Hand in Hand is a charitable organization founded in 2000 in Vienna by a group of individuals focused on promoting spiritual development. The organization was to provide humanitarian aid to the state of Orissa after the devastation caused by a powerful cyclone in 1999, drought and famine in 2000 and widespread flooding in 2001. Since then, the scope of humanitarian interests has expanded to include school education, professional teaching, social welfare and health care in India’s poorest regions. Its activities also include medical research, health programs for children, adolescents and families along with providing care for the old, sick and crippled.
An active role of the organization is to support charitable causes, which led to the establishment of a sister organization in the United States, Hand in Hand USA, in 2001. Hand in Hand (Europe and the US) supports ongoing projects through generous donations and the support of sponsors.
One such project is Hariharanand Balashram’s , “Sponsor a child/Sponsor a child” initiative.
Hariharananda Balashram was founded on July 29, 2004 by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, whose love for children and education has no limits. The school is located in the beautiful little village of Arua in the Kendrapara district of Odisha, India. The school campus is surrounded by lush, green rice fields, cottages and picturesque villages.
In Balashram, 511 children, orphans or from very poor families, live, educate and raise their children completely for free. Children receive food, lodging and health care, as well as quality education. The school has obtained Composite Affiliation for Secondary School from the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi (No.: 1530184 valid until 31.03.2025).
The school has a beautiful and spacious library , an arts and crafts center, a music room, a dance hall, a spacious computer lab, well-equipped science labs, a multipurpose auditorium and a children’s playroom. The school prepares students for higher education and offers training in vocational and life skills so that students are well prepared for a meaningful role in society. After a thorough examination, forty of the neediest children aged 4-5 are admitted each year.
Balashram also provides free medical assistance to all the poor who cannot afford treatment. This is only possible thanks to people with big hearts who financially support this project.
The founders of Hand in Hand come from different social strata, but they share the same love and joy they find in meditation. They differ in race, nationality, religious beliefs, occupations, economic status and age, but are united by their desire to selflessly help those less fortunate.
The continuous efforts of many dedicated volunteers, combined with your generous support, make it possible to help the poor and underprivileged selflessly, hand in hand.
Together we can do more!
We humbly ask you to support Balashram according to your ability. Especially now, in today’s crisis, any amount, even the smallest amount, is badly needed there.
Below is the account to which payments can be made in gold.
MBank SA, mBank IV Corporate O. Warsaw,
74 1140 2105 0000 4911 3000 1001
Titled: Balashram
You can find more detailed information about Balashram on the school’s official website by clicking on this link
www.hariharanandabalashram.org
More detailed information about Hand in Hand can be found here by clicking on this link:
handinhand.at
