ABOUT
We are Seva Mission. We are on a mission of selfless service - Karma Yoga. Our principal aim is to help provide schools in India with much needed resources and thereby benefit children in their pursuit of education, knowledge, wisdom and to help them lead more full and meaningful lives.
“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.”
- Rabindranath Tagore
Seva Mission was created to honor the life and memory of two extraordinary people that touched the lives of so many through their own selfless service. Vanleela J. Dave spent a lifetime giving completely of herself to her family and community both in India and her adopted home in the United States. Ansuya C. Pathak dedicated her life as a teacher in remote villages in India, taking special care for needs of orphaned children. The spirit of their effort continues through the work that will be carried out by this organization.
Please note that 100% of your contribution will be devoted to the cause. We will match your contributions as well as fund any and all overhead costs associated with this effort. Your donation is fully tax deductible as we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity.
ACTIVITIES
Making A Difference
Water is the essence of life
When we visited an elementary school in the small rural village of Kherdi in Gujarat, India, we went thinking we would raise funds for books or scholarships. When we asked the teachers and the kids - they had one simple and amazing request - "build us a well so we can have access to water. Water to drink, clean, and cook". Such a simple and basic necessity that they struggle with today.
Our first project is to raise funds to build wells for this and hundreds of similar schools throughout India.
Music education matters
We asked a simple question to the middle school kids in Kherdi, a small village in Gujarat, India. "How can we help you, what kinds of things do you want?". Just imagine what most middle school kids would want - iPhones, iPads, video games, etc. These kids were speechless! After a lot of prodding, they wanted musical instruments - harmoniums, guitars, drums, violins, and sitars!
Thousands of scientific and academic studies have shown that music education improves social emotional learning, academic achievement, builds communication skills, fosters creativity, develops teamwork and increases engagement in school. Help us raise funds to bring music to the ears of these wonderful kids!
Sports are intricately tied to youth development
At the same middle school, most of the boys were more interested in sports. They wanted to know if we could help them get cricket balls and bats! Btw, cricket in India is more popular than football, basketball, and soccer combined!
Physical activity is vital to the holistic development of young people, fostering their physical, social and emotional health. The benefits of sport reach beyond the impact on physical well-being and the value of the educational benefits of sport should not be under-estimated. For example, teamwork, honesty, and fair play.
Higher education can be a game changer
The AG Teachers college in Ahmedabad, India, where Vanleela and Jagdish Dave' met, studied, and taught is an institution dedicated to creating teachers. Everyday, they still sing the anthem Jagdish wrote in 1959 when he and Vanleela left India for the US to pursue higher education. He went to the University of Chicago on a Fullbright scholarship to pursue his Ph.D. With selfless service, they have both positively impacted lives of so many around the world.
We will identify selected students in middle schools and colleges to help fund their higher education. We want to help the bright and shining stars become game changers for themselves, their families, their communities, and the world.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others"
Mahatma Gandhi
