunteers at the Mission headed out with love to make the evening special for over 1050 Muslim families. Dates, bananas and sherbet milk were distributed with a warm ‘Eid Mubarak’ on their lips. “The police officials informed us of 930 needy Muslim families at Tadiwala Road who were looking at a bleak Eid. But God willed otherwise; He wanted to make it special, He wanted to make them feel loved,” said an official. “We started the packaging immediately. To make it significant and customised, we included 1ltr bottle of Rooh Afza Sherbat, 1ltr milk, sevaiya, sugar, dates and 6 bananas in each plus an addition of 3kg rice, 1 kg dal and 1ltr cooking oil,” he added. “The distribution was completed in 3 hours. Starting at 5:00 pm we were done by 8:00 pm. Also the area being a containment zone, our vehicles stood at the entrance while the lane in-charges under the supervision of police authorities collected the items from us. 50 volunteers were engaged in the seva and 7 vehicles handled the logistics. Although we had a list of 930 families, we ended up distributing kits to 1050 families” he added. “Their joy knew no bounds! They were thrilled and overwhelmed at the gesture,” said a volunteer. Related Links: Police Officer at EID Time-https://youtu.be/fGMljs678dE MILIES - https://www.religionworld.in/eid-mubarak-sadhu-vaswani-mission-serves-to-1050-needy-muslim-families/ RELIGION, LET US TALK OF IT LESS AND PRACTICE MORE… EID MUBARAK - https://nrinews24x7.com/religion-let-us-talk-of-it-less-and-practice-more-eid-mubarak/

Sadhu Vaswani Mission starts new seva in Pimpri during Corona Pandemic A plateful, a plentiful! Fresh, Hot Meals Served at Pimpri! Sadhu Vaswani Mission eyes a need and increases it’s seva effort to fulfill it 500+ daily meals to Indryani Nagar slums, Pimpri The Mission also distributed Tarpaulin sheets (waterproof material) to 25 hutments families, as heavy rains damaged their current roofs. Serving even in heavy rains during the cyclone period of 3rd and 4th June with our #CoronaWarriors, the volunteers 2nd June 2020, Sadhu Vaswani Mission, in collaboration with Attukal Devi Trust and Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam, has undertaken to serve dinner to nearly 500 slum-dwellers at Indryani Nagar, Pimpri. This is in addition to the regular sevas the Mission is conducting during the corona pandemic including ration kits and hot meals to shelters. “The Trust members reached out to us and told us of the need for dinners that has arisen in the slums at Indrayani Nagar, Pimpri. Although we agreed immediately, the logistics of delivering food daily from Pune to Pimpri seemed difficult given the idea that the Mission wishes to serve hot-meals. We therefore came up with a suggestion of setting up a kitchen at the temple,” said an official of the Mission. “The Trust agreed immediately and volunteered to cook meals daily. About 10 volunteers from the Trust are engaged in the cooking. We provided them with all cooking essentials; dals, pulses, rice, vegetables, and spices and condiments. On the first day, dal rice was prepared. For the following days, the Trust being South Indian plans to cook varieties of rice and bring to the slum-dwellers plates delicacies from the South,” continued the official. The packing and distribution of the meals is carried out by 5 volunteers of the Mission with help from the temple volunteers. Food was also served to the homeless on the streets in that area. 500+ meals on average are being served daily. The heavy rains and cyclonic weather of 3rd and 4th June did not deter the volunteers. Remarked a female volunteer, “It feels awesome. Due to heavy rains, the slum dwellers could not cook food. They were all waiting for our food to come. They were telling us that we are God for them (Aap Bhagwan ho).” Rain or shine, the seva arrangement initially for a week, will continue until the need remains.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission organises a 2-day seva to Saswad, Purandar and Jejuri 40 villages covered 2400 ration kits distributed to needy families Ration kits to provide 1,44,000 meals to 9600 people 18 volunteers on the task-force, 15 vehicles manage logistics Sadhu Vaswani Mission, in coordination with local bodies, organised a two-day seva, and reached out to remote areas of Saswad, Purandar and Jejuri. 40 villages were covered in the 2-day span and 2400 ration kits were distributed. “The Tehsildar undertook a survey and prepared a list that included absolutely needy families who were in dire need and living in utter poverty. As soon as we received the list, we packed the ration kits and set up a local, central warehouse near the distribution areas. The following day, we carried out the distribution of the kits,” said an official of the Mission. “Given the distance and anticipating the probability of making a visit in the future, we ensured that the kits were packed in such a manner and included items that would last at least for a 15 days,” informed another official of the Mission. The rations kits provided by the Mission contains 5kg wheat flour, 2kg dal, 2kg pulses, 1kg poha/sabudana/suji, 1kg sugar, 1ltr cooking oil, 250gms tea powder and a hygiene kit including 2 bathing soaps, 2 washing soaps, 1 toothpaste and 1 bottle coconut oil. Rice, the Mission was informed, is grown locally and is available with the villagers. With a team of 18 volunteers and 15 vehicles, the Mission set out to serve. “We left in the early hours and all our vehicles were driven by the volunteers themselves,” the official informed. The topography at these locations is both plain and mountainous. “The roads leading to these locations are well-tarred and it helped us save considerable time. We reached there in about an hour and a half. The journey to Jejuri was another 18 kms further. The interior of the villages is where we had to drive on a difficult terrain,” added the official. “But again, the list was comprehensive and distribution spots well-defined, so the execution was efficient,” said a volunteer. The two day seva concluded with a relief of bringing 1,44,000 meals to nearly 9600 people. "The need is rising and we hope to reach out to as many as possible," said the official. Coordination and distribution was carried with adherence to pandemic protocols. Recipients were briefed on social distancing and non-crowding a day earlier to the distribution.

A Mega Seva by Sadhu Vaswani Mission 2nd May — 4th May 2020 ------------------------------------------------------- A life lived only for oneself becomes stale and stagnant. But a life spent in the service of others, flows clean and free like a sparkling river and ultimately reaches the ocean of the Supreme Self. —    Rev. Dada J.P. Vaswani 2nd May 2020 — 4th May 2020 Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune carried out a mega seva in the Bhor Taluka of Maharashtra. Identification of needy families by the Tehsildar was the first step in execution. A detailed list with the number of persons in each family was provided to the Mission. “While we were there at the survey, a person in dire need asked, ‘Sir, aap vapis ayenge na?’ The question moved us to tears and we were rendered numb and speechless! We are presuming their hopes had been shattered and even our assurance didn’t make a difference until we actually showed up. It’s beyond tragic. “Imagine someone who hasn’t eaten food for several days having to trudge along to a well and pinning their hope on water for survival. “It pained us to come back with the survey numbers and not give anything that day,” said another dismayed volunteer.They had absolutely nothing,” the official said.Divided into 8 zones, the Taluka has several villages under its jurisdiction. “A distress call from the Bhor Taluka showed that the villagers are comprised of fishermen, brick-kiln workers, craftsmen, farmers and street-food hawkers. The pandemic lockdown has exhausted their savings and almost all of them are rendered without a livelihood,” said a volunteer of the Mission. “We immediately swung into action and organised a 4 day seva,” he added. The Taluka is situated on different terrains: hill-tops, highway road-sides and ghats with the roads leading into the villages being inaccessible in most cases. “It came to our notice that especially villagers living on the hill-tops are cut-off from the city and a grocery store is about a 10 km hike. Also the ones living in accessible areas are in abject poverty with almost all of them having a thatched roof in a small parcel of land for a home. All their resources had been exhausted with only some having boiled rice for food,” said a volunteer. Back at the Mission, the volunteers immediately swung into action. “Ration kits of 18 kgs each that contained 5kg wheat flour, 5kg rice, 1kg dal, 1kg pulses, 1kg poha/ sabudana/suji, 1kg sugar, 1kg cooking oil, 250gms tea powder and a hygiene kit including 2 bathing soaps, 2 washing soaps, 1 toothpaste and 1 bottle coconut oil were packed for distribution.. On day one, a temporary warehouse was setup near the Tehsildar’s office. A truck loaded with the groceries along with our volunteers arranged the packaged kits in the warehouse having it ready for distribution the next day,” a volunteer informed. 40 volunteers in 15 vehicles left for the Taluka to carry out a doorstep seva. “Upon the sound of our van, the villagers rushed to their doors! They didn’t say anything, but their eyes did. Suddenly their sunken faces had a little light, a light of hope, someone had come with food,” recalled a volunteer. “The eyes of the recipients shone with relief. Although they had no food for themselves and only had water fetched from a well, they offered it to us. They blessed us and thanked Dada with utmost gratitude. A senior, especially, said, ‘a blessing of a hungry one is from the soul. May you be abundantly blessed’ moving us thoroughly,” said another volunteer. “But I must commend their resilience; they are smiling through these tough times. We have so much to learn from them,” he added. “On the last day of the seva, the villagers approached us and said with tears in their eyes, ‘please look after us once these rations are exhausted. We have our hopes in you,” recounted a volunteer. “Another 14 year old orphan girl who was also an HIV+ was given the kit. She lives on her own and it was saddening to see here thus. There were also toddlers who joined their hands and thanked us when their parents asked them too,” he added.The seva was executed in 4 days with 2 days of warehousing the kits at a temporary granary set up at a local Tehsildar’s office by the volunteers and 2 days of distribution. Government officials helped in organising the seva efficiently. Coordination and distribution was carried with adherence to social protocols. Recipients were briefed on social distancing and non-crowding a day earlier of the distribution. “The Mission has executed an unprecedented service activity. It is undoubtedly going to be remembered for years to come. It also makes us keen to know of the Masters and their teachings more,” said Baban Tadwi, a government official. Didi Krishna Kumari, on the execution of the seva shared her thoughts saying, "Take charge of the less fortunate ones of your country. Do what you can for them; do whatever is in your power to help them."“It’s Dada who led us to them. They were in dire need. A woman showed me around her tiny house. All the pots were absolutely empty. No one should have to face hunger, no one should have to live a pitiable life. We hope our seva reinstated their faith in God,” said another volunteer. The Mission, through the seva distributed 3000 ration kits bringing food on the plate to nearly 12000 people and serving about 2,52,000 meals.