Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the founder of AIM for Seva?

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, visionary, profound thinker, writer and an eminent scholar of Vedanta and Sanskrit, is the founder of AIM for Seva.

What does Seva mean?

Seva (pronounced sayvaa) is a Sanskrit word that does not quite have a direct equivalent in English in its true sense.  The nearest description is “selfless, deep, heartfelt service to an entity or noble cause without expecting anything in return except the welfare of the beneficiary.”

Is AIM for Seva a religious organization?

AIM for Seva’s programs are truly secular. We reach out to all people in need regardless of religion, community or nationality.

Who runs the AIM for Seva projects throughout India?

Students and devotees of Swami Dayananda Saraswati committed to seva coordinate and administer our projects.

What are the core areas of work that the organization is involved in?

The main focus of AIM for Seva is education, particularly in tribal and rural areas. We also have health care projects wherever possible.

Why is AIM for Seva building chatralaya, or free student homes, and not schools to provide education?

Building a school in each village requires large-scale economic and human resources. Also, it is very difficult to get qualified, trained teachers willing to work in tribal and rural areas. Therefore, our chatralaya are a more viable option.

How do you select the students for these homes?

A cluster of 10-15 villages are first identified in a particular area. We visit the government school in that area, announce our intention to start a student home, and explain the idea behind it. We invite applications from children who are in need of support.

The criteria of selection are:

• Children from families below the poverty line
• Lack of access to schools
• Coming from dysfunctional homes

We create a short list of the most deserving students based on the above criteria, and then visit their homes to verify the information before we admit them.

How do you get the consent of parents?

We meet the parents of the children and explain the importance of education, the concept of a free student home, and the philosophy of AIM for Seva and its founder.

What is the age range of children you admit?

Normally, we admit children between the ages of 8 and 12 years. They stay with us until they complete class 12. We prefer taking students from a lower grade so that they stay with us for at least three to four years. This gives us the greatest opportunity to help them grow into responsible and honest citizens of India.

Are there any legal issues while enrolling children into the chatralaya?

At the time of admitting a child, we require that the parents sign the application form, which implies their consent for keeping the child in our chatralaya. This helps us avoid any legal implications for having their child(ren) under our care.

Who are the caretakers at the chatralaya?

We have regional coordinators who administer two or more student homes in a particular area. Specially trained wardens manage the day-to-day running of the homes.

How do you facilitate education for girls?

AIM for Seva is highly committed to educating girls. We have dedicated 20 of our 104 free student homes exclusively to educating girls.

Do you charge any fees to the students?

No. AIM for Seva student homes provide complete care, including clean living quarters, nutritious food, regular health checkups, school needs, clothes, extra coaching in academics, sports, yoga, and much more, all free of cost.

How often do students visit their families?

We encourage parents to visit their children at specified intervals. Students go home to their parents for Deepavali and during summer vacation.

Is institutionalization of children desirable?

While it is most desirable for children to stay with their parents, factors such as lack of access to schools, lack of awareness of the importance of education, and difficult or problematic family circumstances necessitate that students stay in an environment conducive to personal and intellectual development. Our free student homes provide this important environment.

How is a chatralaya different from a hostel?

Generally, a hostel is a place that simply offers meals and lodging. Our chatralaya not only provide our students with these basic necessities, but also provide all that is required for the healthy upbringing of a child. Our holistic approach and programming serves to address the developmental needs of children in three main areas: emotional security, cognitive and intellectual skill building, and overall character building.

The nurturing and supportive environment of our chatralaya helps to solidify the students’ emotional well-being. Private academic tutoring and computer and language classes support children’s intellectual growth. Our values and ethics focus helps ensure that students become caring, responsible citizens of India.