By: Rajai Atalla
Sometimes the Holy One moves us in ways we don’t anticipate! Our relationship with Sarthi started when our son Ian was travelling in India for language and cultural studies; it was the 2005/2006 academic year. Soon thereafter he was walking the streets of Delhi and saw a young boy about six years old, with a cleft palate. He seemed quite timid in comparison to other kids his age on the streets. Ian took the boy, whose name is Akshay, to a hospital nearby and asked what it would cost to have the cleft repaired. He was told about $450. He emailed me and asked if I could raise the money. I told him I would try. We raised more than he needed but sent it all anyway.
Since Akshay had no family in Delhi, Ian stayed with him during surgery and recovery. He then placed Akshay in an ashram on the outskirts of Delhi and gave them the rest of the funds; the residents said they would care for Akshay. Ian stayed in touch until he returned to the US at the end of the 12-month period.
In 2007, Ian returned to Delhi for a six-week course in Urdu. When he went to check on Akshay, he found Akshay had run away. Another child at the ashram told Ian that Akshay had gone to Patna in Bihar province, which had been his hometown. Ian travelled to Patna to check on Akshay and found that he had first been held in a government detention house for street boys, but he had then been transferred to Sarthi, an organization that specialized in placing younger boys in a small hostel so that they are better cared for and are enrolled in a school. Ian got to know Tarkeshwar the director of the program.
Ian remained in touch with Tarkeshwar after he returned to Madison. Soon thereafter Ian started raising funds to help support a couple of the boys at Sarthi. Some of his friends contributed and we joined them.
After we became members of Sunday Assembly and my relationship with Holy Wisdom and Sisters Joanne and Mary David continued to grow, I asked Sister Mary David whether it would be possible for us to transfer the funds to Sarthi through Holy Wisdom, so that contributors could treat their donations as charitable contributions. The Sisters had travelled to India and were aware of the needs of many there and understood our concern for Sarthi. Soon thereafter they chose to adopt Sarthi as one of the overseas missions of the Monastery. And when next we were to transfer funds Sister Mary David decided that Holy Wisdom would add $1,000 to the contribution; that was in 2013.
The amount we send annually has grown slowly since then and in more recent years a contribution from Sunday Assembly has been included. Together we are now sending approximately $3,000. But our last contribution was in December of 2021, and Tarkeshwar tells me he needs our funds to support the orphans ASAP! Approximately $1,000 will be transferred next week, but we hope to be able to transfer more.
To make a gift to Sarthi, click on the Donate button below and select SARTHI from the drop-down menu in the I want to support box. Thank you!