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Ann Arbor Rotary announced that the Yogis on Wheels Kerala project

Ann Arbor Rotary announced that the Yogis on Wheels Kerala project "Empowerment Through Learning" has been funded. The program will begin in January of 2013. We have now as we enter our 9th year together much cause to rejoice and to be glad. It is with the deepest appreciation that we celebrate the courage and determination of the Board of Directors of YWK as you move forward in this new chapter with the Rotary Trivandrum Royal our partners in the project. 

Yogis on Wheels Kerala Receives Rotary Leadership Grant

Empowerment Through Learning:
Yogis on Wheels Kerala Receives Rotary Leadership Grant

The Ann Arbor Rotary Club International in partnership with the Trivandrum Rotary Club of Kerala in South India, announced the funding of an initial
start up grant to be awarded to Yogis on Wheels Kerala, a project initiated by Yoga Kids on Wheels our parent organization. Sivananda yogis Jyoti Tull, Abhiraman MR, and Adi Jon Platania were instrumental in the organization and development of the grant.

Special thanks to KP Suresh, Trivandrum Rotary, President Elect who announced at their Annual Meeting that that “we are joining hands with the Ann Arbor Rotary USA for YWK.” (Yogis on Wheels Kerala). Thanks also to Velayudhan Nair, Past President, for serving as the point person for the new project serving the needs of disabled children and young adults in the State of Kerala.

The project will be administered through a consortium between the local Trivandrum Rotary, the Ann Arbor Rotary and Yogis on Wheels USA. The Sivananda Ashram in Kerala will be the training site for preparing  board members to become certified yoga teachers. Although the full program implementation details are still in the development stages, what is known is that the Board of Directors of YWK, all of whom are physically challenged adults, will be provided with laptops and Internet connections at no charge to them. The Board Member Facilitators will participate in a leadership and management  training program to better prepare them to administer their own independent charitable organization.

The funding of our long standing 8 year program in Kerala represents a great leap forward internationally. The next stages of funding and implementation will be based upon outcome evaluations of the success of the 2012 – 2013 Initiative. Yogis on Wheels, President, Saraswathi Devi, together with our Kerala Coordinator Abhiraman Ramaswami, will be visiting the YWK Board Members and representatives of the Rotary at the Sivananda City Center in Trivandrum on August 5th of this year. Ashish Sarkar, Rotary International Affairs subcommittee will be visiting in September; founder Adi Jon Platania will visit in December, Jyoti Tull in January Jim Cook also of Ann Arbor in March of 2013.

About Yogis On Wheels Kerala

Yogis On Wheels began in 2002 in the South Indian state of Kerala when one of our board members, Adii Jon Platania, paid a visit to Holy Trinity School For Disabled Children. The school is part of the Molankara Orthodox Church of India and is located not far from the Sivananda Ashram where Adii was in residence in an Ayurvedic healing program related to his disabilities.

Yohanas, a priest from the orthodox ashram, introduced Adii to the school for disabled children, the elder care, and end of life hospice programs. Yohanasexplained that the kids wanted to learn yoga in order to increase their physical strength and aerobic capacity. They also were longing for computers that might help them to make their way in the world.