Vishnu top up

In September of 2008 the Mysore Program at Yoga Place started sponsoring a child through the charity Operation Shanti. His name is Vishnu and at the time he was just 3 years old. I met him just after he was born in 2005, and have gone back many times to say hello to him and all the children at OS.

It takes £20/month to keep Vishnu clothed, fed, housed, and in school. As our numbers in the class fluctuate, so does the amount of money it takes from each of us to accomplish this. At the present time, if the students gave £1/month we would have it covered. We are down by £11 for February, and March is coming up. We normally have a surplus of money for him, but its run a bit dry lately. Why not toss a couple of pounds in the pink box with Vishnu's picture on it? Then next time your path on the pavement gets interrupted by this or that charity, you can say with conviction, "No thank you, I already have a charity I give to."

Operation Shanti was created by a woman called Tracy Kuchicka. She is from San Francisco and was a dedicated Ashtanga practitioner who made her way to India to study with Guruji. While in Mysore she was profoundly moved by the poverty she encountered, especially the woman and children who were living on the street. She then dedicated her life to improving the quality of theirs. I was with her when OS was no more than her filling up her back pack with food and medicine and spending the days cleaning and administering to the needs of the woman and children on the street in Mysore. Now in its 7th year, OS has a residence and grounds and has the children healthy and in school. It has all happened quickly, and all with support from people like us. I watched one person make this difference and I am so happy to do what little I can to support OS.