Girls born to "Devadasi" Families are offered to God...

  YGB's new program to empower rescued girls 

 A new program to support 100 rescued girls at Shaktidhama, Mysore, Karnataka

This January, we visited Shaktidhama, Mysore, Karnataka.  100 pretty young girls welcomed us with chanting and yoga asana demonstration. When you look at these girls' smiling faces, you do not realize what kind of ordeal they had to come through before reaching to this new home, Shaktidhama, opened in 2017. These girls age from 8 to 16 years old and were rescued from central part of Karnataka state. Many of these girls are from "Devadasi" families. "Devadasi" means "servant to God", and as a tradition, these girls are offered to God when they reach puberty. This is the beginning of their survival as prostitutes as their mothers and grandmothers were. I could not believe such tradition remains today. Many girls have no choice but simply live their fate. The India government made this practice illegal but it still continues in the rural areas of Karnataka. As a result of this practice, these girls mothers are often HIV victims, living in isolated, impoverished and forgotten world. 

Professor Jayadev, Director at Deenabandhu, YGB's long time NGO partner, has been working on this project for many years and finally got the state government's grant to build infrastructure to house these girls in 2017. Today, they care 100 girls, including Devadasi girls, orphans, and girls from poor tribal families, who are all vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Prof. Jayadev believes that the best solution to this deep rooted cultural problem is to provide an opportunity to educate these girls. This is the only chance for them to change their fate, empower themselves and start building a life with self-worth and hope. 

YGB Seva Trip participants visited Shaktidhama and met with the girls

Ananthu, an advocate of children's rights and the General Manager of Shaktidhama, drove 250 miles north of Mysore to Central Karnataka region to rescue these girls from horrendous situations in seven different villages. Working with his wife and social worker Usha and local NGOs network, Shaktidhama continues to identify and rescue girls at risk. 

With your support, we are funding 25 girls this year as YGB's new program. As always, we are committed to support each person for a minimum of five years to ensure a chance to seed her transformation. 




US $580 will fund one girl fully for  one year with boarding, education, and cultural activities. 
Please join #OneMillionYogis campaign and consider any amount of support so these girls have a real chance to live with dignity and reach to their dreams

When we visit their dorm, one girl was reading a book about Yoga Asana, the other girl was studying English. Every morning, they get up at 5:30am and start with prayer and Yoga.  They all go to a local school during the day. There are some girls who go to college and they all study hard to get to the next grade.  Freedom of expression, good food and health care have already shown marked progress in all girl's physical growth, too. 

B & W Photos by a renowned photographer Shamanth Patil J to raise awareness

"My Mother is My God"---Visiting Mamata, SHE scholarship student in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka

Mamaha and her mother Puttayamma, December 2016

This is Mamatha, one of 210 YGB's SHE Scholarship of Higher Education students in Chamarajanagar, north of Mysore, Karnataka. We first visited her and her family in December 2016, when she just received this scholarship to continue her higher education.  Her mother Puttatayamma is illiterate and has struggled to survive for all her life, supporting siblings at young age , and raising three children with her husband's small daily wage after marriage. "My Mother is my God."---Mamata expressed in tears her deep adoration and respect for her mother's loving sacrifice for her family.

She told us that her goal was to become a mechanical engineer to support her family and the poor in her community. Many of her peers could not make it to college also due to family's poverty. " I would have probably just stayed home doing house chores if it were not for SHE scholarship, " Mamata expressed her gratitude for this scholarship with tears. Nobody in her family has ever received higher education.

In January this year, YGB Seva Team visited Chamarajanagar, north of Mysore and visited Mamata's home. As you can see from her big smile,  her confidence in her life and future was clearly evident. This time, Mamata was more specific about her goals with her degree. "I want to get Mechanical Engineering Degree to help develop my poor hometown Chamarajanagar. I also want to help children with disabilities. I see them on the bus and they live very hard life and need more support." 

With this scholarship, Mamata is learning about outside world, mingling with other people, and feeling the need to serve for this hometown and people in need of much deserved attention, care and development.

It was truly inspiring to visit Mamata and her family who totally support her higher education. Nobody in her family ever had higher education. Mamata's younger brother now looks up to this big sister and wants to follow her footsteps. Mamata said, " I want my brother to get higher education. I will make sure and help him to achieve his goals in life. " With this scholarship, Mamata's family is transforming. With your support, YGB is funding 260 youths this year here in Karnataka as well as in West Bengal. This scholarship program for desitute but bright youths gives me so much hope and inspiration every time I meet these students. Their eyes are so bright and shining with confidence and determination to obtain a degree and achieve their goals in their lives, which was once just a dream.

YGB Seva Trip participant Ambassadors Julee and Mina with Mamata's grandmother

YGB Seva Trip 2018 visited Mamata and her family with Prof Jayadev, Prajna and Teachers from YGB NGO partner Deenabandhu Trust, Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, India. YGB Seva 2018  participants are (fro top left) Julee Yew-Crjins (UK/Malaysia), Lauren Peterson (USA), Beate Scholtz (USA/The Netherlands), Anouk Prop (The Netherlands/Thailand), Kayoko Mitsumatsu (USA), Mina Lee (AbuDhabi/Korea), Bonnie Ikemura (USA) and Sharda Ten Hove (The Netherlands/Thailand)