FROM left, Sarwan Budhu, Bramchari Vidur, Sylvia and Jay Sobraj, Naresh Singh and Ashram IT trainer Shyam Sundar.

These friends have been making contributions to several institutions in Guyana for years, but they all agree that service to the Ashram provides them with immeasurable happiness and satisfaction, mainly because the contribution the Ashram has made to the academic and spiritual development of countless persons throughout its existence is immeasurable and unquantifiable.

Jay, who says that the group works very closely with Swami Vidyanandaji of the New York branch of the Sangha, said he visited the Cove and John Ashram during Shivratri celebrations in 1996 and was amazed at the throngs converging, as though on pilgrimage, at the Ashram, and he opined that this is in itself an indication of how special the Ashram is to Hindus. Even non-Hindus return to give thanks to this amazing institution which gave them an enviable start in life, and to which they ascribe their success. The more than 500 participants who have graduated from the free lessons provided at the Pranav Computer Training Centre comprise persons across divides of age, gender, race, religion and creed.

Attentive participants listen keenly as IT expert, Mr. Naresh Singh, explains the theories of IT.

After 18 months he returned to London, where he met and married Sylvia, who was a nurse. He subsequently left for the United Arab Emirates, where he worked for 12 years with the National Petroleum Company.

Isolated from family, Jay and wife Sylvia decided to relocate to the USA, where most of their relatives were based, and where they established their real estate holdings. Sylvia was the half of the couple with close ties to the Ashram, because her entire family were educated at the Swami Purnanandaji Primary School and the Hindu College, as were Sarwan Budhu and his relatives, because they lived in proximity to the school.

Sarwan says that the Ashram contributed to his academic and spiritual development and credits all his success to this amazing institution. He is adamant that no other educational institution could have moulded him into the rounded personality that the society deems he has, and he needs to return some of the fruits of his success so that mission of the Ashram can be perpetuated,

Naresh Singh said that his parents refused to consider any other option but the Swami Purnanandaji Primary School and the Hindu College for academic pursuits of himself and his siblings, but while he chose to commute from Georgetown every day his three brothers stayed at the dormitory.

Although his family migrated since 1977 to the USA, where he found immense success, he wants to make a positive difference because he never forgot the time that he spent at the Ashram and he is an integral part of this dynamic thrust which has brought the IT capacity of the Sangha to become the most advanced, state-of-the art computer lab in the country.

Naresh has trained young Shyam Sundar, who is the IT trainer at the Ashram. The current seminar also offers the services of Corel draw expert, Christopher Ramlakhan.

Deputy administrator of the Ashram, Bramchari Vidur, has also prevailed upon the group to join local entrepreneurs, JOSHIL, Melsha, and LEN’S to renovate and refurbish the dormitory. This current seminar commenced yesterday and will conclude on Saturday.