Dear friend,
We are very excited that you are interested in joining us for the Anandwan work retreat. Following is some information about Anandwan and some practical information about the retreat there. Please read through and let us know if you have any questions. At the end of the document is a short registration form. Please fill it out and send to us.
Thank you,
Nathan and Zohar

ANANDWAN

Anandwan was founded 50 years ago by the Amte family as a home for the leprosy afflicted. The emphasis is not only on treating the physical disease, but on allowing each individual to live a productive and full life. As a result Anandwan and its satellite projects are nearly self sufficient in food and services. Over time Anandwan opened its gates to many people, and today it is home to 5000 residents. These include leprosy patients and their families, blind and deaf-mute children who recieve an education there, physically and mentally handicapped as well as volunteers who have dedicated their life to this community. Although leprosy is a curable disease, and in these times quickly and efficiently diagnosed and treated, there is still a lot of prejudice about the disease. For more info about the beautiful forest of bliss (the meaning of Anandwan) please see their websites www.anandwan.in & www.mss.niya.org

The Anandwan work retreat:

The work retreat is an exercise in combining social action with sangha support and meditation. This is a very exciting opportunity to put in to practice the teachings of generosity and selfless service with the support of like minded people.We will work about 5-6 hours a day with the people of Anandwan. We see the work as an integral and important part of the retreat, allowing each of us to explore our relationship to roles and our own sense of self worth and importance. We will also meditate together 3 times a day, and have sharing and dharma discussions several times a week.

Suggested schedule:

One day a week will be a full silent day for meditation, and one day a week will be free time with no work or scheduled events.

Possible work includes:

Hospital: Dressing wounds or offering alternative healing and massage to the patients and the inmates of the senior citizen wards.
Farming: Working out in the fields or in the plant nursery.
Workshops: Card making, printing, mechanics, electrics, sewing, leather work, woodwork.
Office: Fundraising, communications, computer training.
Schools: Teaching and assisting, games and extra-curricular activities.
Orchestra: Music and dance.
Kitchens: Chopping vegetables etc.

There could be other possibilities depending on people's skills.

Facilitators
There will not be a teacher on the work retreat, but there will be two facilitators. The role of a facilitator is not that of a teacher or manager on a formal retreat. By facilitating this retreat we hope to provide a base from which all of us will share responsibility for the experience.
The facilitators will be the contact between the participants and the Anandwan administration, and have more responsibility as far as holding the structure. But we envision this time in Anandwan as an experiment of living and working together, with each of us participating and contributing to the fullness of the retreat.
The facilitators offer their time and energy freely and do not recieve any payment for what they do. You are welcome to offer them a donation at the end of the retreat.

Food
Three vegetarian meals a day are provided, but you should bear in mind that it is traditional Indian fare with a low percentage of vegetables and salad. Fruit is available to buy in Anandwan. Sorry, there is no possibility of catering for special diets. We ask that we all accept what we are given, remembering that we are here to serve Anandwan, and not the other way around. Warora is 3 km away, and various products are available there ( but not all western products ).

Water
We have Indian ceramic water filters for the use of the group, in our experience they are safe and efficient. Anandwan has a policy of reducing plastic so please bring empty bottles that you can fill up. If you feel this system is inadequate, please bring your own means of filtering/purifying water.

Malaria
Anandwan is a low-risk area for malaria, and we will be there not in the malarial season. The doctors here recommend taking preventative medicine. During the retreat we provide a homeopathic preventative medicine against malaria. We ask that you bring your own mosquito net and repellant.

Cost
The Anandwan retreat will cost 9000 Rps, (approximately €145, $200, £130)
The cost of the silent meditation retreat in Somnath is 4500 Rs for the 10 days.

Keep in mind that this is a great place to buy gifts for friends and family. People have typically spent an extra 8000-11000 Rps during 3 weeks in Anandwan.

We know that this is a lot of information to take in, but we hope that these tips will save misunderstandings, confusion and difficulties. Above all we ask you to come here with an open mind.