What does success look like?
In stewarding the Africa Vulnerable Children Project, this question comes up for me often, and I strongly suspect the question doesn’t come from Life but from that egocentric, karmically conditioned voice in my head! I decided to conduct an experiment and sit with this question regarding the Bridge Walk and the Girls Program.
Here is how it goes when that question has been filtered through the lens of egocentric karmic conditioning:
1) We met our goals in Team 150K. The perfect number of teams signed up, and we raised the exact amount of money we wanted to.
2) Each girl showed a lot of improvement in her exams, proving that the way we changed the program this year was right!
And through the lens of conscious, compassionate awareness?
1) How exciting it was to participate in planning Team150K this year! What a tremendous opportunity to get to see the resistance of conditioning and participate in this way. Such a privilege to support the project and Sangha in this way, and what a joy it was to plan the calls with the team in Kantolomba!
2) Wow, these girls have a lot to navigate in their schools between class size, curriculum, and where they are expected to be when they walk in the door. How grateful I am to each of them for showing up each day and trying. How grateful I am for our teachers, who have such love and dedication in supporting each of the girls in the best way they can. How grateful for this program that provides a safe place for them to go to each day to receive a nourishing meal, guidance, and support to assist them in their studies and their lives.
Gassho,
Sreedevi