Friends, Neighbours, Community of Help

A train ride and a fun day out

2007 Visit by Australian women

2006 and beginning to take shape

Towards the end of 2006 when it was winter in Muzaffarpur and our children were freezing their little toes off, a very kind woman offered to buy beds for all of the children.  Jyoti was delighted with this news but asked if she could please spend the money on security doors and windows.

There had been a burglary one night and the children were terrified to sleep alone.  So once again, all were crowded in one tiny space for the nights.  Jyoti felt that the children's safety was more important at this time.  And within a short time all had beds too. 

2005 Fundraising

As you can imagine, a great deal of fundraising was needed to get this building off the ground and reaching skywards.  Every month was hard work as our little family grew and the school was in desperate need of supplies.  Thanks to the generosity of family and friends here in Australia and of people we'd never met, this little project was now an enormous one.

Life became a little more difficult in Muzaffarpur, when bad flooding hit the area.  Our home-school was safe but Monalisa took it upon herself to assist the flood-bound areas by providing food for flood victims.  The newspaper article and photo are about those efforts.

In 2005, although our home was unfinished 7 more children joined Jyoti's family.

2004 and dreams grew

By 2004 it was evident that Angela couldn't provide all that was needed for the small school and for Jyoti and Monalisa daily needs on her own and some friends joined in her quest.  She decided that she needed to build a place for the homeless children of Muzaffarpur to live in safety.  

There was no stopping her and Angela made a huge personal commitment of funds.  And so began the new building on a block of land purchased for them by Ananda Marga in the region.  During 2004 and early 2005 a huge brick building rose from the barren space.  Some friends and relatives offered help in financial and other ways, but the fund raising didn't begin in earnest at this early stage.

When the project took some physical shape in this building we started to see that the commitment would need to be ongoing for some years.  The bottom floor was to educate the poorest children of Muzaffarpur.  There was to be physical space to take on 150 students when complete.  Upstairs, on the first floor, where Monalisa (now 12 years old) is looking down from the window, will be accommodation for 12 homeless children.

Where We Began

The monalisa project began early 2003 when Australian Angela May met a young Indian woman called Jyoti (Jotee) and 10 year old Monalisa when she travelled through India.  She stayed with them in their 2 roomed home.  One room was a classroom for 20 of Muzaffarpur's poorest children during the day.  The other room was for living.  It was very cold when Angela stayed there and all three huddled together on a large upturned wooden crate to sleep. 

Angela is outside this home/school with a teacher and 10 year old Monalisa.  Jyoti is in the classroom with the children and also with Monalisa.  Their bed has a lovely cover, but it looks cold.