How it all started
(as told by our past volunteers in Brasilia)

"Love is such a powerful force. Love focused to achieve an objective is irresistible. A recent example of love in action occurred in Brasilia this year [2001] and it began with a seed. Swami Sarveshwarananda planted this seed in the soil of Brasilia during his visit in February 2001. "ARK OF LOVE" — a project of the HARIHARANANDA MISSION dedicated to bringing material relief and spiritual comfort to poor homeless children in Latin America — is the seed and so much more. Swamiji explained to the Brazilian kriyavans (his students of Kriya Yoga) that spiritual work is an integral part of spirituality itself and social work of this type is never mere philanthropy if we always perceive that God is the doer of all action. As the great lion of Vedanta, Swami Vivekananda had put it earlier,
"There is no higher virtue than charity. The lowest man is he whose hand draws in receiving; and he is the highest man whose hand goes out in giving. The hand was made to give always. Give the last bit of bread you have, even if you are starving. You will be perfect, you will become God."
Swamiji went on to suggest that we form a group of volunteers to learn how we can put our energy into this type of seva (selfless service).

The group was quickly formed and an initial project was found. We discovered that a private day-care center (Tia Angelina Crèche) in a nearby shanty town called the Varjão district was in desperate need of help. For many years a poor, kind woman, lovingly referred to as Tia (Auntie) Angelina, began taking care of poor and homeless local children, mostly of single women servants. In time, with the help of her daughters and sons, she built a few plywood shacks to accommodate more children. Eventually over 100 children were able to receive three meals a day, take a shower, and study there. But besides these key elements to help the children live in dignity, they all received love. One can see in their faces that they feel wanted and cared for.

A place where we learn to love and share...      
Thank you for this meal!

The local government gave some aid to this project but when Tia Angelina passed away the responsibility for the Crèche fell squarely on the five daughters and two brothers. The change in government has also created new criteria for receiving state aid, and since the Crèche did not meet all required standards aid was cut off. This left the girls in a dire situation and they struggled to maintain basic services for the children.

Then the ARK OF LOVE sailed into their lives. The needs of the Crèche were great. They needed a regular supply of food sufficient to feed so many hungry little mouths. They needed construction materials to complete a basic building that would comply with state standards for aid. A long list of requirements included medicines, books, towels, soap, good drinking water, etc., so that the children could have a decent environment for learning and growth.

After consulting with the Crèche it was decided that we could help them set up a bazaar in the Varjão community. The kriyavans held a clothing drive and collected donations of used clothing from all sources. In a short time a large stock was put together, cleaned, ironed and packaged for the bazaar.

Meanwhile some volunteers found a way to obtain free food from the weekly public markets, others donated meat and fresh produce every month from their farm, while others donated bags of rice and beans and basic foodstuffs to help. Some members brought a set of slides, swings and see-saws, while others worked tirelessly with the appropriate government agencies to obtain the necessary permits for the Crèche to function legally. Help came from all quarters. It really was simply a matter of calling on the generous hearts of all and the response was impressive.

On the day before the bazaar all the clothes were delivered to the Crèche and filled a classroom. The next day was awaited with anticipation. But that night a fire consumed one of the plywood buildings two classrooms with books, desks, chairs and 150 bags of cement. An investigation indicated probable arson and a TV camera crew covered the incident and aired it the next day, bringing public attention to the Crèche, their plight and the project under way to help them survive.

The bazaar — anybody noticed my pretty face?

The bazaar the next day was a huge success. One volunteer, who is not only a University professor but also a professional clown, came all dressed up in costume and made up the faces of the children and had them sing songs. The bazaar became a wonderful party and the children loved it. At the end of the day everyone was tired but happy and the Crèche collected funds to help purchase further building materials. Due to its success it was decided that a bazaar should be held every two months or so to help support the project.

Later, due to the TV exposure, businessmen, and other philanthropic groups took an interest in the Crèche and each are regularly contributing in their own way. Today the day care has a solid masonry building, a secure financial basis, and runs a number of classes regularly for the community.

We are very pleased that our little ARK OF LOVE has contributed to the tireless efforts of the sons and daughters of Tia Angelina who can now fulfill her dream of creating an oasis of love for children in the Varjão community. When we see how the project took on a life of its own we have no doubt that Tia Angelina's dream was also God's dream."

In 2004, the ARK OF LOVE ceased its operations for Tia Angelina Crèche, its mission being accomplished. With the return of Swami Sarveshwarananda to Brazil in 2005, a new ARK OF LOVE project for the poor children was started in cooperation with TAMNOÁ.