|
The
TOS in New Zealand is a small group dedicated to providing the
service
arm of the Theosophical Society. We are actively engaged in
humanitarian assistance, working along side other TOS groups
in places such as India, Pakistan and the Philippines. In particular
we have a focus on helping in the education field such as:
- Sponsoring
children to attend school
- Providing
schools with study materials and prizes for writing competitions
- Providing
much needed funding to help run schools and pay for teachers
Locally
in New Zealand we support the Auckland City Mission and help
with projects in and around our Lodge's. There are many individuals
who contribute to this work in their own way, large or small
around the country.
We targeted
our assistance and funds to areas where the need is greatest
and we have local contacts on the ground. All these contacts
have been verified before any money is sent and we are very
confident that the funds go directly to those in need and to
whom the money or help was raised for in the first place.
If you would
like to contribute we would love to hear from you and further
details can be found at the bottom of this page. All monies
raised for these causes go to the causes. Any administrative
overheads (which are not large) are met by individuals, Lodges
and the Theosophical National Headquarters.
Some
of the work we do:
Karachi,
Pakistan
In Pakistan
we sponsor a 12-year-old girl's education who come from a dysfunctional
family, but one that is trying to keep it together. Without
this sponsorship she would not attend school.
Our efforts
are also focused on assisting in funding of schools and paying
teachers salaries so that as many children as possible may benefit
from learning. This is very valuable as many so-called state
funded schools exist on paper alone.
The TOS
funds an entire school in Orangi Town, Karachi which is in a
large and poor community. 60 children attend classes and many
bring along little brothers and sisters and some even bring
along their parents. This school however is more than just an
education, it gives the children hope for a better life for
themselves and their families, enabling them to obtain better
jobs and lift themselves into better circumstances.
More information
can be found in the January 06 and August 06 newsletters.
Golden
Link School, Manila, Philippines
This school
has been set up by the TS and TOS in the Philippines to help
provide education to underprivileged children where 90% are
impoverished. We have provided funding to send 3 to 4 children
to attend this school. The school enrolment is now up to 197
students providing education up to the 3rd year in High School.
The 2004 devestating Tsunami that reverberated
around the world brought an amazing response from governments
and peoples from all walks of life. In New Zealand the Theosophical
Society found an ideal vehicle in the TOS to raise donations
for victims from this natural disaster.
The generosity of everyone we have met
has been truly heart warming and to date we have raised an amazing
$8,762. These funds are being sent to the Theosophical Society
Headquarters in Adyar, India to help rebuild homes and shattered
lives in the surrounding villages.
If you would like to make a donation
please Click
Here.
Bhubaneswar,
Orissa State, India
We
have raised more than $2000 so far towards assisting the TOS
in Bhubaneswar, what an amazing result. In February 05 we wrote
to Khageswar Routray, the regional secretary of the TOS in Orissa
state and our contact in Bhubaneswar. We introduced our group
and spoke of our desire to help. We also enquired as to what
future activities they were planning and how New Zealand could
contribute.
Some of the types of activities the TOS in Bhubaneswar engages
in are:
Adult Literacy Classes.
A tutorial programme for failed students.
The Organisation of Health camps on 1st October, 17th November,
17 February, and 8th May each year to distribute free medicines
to children. Instruction and information are imparted as a preventive
measure.
Dahl is given to leper patients at a Leprosy Asylum.
Contributions to buy a bed at the “Home of Compassion”
in Cuttack, and also donations to the “Sisters of Charity
of Mother Teresa” at Bhubaneswar.
Distribution of books, pens and pencils to the students of a
tribal school of Bardal and also exercise books & pens to
70 students at the Anatha Ashram Primary School.
Animal welfare work, (free treatment to sick cattle in a slum
dweller district).
Some of the TOS workers provide free legal advice to the poor
and needy.
Wheelchair purchased and donated to the Area Hospital Baramba
in Cuttack district.
Mr. Routray
advised us that they have many other projects currently on hold
due to lack of funds, from tree planting to animal welfare to
education etc.
More background information on the Bhubaneswar cause are detailed
in a pamphlet that went out in the December 2003 issue of Theosophy
in New Zealand.
Bon
Children's Welfare Society, India
We support
a child in the Himachal Pradesh region of Northern India at
the Bon Children’s Welfare Centre. They provide underprivileged
children food, clothing, shelter, a modern education, religious
instructions and are nurtured in an environment that recognised
their rich cultural heritage. These are mainly Tibetan children
but also include Nepalese kids who are orphans, come from destitute
families who can’t support them and some who will fall
into the hands of Maoist rebels if they can't get out of their
environment.
Auckland
City Mission
We contribute
each year to the Auckland City Mission donating money and also
gifts for children at Christmas.
On-off
Projects
Brazil
An appeal
was made mid year (2006) by Zeneida Cereja da Silva who is the
administrator of a home for homeless children which is situated
on Theosophical Society land near Brasilia, the captial of Brazil.
This home is awarded children by the courts and is sponsored
in part by Theosophists and members of the Round Table - a ceremonial
organization for children based on the legend of King Arthur.
The New Zealand Round Table and the TOS have responded with
a one-off donation together of $600.
Newsletters
Keep up-to-date
and find out what’s going on by reading our newsletters.
To get your free copy you can either contact to be put on the
mailing list (email or post) or download your copy now from
this website, however you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to
view it. This software is free from Adobe.
Download
current and past issues.
August
2006
January
2006
December
2004
July
2004
March
2004
Bookmarks
The TOS
has a large collection of wonderful Bookmarks available for
purchase. The recommended retail price is NZ $2.50 but we will
sell them to Lodges for NZ $2.00 and the Lodge will make 50c
on each sale. Any individual sales welcome.
Some samples of these bookmarks can be seen here however you
will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them.
Bookmark
Samples (4.4mb pdf)
Brief
view of bookmarks (192kb pdf)
Bookmark
Order From
Would
you like to know more?
If you
would like know more about the TOS and support us in any way,
please contact Richard & Renee Sell on (09) 528-7373 or
email us at: TOS@theosophy.org.nz
If you wish
to make a donation or contribute in any way you can fill out
the Support
Form and send us the details. Further online details about
the TOS and our group are found in a small
pamphlet we have distributed to interested enquirers.
|
