Leherein Mission Statement
Our mission is to make a small difference in the world by lending a hand to the children in need and create waves of change.
Our Story
Where did it all begin?
Leherein was born not just as a thought, but as an aspiration, a dream, a mission!
In the beginning we were just a fun-loving dance group who would choreograph dance numbers for all ages to be performed at the local cultural events. To show the appreciation to our efforts the participants would want to give us some gifts. Instead of gifts for us we requested them to donate the amount towards orphanages in India.
This was a win-win situation wherein we did what we loved and ended up raising funds for a cause close to our heart. Little did we realize then that this will be our first step to Leherein’s journey of making a small difference in the world.
If there is anything we love as much as dancing, it’s cooking! In January 2001, after the earthquake in Gujarat, we swung into action and raised whooping $ 2500 by cooking for the fund raiser for earthquake relief.
And when we heard of the Kashmir earthquake, we did the same – this time with our earnings from dance classes
As our efforts grew, so did our dreams.
Abhalmaya
The dream was to start an orphanage in India for less fortunate children so that they grow up in a loving and caring home with a good education. Even though we are based in Boston, we made India our karmabhoomi because this is where we had grown up and we realized that since dollar goes a long way in India, we can have a wider impact with limited funds there.
And thus, began our long and at times frustrating journey to realizing our dream.It took few vexing years of maneuvering a labyrinth of bureaucracy and misinformation. These endless obstacles often bogged us down, but we never lost sight of our dream. We refused to follow the numerous “under the table” tactics, suggested by government officials and kept an unshakeable faith in ourselves through this difficult time.
During our journey in pursuit of our dream, we met many people. Some were like us – with the intention to do something good and others, well not so much!
One of the fondest success stories of this journey is when we were able to provide a temporary housing for girls who were studying then in class 10. These girls would travel long miles everyday to attend their school. Their study time was taken away by the time spent in the travel. To help them, we put together a housing facility near their school.The housing provided the girls with a comfortable place to live, nutritious meals every day, and above all time to study and succeed.
We reached yet another milestone in 2010. With the tremendous help and support of many like-minded people we were able to start “Abhal Maya” (“abhal” means sky and “maya” means love in Marathi language) – a loving home for ten children who lived in villages. Apart from the love, care and nutrition that they deserve, we also supported the education of these children for two years.
Stepping Stones for Balsadan
Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. In 2012, we were introduced to the IIM Trust (Investment in Man Trust), a well-established non-profit organization in Pune. IIM is agroup dedicated to working towards the betterment of society through various projects. One of their projects is Balsadan, a home for underprivileged and orphaned children.
Our first visit to Balsadan was a life-altering experience. The kids there looked extremely happy and well taken care of. The most striking thing was to see the kids there little spoiled, willful, and happy, like children in any other home with their parents. This helped us takethe important next step.
We decided to go under the umbrella of IIM Trust,since we not only loved what we experienced but we were also convinced that they already had all the systems in place. In the beginning, we supported ten children, but since 2018, we are supporting the educational needs of about thirty girls.
You have to dream before your dreams come true – APJ Kalam.
The idea, the dream conceived in 2001, finally came to reality in 2012. It was 10+ years of relentless efforts, and earnest desire to make a difference that made this possible. Not an easy feat by any means.
The Dabba Revolution
Every good cause needs resources and financial support. After raising funds from many different sources we decided to organize our efforts. Thus, the innovative idea of the ‘Dabba’ revolution was born.
Dabba is the Hindi word for lunch box or tiffin box. Four times a year, our amazing Leherein team and some dedicated volunteers cook a delicious full course meal for almost 75+ Dabbas. One Dabba is a hearty meal for a family of four.
Over the years, a strong word of mouth has helped us build a huge mailing list. Leherein is grateful to all our Dabba supporters and our volunteers who are there to help when needed. We pride ourselves in the fact that each and every penny raised from the Dabba is dedicated towards Leherein – the cause that is very close to our heart!
Cooking for almost 300 people is back-breaking work. Leherein team works very hard for the success of our Dabba campaigns, we put our heart and soul in cooking a scrumptious meal for our supporters. We also have many generous donors! Without the Dabba supporters, donors and volunteers, our dream would just be a dream, we are very thankful to you all for making it a reality!
Leherein Team
Our Leherein team is a family of sixteen kind hearted and hard working women! Everyone juggles with job and family commitments but we always make time for Leherein. Leherein team works very hard but we also enjoy each and every moment of our time together! Cooking for almost 300 people is no easy task. But everyone works tirelessly for hours late into the night. All this, just to cook a delicious meal with those secret ingredients – tons of love and care!
In the last 15 years, much has changed, few people left, many others joined, and we grew from 7 members team to 16! But the underlying thought of helping children get a fair chance at education and a good life never changes. Today, our team supports thirty girls for their educational needs.
The Leherein team is proud of the fact that our hard earned money, funds the cause that is close to our heart!