Foreword

  I was born in the small village of Shri Timli in the rural Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India. Growing up, the entire village was like a family. People lived, worked, and shared life and all that it had to offer! The lives of people in Timli, just as in so many villages across this region, have not changed much over the last 50 years. But they increasingly struggle with the fundamental needs of life like education, skills, and economic opportunities. Many have been forced to leave their villages. The State Government estimates that around 80% of people have migrated from this rural region to towns and cities in search of work and a better life. I am myself one of those economic migrants. But Timli has something special which has enriched my life ever since I was a boy and it regularly brings me back home to where I truly belong...it's a school.

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Shri Timli Vidyapeeth was a school originally founded in 1882 by my great grandfather and others with a vision of reviving ancient Indian Vedic teachings combined with contemporary education. This school was the only recognized Sanskrit school in the region and in 1951, English was incorporated as a second language to meet the growing needs of the students. It was quite popular, attended by over 100 students around 40 years ago, and lauded for the high quality of education it provided. I still remember with pride my first day at that school. It's a very vivid memory for me.

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Over the years though, economic migration and the lack of investment from the Government took their toll and by 2013 just 3 students remained. This is a sad tale plaguing many rural village schools across the Himalayas.

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But I believe it doesn't have to be that way. I believe the people of Uttarakhand and the Himalayas have incredible resources available to them which often go unrecognized and unharnessed. Many people have lost the will and skill to manage their lives and land productively. The ancient Sanskrit teachings of our forefathers still have much value to teach us in this modern world. My great grandfather's vision is alive in my heart and is still just as relevant now as it was over 130 years ago.

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That is why I set up the Shri Timli Trust to reinvigorate that school as the flame that can rekindle the life opportunities for the students and their families. Through education and skills’ training the Trust aims to become a beacon of light to pave the way for our next generation. A path full of opportunities that don’t require them to leave their homelands, but allow them to stay back amidst nature. ​

There is reason to be hopeful, as the Trust now supports around 30 primary school children from over 20 villages and has trained hundreds of young people with modern ICT skills and thousands of students across Uttarakhand through outreach workshops. And we're not stopping there.

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I invite you to explore the work of the Trust and lend it your support and guidance. We can do this together, as we have learned, for wise men, all the world is family.

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With best wishes

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Ashish Dabral

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Founder and President

Shri Timli Trust