“I was born in the darkest ignorance, my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my grateful obeisance to him.”
Understanding the importance of spreading knowledge by education to eliminate the darkest ignorance was initiated by none other than a true spiritual master himself, Pujya Bhaishri Rameshbhai Oza.
The journey started back in the early 80’s when Pu. Bhaishri visited a small school in a village called “Babda” about 35 kilometers from Porbandar. This school was started by teachers who migrated from Ahmedabad to pursue educating eager students in Babda.
Pu. Bhaishri very much appreciated the efforts of the teachers and locals and identified the enormous challenges they were facing to sustain the schools’ operations. Bhaishri decided to step in and support the school in 1984 and “Bharatiya Sanskruti Samvardhak Trust” was born. Gradually the school grew and it started to receive more applications than the number of students it could accommodate.
Pu. Bhaishri decided that it was the right time to relocate the school to a larger facility for its further development. Pu. Bhaishri’s vision was to set it up as a Vidya Niketan which he emphasize would run like an “Ashram” and it would be called a “Rishikul”. This was the ancient methodology of imparting education in India.
Students would be called “Rishikumar”, who after having completed their studies from the Rishikul, would serve as an asset to the society.
The motto of Vidyaniketan would be “Gyanarth Pravesh, Sevarth Prasthan”. This implies that a student would enter the school vowing to gain knowledge and would leave the school culminated to be in service to the society at large. This led to the formation of Sandipani Vidyaniketan about 30 years ago.
Vidya Vikas Charitable Trust (VVCT), under Pu. Bhaishri’s guidance, empowers underprivileged individuals residing in rural and disaster-affected areas in India. VVCT is addressing the challenges of India’s youth by providing them education, food, housing and medical help so that they can uplift themselves, their families and then the society at large.
In fourteen years (2003-2020), Vidya Vikas Charitable Trust has raised and donated over $2.2 Million to the following institutions in India:
- Aahir Samaj Girls School, Kutch
- Saputara Tribal School, Saputara
- Saputara Primary School, Saputara
- Madhav Nagar, Kutch
- Manthan School for Handicapped, Ahmedabad
- Saheli School, Porbandar
- Manfara Tribal School, Kutch
- Pragnyachakshu School for the bilnd
- Akshar Trust, school for hearing-impaired, Vadodara
- Junagadh Girls School, Junagadh
- Kedi School for Tribal girls, Tithal, Valsad
- Palanpur School Project
- Maldhari School, Bjuodi Mandavi, Kutch
- Devka Vidyapeeth, Devka
These funds have helped educate over 2500 students, improving lives of their families and the communities they live in.
