Shree Nityananda Education Trust is improving the lives of those living in poverty and creating economic self-sufficiency in the Ganeshpuri/Tansa River Valley of Maharashtra, India by 1) recognizing the need for clean water and providing free bio-sand water-filters and education in hygiene; 2)hosting "smart farming" seminars and giving away fruit tree seedlings and non-hybrid seeds; 3) identifying & providing sources of financial assistance to improve education of children and 4) providing education and training to adults for increasing self sufficiency.

WHO ARE OUR BENEFICIARIES?     Ganeshpuri, India, is a small rural village located in the Thane District of Maharashtra State, about 75 kilometers north of Mumbai. While Mumbai is India’s financial and commercial hub, the area in and around Ganeshpuri is home to some of the poorest of the poor—the Adivasi, India’s tribal groups.

A major Adivasi tribe in the Ganeshpuri area is the Katkari. Over 90% of the Katkari families live below the poverty line while 80% are landless and totally dependent on wage labor for their livelihood. Exploitation by brick contractors, harassment by police and negligence by the government have left scant means for the Katkari people to survive and prosper in an unequal world.

An area of great need for these tribes is education of their children. In 2001 the literacy rate for the entire country of India was 52.2% while the literary rate for the Adivasi tribes was 29.6%. Female literacy among the tribes was a stunningly low 18.2%. Among the Katkaris, most of the children are uneducated due to poverty, lack of a supporting atmosphere, and annual migration to work in brick kilns.

What is the SHREE NITYANANDA EDUCATION TRUST?

Bhagawan Nityananda,a great God Realized Saint, lived in the Ganeshpuri area until his passing in 1961 and continues to inspire and guide many devotees in India and abroad. During his life, he was committed to helping the Adivasi people who lived in the jungle surrounding Ganeshpuri and established centers for feeding and housing the poor and needy, and built schools, hospital, canteens and roads.  Shree Nityananda Education Trust (SNET) takes its inspiration from the Blessed Bhagawan Nityananda and continues that work in His name..

About SNET

Shree Nityananda Education Trust was founded in 2005 to provide basic educational, medical, and agricultural support to the impoverished communities in the Tansa River Valley of Maharashtra, India. Poverty, malnutrition, and disease are a way of life for many individuals in India and other third-world countries, but, with help, SNET can begin to turn this around, one individual and one village at a time.   Support in the form of a tax-free donation and/or hours of volunteer work will go far in increasing the quality of life for those living with the destructive effects of economic hardship and oppression. SNET strives to provide inspiration and hope to these communities through programs that encourage individuals and groups to become self-sustaining. Our fondest dream in any project is to be no longer needed.