SOHAMINDIA is a consulting firm. It is a natural evolution of SOHAM – “Social Orientation to Human Aspirations through Meditation,” a not-for-profit organization active between 2005 and 2014. SOHAMINDIA strives to work for social causes and contribute to community enrichment.

SOHAMINDIA LEGACY

It all started in 2005, founded by its founder with a group of like-minded people. They formed a not-for-profit organization called Social Orientation to Human Aspirations Through Meditation (SOHAM) in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It aimed to empower children and their communities, supporting health and education through the practice of meditation.

SOHAM began its journey with the establishment of a home for neglected children called SOHAM VISHVAS GHAR. Fourteen children who had no families or whose families had neglected them were accommodated in a familiar atmosphere in Ghatti Village of Solan District, Himachal Pradesh. The children were accompanied by a couple who provided care, love, and the warmth of a family under the overall supervision of SOHAM's founder (a trained and professionally qualified social worker). SOHAM helped them cope with the traumatic experiences of their lives and supported the development of their inner selves through the practice of meditation.

    A basic package of education, health, recreation, counseling, and vocational training was provided to all the children. Boarding and lodging facilities were provided with the aim of grooming them with healthy physical and spiritual food. There were two meditation sessions specially organized for all the home's residents, both at 6:30 am in the morning and 7:30 pm in the evening. Over time, the children became disciplined and punctual in their daily routines. They learned to sing bhajans and participate in meditation sessions, which helped them excel in school activities like bhajans, sports, and other extracurricular activities.

During its survey in different villages in and around Solan district, SOHAM found that children, especially girls in rural areas, were deprived of opportunities for better education due to being overburdened with household chores. The SOHAM VISHVAS GHAR home evidently showed SOHAM that children's problems were interlinked with multiple complex issues in the family and community, primarily poverty, alcoholism, gender discrimination, and lack of education. There were many efforts by the government to provide bookish knowledge and school curriculum, which did not prepare them to cope with new societal challenges, especially for girls. Therefore, there was a need to provide extra inputs for school-going and out-of-school children to develop their life skills. SOHAM opened a Vocational Training Centre for women.

SOHAM started this program for girls and women in and around SOHAM VISHVAS GHAR in April 2007. They were given training in sewing, toy making, and showpiece making by a skilled teacher engaged for this purpose. Ten ladies were selected based on their low family income backgrounds. They were trained for 8 months until October 2007. The program continued from April to October 2008. In 2009, the Department of Extension from the Local Block Development office sanctioned a Sewing Centre for this region. SOHAM distributed a sewing machine to all the 10 enrolled ladies who successfully completed the course along with a learning certificate in April 2010. In total, SOHAM has imparted the skill to almost 30 ladies in the region until 2012.

SOHAM SUPPORTED VISHVAS SEVA KENDRA AT KUMARHATTI

The VISHVAS Foundation Dagshai started a school for children of the labor class community. These were migratory populations from UP, Bihar, and upper Shimla, often unskilled workers catering to construction needs in the area. With no ration card or any other proof of their identity, their children do not get admission in government schools, resulting in them wandering around. Their nutritional, recreational, health, and other needs were compromised because of the parents' engagements at work. SOHAM supported VISHVAS Foundation, Dagshai in starting a Vidhya Mandir for all such children aged 5 to 14 years at Kumarhatti, a town midway between Solan and Chandigarh on the Shimla National Highway. This school started in July 2005 and continued until 2017.

COMPUTER CENTRE FOR GIRLS OF VISHVAS SEVA KENDRA, KUMARHATTI

Parents in rural areas do not send their girls to schools or colleges after 8th, 10th, or 12th class due to economic, social, and other reasons. They prefer girls to study through the open school system, giving them time to attend to family chores as well. To equip them with at least one earning skill, a computer training centre was opened in April 2006 at Kumarhatti. Girls from low-income families who had studied until at least 8th standard were given admission. A well-qualified teacher imparted computer skills to all the students. Till 2012, approximately 180 students received training in this center. SOHAM was involved in overseeing, guiding, and coordinating this center.