Arvind last visited the school in March 2005

I have had the profound privilege of supporting Nirvana school for many years now, ever since I made a very short trip to the school in Nov 1997. The heavy monsoon rain meant that our visit that time was just for an hour. At the time, I promised Vinu Massi that one day, I would return and help her at the school.

In early 2000, I was at a point in my life when I could just pack my bags and go to Pondicherry for a month. I didn't really know what to expect and I was worried about things which now seem so petty - such as will there be hot water for showers and what will I be eating! But I need not have worried - once I got there, my outlook on life changed. As I was at the airport, leaving for Pondicherry, someone said that it was going to be a life changing experience - and how!

There were all these people around Nirvana school who seemed so happy - and yet they had so little, compared to me. And best of all, the children gave me so much joy! I was really privileged to make a difference in their lives, even though it was only for a few days.

I soon realised that I could not fix things for these children - their standard of living was not going to improve dramatically over night, but I could make a difference by giving them a chance via better education.

My time at Nirvana school was a very humbling experience - I thought I was humble to start with, but now I definitely am! I did so little for the Nirvana kids and yet I got so much back.

Since returning from India in 2000, where possible I have shared my experiences about Nirvana school and my personal goal has been to get sponsorship for all the school children. It looks like this goal might be finally achieved in 2005, even though the number of pupils has gone up to around 350.

For just £60 a year, we can make a huge impact on the lives of the whole Nirvana community.

Please click here to learn how you can sponsor and support the Nirvana chidlren:-

sponsor a child today

I returned to the school in March 2005, along with 6 teachers from the American school in St Johns Wood and was amazed at how much progress the school has made.

This website, launched in October 2005, is a testimony to how the school looks like now and shows the progress made in the last 5 years. I have taken most of the images and video clips and these photos show the school and children as seen through my eyes. I hope you enjoy going through this website and thank you for sharing my journey, and that of the many other people who have visited the school.

I would once again like to take this opportunity to truly thank Vinu Massi and acknowledge the work she is doing. Having spent so much time with her and seeing what she has done, I can really appreciate what she has done for the Nirvana children.

India is not the easiest place to live and work for one used to life in the West. And yet Vinu massi has achieved so much almost single-handedly - I am not sure that even she fully appreciates the scale and scope of what she has created.

She has given so much love and brought joy to so many people. It is truly awesome.

Our objective in creating this website is to show others via Vinu Massi's example, just what we can achieve, if we put our heart and mind into doing something for others.

We CAN make this a better world!

Please contact me at :- arvind@nirvanacoaching.com