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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. For up to date information on the school, see http://www.theosophy.ph/goldenlinkcollege.html .
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: sells@sellfamily.co.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.
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