Theosophical World Congress,
Rome, July 2010

1.
Tim Boyd (USA) speaking at the TOS session

Assam region, India

1.
Tricycles are presented to the handicapped.
TOS Mobility Aids programme, Assam & Arunachal Region, India

Brisbane, Australia

1.
The Brisbane TOS supports one of the city’s refuges for homeless women. Throughout the year the TOS group provides bags of non-perishable groceries and personal care items for women who are moving from the refuge into long-term housing. The groceries are accompanied by a small recipe book for healthy eating. This gift not only makes each woman feel special but also lessens the financial challenge of the first weeks of independent living.

Lynette Muller (Brisbane TOS President), Robyn Rizzo (project coordinator) and Tina Fiedler (Vice-president)

2.
A book and CD on Guided Meditation have recently been written and published by Dr K Arunachalam, who has taught meditation at the Brisbane Theosophical Society for many years and is an active member of the TOS. He has generously donated his work to the Brisbane TOS to help raise funds for the National TOS Projects. The set of book and audio CD sells for A$12.

For further information email the Australian National Coordinator at: tos.australia@gmail.com

Delhi Region, India

In order to bring Theosophical literature to the attention of the wider community, the TOS Delhi NCR Region and the TS Delhi Federation organised a Theosophical Literature Stall at the World Book Fair, held in Delhi from 30 January to 7 February 2010. They promoted books published by the Theosophical Publishing House in Adyar as well as books on related subjects from other sources. A range of books were available for sale at discounted prices!

France

At the French TOS’s AGM, plans were made to collaborate with the Liberal Catholic Church on a new educational project in the French-speaking country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in West Africa.  There was enthusiasm all round!

Tanzania

Deepa Kapur, TOS National Co-ordinator for Tanzania, tells us that the Heart Babies project has again been in the news, this time with international and national recognition.

Dr Kanabar, the Chairman of Regency Medical Centre Hospital and a pioneer of the project, was honoured by the Indian Government in January 2010 and awarded a medal and certificate by the President of India, Her Excellency Mrs Pratibha Patil, for his outstanding medical work and fostering Indo-Tanzanian relations most especially through the Tanzania Heart Babies Project.

(Above)  Dr Kanabar with the President of India at the official gathering.

(Left)  Dr Kanabar receiving his award from the President of India, Her Excellency Mrs Pratibha Patil.

TOS in Nairobi, Kenya

The TOS in Kenya has a long tradition of making substantial donations to selected charitable causes in Nairobi. Each year on November 17, Theosophical Society Founders’ Day, it donates several tons of foodstuff to homes for orphans, children with HIV/AIDS, impoverished elderly people, etc. It thinks also of the vegetable and animal kingdoms by giving various kinds of support to animal welfare organisations and by undertaking tree planting exercises as part of forest conservation projects. Members believe strongly in the Unity of all that exists!

1. Mrs Hansaben of Nairobi Lodge presents a cheque for the sponsorship of a student’s education.

Northern India

Extreme cold conditions in Northern India caused unprecedented suffering to the homeless of the Noida community. So the Sanatan Noida TOS Group in Delhi took a personal, hands-on approach to relieving this suffering.
Members contributed over Rs 10,000 and purchased good quality quilts. The suppliers, in view of the cause, discounted the price, enabling more quilts to be bought. The quilts were distributed in the most personal way possible. Having identified where people were sleeping unsheltered by the road side, members visited the sites at night and physically covered the shivering people with the quilts. Isn’t this a wonderful example of compassionate action reflecting true altruistic theosophical ideals?

TOS in West Bengal, India

1. A group photo of the East Zone TS/TOS Conference. Sitting, from the left: Justice Shyamal Sen, Former Governor of West Bengal; Dr Radha Burnier, International President, TS/TOS; B. L. Bhattacharyya, National Director, TOS India; S. Sundaram, General Secretary, Indian TS.

3. (left and below)

The local TOS groups provided aid at the Aila Relief Camp, following devastating floods in the area.

Assam and Arunachal Region of India

The TOS in India engages in immensely varied activities for those in need. Here are some photos from the Assam and Arunachal Region (situated in the easternmost part of India) – about as far from our TS international HQ as it is possible to get.

1. Here we see members participating in animal welfare work.

  Countless Indian families with handicapped children cannot afford crutches for them, let alone a walker, wheel chair, callipers or an artificial limb. This situation would be considered scandalous in more affluent nations.
   For this reason, the TOS within India has made ‘mobility aids’ a national priority over the past ten years or so. Walking sticks, special shoes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs and hand-propelled tricycles are distributed by many TOS groups throughout the country.

4. Wooden chairs made to measure for handicapped children

5. These photos show the typical kind of equipment distributed. They were sent to us by Mr Jatindra N Patowary, the President of the TOS in the Assam and Arunachal Region. Mr Patowary is dynamic in his work for the TOS and is one of our most faithful correspondents.

Tanzania + Italy

TOS members in Tanzania commemorated Foundation Day by opening up a huge box of teddies made by Italian TOS members and friends.

Melbourne, Australia

One of the social highlights of the Melbourne TOS’s year was their annual picnic in the beautiful Melbourne Botanical Gardens. During the picnic, they held a peace and healing meditation under the trees and raised awareness of the Australian Conservation Foundation which their TOS group supports.

Melbourne, Australia + Singapore

One of the Melbourne TOS members, Gloria Keh, even finds time to volunteer in Singapore. Since September 2007, she has held regular sessions on Colour Therapy at the AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens.
During the sessions, residents work on specific designs on particular themes, working with colours on the concept of a ‘circle’ format, to promote One-ness and develop one-pointedness.

A group of young beneficiaries of the educational sponsorship program

For information about sponsorship email the Pakistan TOS : tospakistan@gmail.com

Pakistan

One of the longest running activities of the TOS in Pakistan is the organisation of educational sponsorships for students of primary, secondary and college levels. The TOS has been working to provide opportunities for bright young people who are unable to afford an education. The applicant is interviewed and the case is investigated. After the necessary investigation a sponsor is found.
  All the students are from poor and needy families and this program enables them to get an education. Many finish their schooling and go on to get a university degree and are able to better their lives and those of their families. To date, several thousand students have benefited from sponsorship. Because of this help, many have gone on to become productive, successful members of society and include doctors, nurses, engineers and other technical professionals.

Orai, India

Since about 2002, the TOS in France has been sponsoring the education of 22 students in Orai, a relatively small city located between Kanpur and Jhansi in the province of Uttar Pradesh, in northern India.

1.
A kit of educational material is offered by Brother K L Gupta to a student on the occasion of Diwali, the festival of light, in October.

2.
Swami Nityanand, a member of the Orai Lodge of the TS, addresses the children on the occasion of Annie Besant’s birthday.

Portugal

The TOS Group in Lisbon, composed of members of different branches of the Theosophical Society, recently visited the association ‘Focinhos e Bigodes’ (‘Muzzles and Whiskers’) which cares for abandoned dogs. The TOS has been helping the association with donations to pay for veterinary treatments, food, and other items. Much more help is needed and welcomed!

Check out the Portugal TOS webpage for more information.

Italy - Tanzania

TOS members in Italy are knitting Teddies and sending them to the TOS in Tanzania to comfort children hospitalised in India for heart surgery. In order to keep up with the twenty to thirty teddies needed each month (!), they are now reaching out to other associations. In addition to TOS teams in Milan and Rome, there is a new team in the city of Forlì made up of members of the Giordano Bruno branch of the Associazione Mazziniana Italiana (a non-profit group against despotism and fascism) and of the Banca del Tempo di Forlì, a ‘time barter’ group. We see them here on the local news page of the newspaper Il Resto del Carlino.

Brisbane, Australia

Sharing ideas during the Peaceful Living seminar conducted by Brisbane TOS

Wales

Theosophy Cardiff holds a scrabble evening once a month at which a collection is taken up in the name of the TOS for the Tenovus Cancer Charity. Every little bit helps!

Wales

In mid-August 2009, the Conwy Branch of the TS in Wales, supported by members from Bangor Lodge, Chester, Porthmadog and Holyhead, held a TS Awareness Day. Over 40 non-members turned up to find out about Theosophy. A table was loaded with lots of items for sale with funds going to TOS projects. Bravo!

Delhi, India

TOS Deepti Group, Noida, Delhi NCR, India has launched a fully fledged Dental Care Unit for the rural and economically disadvantaged children of Noida and surrounding rural areas. The unit, probably the first of its kind, was inaugurated by Brother Birendra Bhattacharyya, National Director of TOS in India on 25 July 2009. Scores of children in the neighborhood who have no access to dental care will benefit immensely. A full time doctor will also be organising ‘free dental inspection camps’ in the schools for economically disadvantaged children, supported by the TOS Delhi Region.

Perth, Western Australia

Members of the Western Australian TOS group based in Perth are having an energetic year supporting a number of projects while promoting the First Object of the Theosophical Society. Their service work is also building their group’s sense of fellowship and unity.

Once again they’ve been raising funds for the TOS Pakistan Home School Project and the Golden Link College in the Philippines. They have also been raising funds to supply birthing kits to women in Afghanistan. It is amazing that such a simple kit saves lives, but the statistics show that 2,000 birthing kits will save approximately 130 mothers’ lives. In this activity they have been partnering with SAWA (Support Association for the Women in Afghanistan).

« WA TOS members who sold donated books at the Mt Helena Women’s Spirituality and Fun weekend.

Perth, Western Australia

Another of the Perth projects is focused on a local Aboriginal women’s refuge. On Theosophical Society meeting nights, volunteers busily knit squares to make beautiful blankets for the women.

« From L to R: Gailene Wester, the TOS coordinator; Vicky Barker, the TOS secretary and Renae Jonas, a TOS member.