Jadeine Shives, Eastern Philosophy, yoga, india, inpiration, spiritual journey

PHOTO: (from left) Madan Gurdial, President of 1008 Wells, presents winners Barbara Verchot of Winter Springs, Mary Elmendorf of Sarasota, Nathaly Hewawasam of Celebration awards for their global humanitarian efforts accompanied by Jadeine Shives, Founder of 1008 Wells.

Bringing shelter and aid to victims of natural disasters continents away, providing accessible drinking water to parched areas of Southeast Asia or offering blankets, food, clean water and education to impoverished villagers in the remote hills of Northwest Thailand.

These ideals are not beauty-pageant pipe dreams, but initiatives by local women undertaking global outreach.

During an event this month called Passionate Pursuits, A Celebration of International Women's Day, 23 women across Central Florida from 15 to 97 years old were honored for spearheading global humanitarian initiatives.

The event at the Orlando Marriott Downtown in Orlando was sponsored by the 1008 Wells Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Champions Gate that helps build freshwater wells in India.

Nathaly Hewawasam, 15, of Celebration, Barbara Verchot, 52, of Winter Springs and Mary Elmendorf, 88, of Sarasota were presented with the organization's first Global Women's Humanitarian Award for their international outreach efforts.

" What the award is doing is recognizing local women doing global things," said Jadeine Shives, founding chairwoman of the organization. "We wanted to recognize these women that considered their family beyond the borders of their backyard."

Nominees came mainly from Central Florida but also included women from as far south as Fort Lauderdale and as far north as Palm Coast.

Shives said the honorees came from a mix of cultural and religious backgrounds and their outreach efforts were aimed at countries across the globe, including Israel, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Africa and South America.

Nathaly, a sophomore at Gateway High School in Kissimmee, took home the junior award for raising $4,200 last year for the construction of six homes for tsunami victims in her mother country of Sri Lanka.

This year, she established a global student service organization at Gateway High called the Kids Aid Society. The organization raises capital for future global disasters and is searching for sponsorship for 52 needy or orphaned students in Sri Lanka.

Nathaly, who also recently published a book titled Waldo to raise money for the student sponsorship project, said that as global citizens, everyone can make a difference in the lives of others.
" I think it's important because we can think of ourselves as residents of the world, and that's how we should think of ourselves. We're all humanity. We need to take care of each other," she said.
Verchot, trained as an artist and an educator, is founder and president of Wings of Peace International, a nonprofit organization with the mission of bringing aid to marginalized people as a steppingstone toward world peace.

During the past 10 years, Verchot has been bringing blankets, food, water and livestock to the mountain villages of northwest Thailand. She has also raised money to help supply the area with water systems and school dormitories.

Verchot said bringing humanitarian aid to these impoverished tribes, who often lack the basics for survival, is a one-on-one move toward international diplomacy.

" When you bring peace to an individual -- giving them basic sustenance for life and just looking into their eyes -- you're fostering international relationships. People will always know that there are Americans that care about them," Verchot said. "It's not a political agenda, it's a peace agenda."
Elmendorf, winner of the lifetime achievement award, has spent more than 50 years bringing people around the world clean, fresh water as well as education about sanitation.

Elmendorf was the first woman to become director of a CARE overseas program. As director of CARE in Mexico between 1952 and 1960, she oversaw a pilot project to bring drinking water to residents and designed a self-help and community-development program.

The project became a model for what CARE is today, said Elmendorf, who helped design the organization's first water supply and sanitation project. Elmendorf also worked with CARE in Latin America, where she was involved in Peace Corps training, as well as in Haiti, where she negotiated a school feeding program.

In 1982 she won the Margaret Mead Award for applying the principles of anthropology to human concerns, and in 1997 she was one of the first female delegates to the United Nations conference on water resources in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

Shives said that she became motivated to raise local awareness about global outreach when she realized that only about 2 percent of fundraising for charity in the United States goes outside U.S. borders.

Her own organization, which partners with the international nonprofit organization World Neighbors, recently completed construction of a drinking-water system in West Bengal, India, which will give 120 people easy access to clean water.

" Where the women before had to literally climb a mountain to get to a water source at the top, now they're able to spend more time nurturing their families, doing handicrafts and working in the garden, which is irrigated by the water," Shives said.

She noted that villagers are now able to buy extra food, clothing and other basic necessities as well as start up a community-run savings-and-loan.

" It really is amazing the difference that one well can make," she said.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.

1008 Blessings Pour Forth from Indian Well!!!
Hindu University of America was there from the start.

New well in Sinji Gram Panchayat, West Bengal sponsored by
Hindu University of America, 1008 Wells Foundation and World Neighbors

The village of Sinji Gram Panchayat in West Bengal, India has a new source of clean drinking water for its 120 residents thanks to the combined partnership of the Hindu University of America, 1008 Wells Foundation, and World Neighbors. A gravity flow dinking water system funded by a $2500 gift from HU has helped the villagers address one of the main causes of poverty, hunger and disease in the village. 1008 Wells forwarded the funding to World Neighbors for training and hardware while the local residents proudly offered their talents and labor during construction.

“It is amazing how a nightmare turned into a dream, and then into real blessings,” bubbled Jadeine Shives, author and founder of the 1008 Wells Foundation. Inspired during a pilgrimage throughout India in 2001, Ms. Shives started the non-profit 1008 Wells Foundation to raise awareness and funding for freshwater wells in India. Seeing firsthand the polluted water source of many rural villages, she vowed to make a difference for those desolate communities who held her heart captive. “I was haunted by terrifying nightmares reliving the heartbreaking conditions which are the daily reality for thousands. I had to do something, though at the time I didn’t have an idea where to even begin.”

Ms. Shives eventually wrote a chronicle of her spiritual experiences realized during that pilgrimage as a catalyst for change. Proceeds from Digging a Well to Heaven (www.MysticalLotusPress.com) are used to raise funding for the Indian well projects. Sharing her dreams with others and building strong foundations on their support, the 1008 Wells Foundation sprang to life. The Hindu University of America holds the honor of funding the first well project.

She goes further to state, “Lack of safe, accessible water is one of the greatest health hazards facing these marginal communities … especially the woman and children. Large portions of the women’s day are spent in the back-breaking work of collecting water from limited sources often hours away. By offering the financial backing generously donated by sponsors like Hindu University of America, 1008 Wells offers a hand up in partnership with the villagers, not a hand out.”

“Partnerships are our source of strength,” adds Madan Gurdial, President of 1008 Wells. We raise the funds and direct it to other NGO’s, like World Neighbors, with decades of experience in the affected regions. Working with marginalized people, we help them help themselves. The village council can now meet their basic needs and achieve sustainable development in the fragile ecology surrounding them. More than just a technical solution to the problem of insufficient safe drinking water, the well project also provides a sense of pride and is the spring board for other community development activities.”

Pooling together small amounts of their own monetary resources, the village council organized a saving and credit group to generate needed funds for future repairs of the well systems. Comprised of and led by women, these “water groups” also use these funds as micro-loans to start income generating projects or acquire health care possibilities. It is through World Neighbors’ training and assistance that visionary actions like this replace the previous day-to-day survivalist mode of the village. Past experience shows that the income and overall wellbeing of these families improve often leading to further development activities.

Yes, sometimes nightmares do lead to dreams and then to blessings. In the village of Sinji Gram Panchayat, a gravity flow drinking water system is testament to the 1008 blessings flowing for the residents of this once thirsty village and the Hindu University of America was their answer to their prayers!

For more information on how you or your civic organization may sponsor a well project please visit www.1008wells.org or call 407-460-7276.

More information on Hindu University of America may be found at www.hindu-university.edu or by calling 407-275-0013. Further information on World Neighbors may be found at www.wn.org or by calling 1-800-242-6387.

Hurricane Wilma in Florida Fills Freshwater Wells in India!!!

1008 Wells Foundation Joins Partnership with World Neighbors

Twenty-two Indian well projects pledged over the next two years

While the wind howled at speeds of sixty miles an hour and over eight inches of rain fell on Central Florida thanks to Hurricane Wilma, villagers in India probably never guessed that one day a freshwater well would manifest in their village from an agreement made in the United States on that fateful day. On Monday, Oct. 24, the 1008 Wells Foundation pledged over $32,000 in funding over the next two years to World Neighbors for freshwater well projects in India.

“I’ve always heard that rain is a blessing from the heavenly realms, especially in the drier regions of India. Well today we are experiencing a multitude of blessings and well wishes from above on this new partnership,” shared Jadeine Shives, founder of the 1008 Wells Foundation, “Yes, it is a joyous celebration with thunder as applause and bolts of lightning for fireworks!”

The nonprofit, nonsectarian organization based near Orlando, FL raises awareness and funding for freshwater wells in India. Motivated to make a difference in the lives of the outer villages, her inspiration was born from a pilgrimage throughout India back in 2001. “It was heart wrenching to see women traveling for great lengths carrying heavy loads of water home to their families knowing this back-breaking work occupied the majority of their day. I made a vow that somehow, some day I would come back and dig wells . . . though I really didn’t have any idea how or when that might happen. I just knew I needed to do something!”

After organizing a group of other like-minded individuals who realized that they too could be a local person making a global impact, the 1008 Wells Foundation was formed. “We had a purpose, a plan, and even funding. What we needed next was another organization in India that could oversee the construction. That’s where World Neighbors came into the picture.”

World Neighbors is a nonprofit organization with over fifty years experience in India serving as a catalyst for positive change through grassroots efforts in marginal communities. As an international leader in participatory and integrated development strategies, they assist village councils to identify problems, take collective action and assess results. Rather than doing the work for the beneficiaries, World Neighbors helps participants form local groups to progressively take on more responsibility for program activities as their capacities increase. This way, participants become the driving force behind the development initiatives and have a vested interest in continuing the efforts long after the original financial support by 1008 Wells Foundation is received.

“World Neighbors is proud to be associated with the 1008 Wells Foundation,” said Melanie MacDonald, president and chief executive officer of World Neighbors. “This partnership is yet another example of how we are inspiring people to help strengthen communities throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. Access to clean, safe drinking water is so vital to a person’s – and a community’s – well being. The wells provided through 1008 Wells Foundation will allow villagers that access.”

Madan Gurdial, President of 1008 Wells Foundation shared his determination in reaching the auspiciously numbered goal, “When we said 1008 wells, it was us giving our word to the Universe. It’s a promise we made - a sacred promise to all the faces in 1008 villages though we may never get the opportunity to meet. Their souls know our souls and are counting on us. This partnership with World Neighbors is our first major step in keeping our word.”

Sharing how others can join the partnership and bring those wells to reality, Madan went further. “Now here is the truth. We cannot do this alone. We need you, your support, your encouragement and your enthusiasm. I am sure that you are aware that the best feelings you’ve ever felt in your life were created by participating in something that had nothing to do with you and everything to do with helping others. So my request is that you jump in and treat yourself to some good feelings. We’ll have fun creating the future together.”

With great enthusiasm, Ms. Shives shared that the fist well project has been completed. The Hindu University of America, also in Orlando, FL, sponsored a gravity flow drinking water system for the village of Sinji Gram Panchayat in West Bengal. “The one hundred and twenty residents of this remote community now have a real chance at making a difference in the war on poverty, hunger and disease that is caused by the lack of clean drinking water. It’s a great feeling being a part of something larger than just our limited selves. You should try it. One well can change hundreds of lives, not to mention your own!”

The 1008 Wells Foundation raises funds through private and corporate sponsorships, fundraising events, speaking engagements and proceeds generated from Digging a Well to Heaven, the Founder’s story behind the inspiration experienced on that now infamous pilgrimage to India of 2001. For more information on how you or your civic organization may sponsor a well project please visit htt://www.1008wells.org or call 407-460-7276.

# # #

Hindu University of

America

Sponsors First Well Project!

In May of 2005, Jadeine Shives had the wonderful opportunity to speak with a few of the Directors of the Hindu University of America concerning the fresh water wells project. Sponsorship for the first well was embraced with a check for $2500.00 from Hindu University written to World Neighbors for the purpose of funding a gravity flow drinking water system in West Bengal, India.

Upon completion of construction scheduled for November 2005, the village of Sinji Gram Panchayat with its 160 residents will have a reliable and sustainable source of clean drinking water. A press release was distributed on May 23, 2005 announcing the donation.

On July 7, 2005 an article appeared in the Orlando Sentinel news publication describing the 1008 Wells Foundations inspirational beginning, the immediate success since its inception, and an intimate look at its Founder and Chairman, Jadeine Shives.

Before Jadeine Shives of Davenport was handed a diploma for her master's degree in Hindu Philosophies at Hindu University of America, Shives participated in a prayer ceremony in which a flame representing the light of knowledge was offered to Shree Vishnumaya Durga Ma, the Hindu goddess of learning.

Ornamented for the occasion in a traditional Indian sari and red bindi on her forehead made of sacred red powder called kum kum, the blond, fair-skinned Shives participated in the graduation ceremony June 25 along with doctoral graduate Mona Khaitan of Wellesley, Mass.

It was the second graduation ceremony at Hindu University of America's east Orange County campus, which opened in 2001.

The degree is a spiritual benchmark for Shives, 42, who earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Central Florida in 1991.

"I got my bachelor's degree to earn a living. I got my master's degree for love of divinity," she said.

The new graduate recently wrote and self-published a book, Digging a Well to Heaven, which documents her six-week pilgrimage to India in 2001, including her journey through rocky, water-starved regions of the country where she saw women trekking for miles with earthen pots on their heads to collect a trickle of water for their villages.

Shives, who has practiced the Vedic traditions of Hinduism for the past 15 years, said she was divinely inspired to write the book in November to raise awareness about the need for fresh water in parched regions of

India

In June, she and her husband, Tony, initiated The 1008 Wells Foundation in order to earmark book-sale proceeds for digging wells in

India

. Each wells costs about $3,000. Shives is coordinating the project through the nonsectarian, nonprofit organization World Neighbors.

Although her book is not scheduled for release until the end of July, a private donor gave Hindu University the funds to sponsor construction of a gravity-flow drinking-water system in West Bengal that will sustain a village of 160. The water system, the first of many wells Shives plans to get off the ground, should be completed in the fall, she said.

Shives said that in a spiritual sense, digging a well is a metaphor for persisting until enlightenment is reached.

"Once you reach the waters, it is the sweet, spiritual waters that sustain you," Shives said.

In her book, Shives also describes her spiritual pilgrimage to India, where she was among a stream of 70 million visitors at the Maha Kumbha Mela, a festival in the northern city of Allahabad, in January and February of 2001. The festival is a two-month celebration of God.

As part of the journey, she also visited Hindu temples, listened to swamis who came out of seclusion to speak about their spiritual realizations and bathed in the sacred Ganges River with 34 million other celebrants on the high bathing day.

Although Shives' global mission is to bring fresh water to the arid regions of India, she daily taps into a wellspring of divinity in all its forms through Hinduism.

Shives, who was reared in Kissimmee and grew up as a Lutheran, discovered the Vedic philosophy underlying Hinduism when a friend of hers "dragged" her to a yoga class 15 years ago. She was immediately impressed by the philosophy that accompanied the physical aspects of yoga.

From there, she dived into the study of meditation and the ancient Indian principles of holistic health called Ayurveda. She then pursued self-study of the religion for years before enrolling in classes at Hindu University in August 2002.

"Once I started taking classes, that whole knowledge base that I had been searching for was right there," said Shives, who noted that students from all backgrounds and cultures can enroll. "It was like another world opened up to me. Something deep inside me said, 'You found it; you found your home.' "

Shives, who works as marketing manager at the university, said some days she comes to work wearing a sari, and some days she wears office clothes. Because of her knowledge of both Eastern and Western cultures and religions, Shives sees herself as a link between the two.

"I'm like this bridge between cultures -- having an American face but a love of Hinduism," she said. Shives said she was drawn to the ancient religion in large part because it acknowledges that there are many paths to the one God.

"Hinduism is very faith-accommodating and allows for the unique celebration of the individual's preferred form of divinity. They [religions] all have their place," Shives said. "I have a penchant for all things in divinity. I am just at home sitting in the temple, mosque, synagogue or under a tree -- it's all the same."

Shives explained that Hindus believe in a universal, supreme divinity known as Brahman, but that there are many aspects to this divinity that are expressed through different gods and goddesses.

"That way, we can have a relationship with God in the form that resonates within us the best," said Shives, noting that her personal Ishta Devata, or most beloved form of divinity, is the elephant-like Ganesha, the lord of knowledge and remover of obstacles.

The Hindu philosophy of Advaita Vedanta -- the idea that everything in creation is created from divinity and is therefore divine -- also resonated with Shives, who said her father had a similar life philosophy.

For more information about her book or to donate to the well-digging project, call Shives at 407-460-7276. For information about Hindu University, visit hindu-university.edu.

Numerous magazines and other news publications have offered to review the book upon its completion providing even broader coverage for the 1008 Wells Foundation. The benefit of such generous opportunities for raising public awareness with their readership is enormous.

Promoting the incredible changes the wells projects make in remote villages across India is inspiring many to participate in large and small ways. As the articles appear, we will include them on this web site.