Ashram Vinay Mandir is a historical residential school located across Sabaramati Gandhi Ashram, Ahmedabad, India, managed by Sabarmati Trust. 220 girls from most backward background stays in the hostel facility, since inception thousands of girls studied here and incorporated value based education in their lives.

Recently there were certain changes in the hostel management committee and one of the veteran warden mother (Baa) was in some distress against the changes. At the same time, our beloved Ani didi (Ani Devalia@London) happened to start volunteering in Vinay Mandir for the current year. Since last few years, she has done some amazing work with the hostel and built special bonding with the girls, staff and every person engaged with the hostel. This time, when she arrived the space was unsettled given Baa's disposition and Baa broke down in front of Ani didi. It took a while for the compassionate Anidi to understand the scenario and she was moved "how can I offer love, how can I make Baa feel comfortable in this difficult situation!" I am fortunate to witness the tears of compassion rolling Ani didi's eyes but at that instant she didn't have any solution but compassion... ​

A month later, before a week Ani di had to leave for UK, we met again and what she shared brought down tears of compassion in my (our) eyes. For last few days she was given a special class to engage with young lot of the hostel IXth graders in the school, and being one of the most amazing teacher I have known, she experimented in sharing and learning about the power of small acts of kindness ! In one of the session, she asked girls about writing letters of gratitude and love to someone close, and near and dear to us. Not knowing to whom and what the girls would write, she just trusted the process and planted the seeds. Post few days of exercise on kindness, she happened to witness the prayer ceremony in the hostel wherein Baa was reading out the letters in the assembly and tears of compassion were rolling down her eyes. Baa had received multiple letters from girls sharing how they love her, how they find their grandmother in Baa, how at times they found Baa a little harsh, but they love her care and concern for all. It was the same Baa who had tears of sadness a month back and now with tears of compassion, she opened up to girls profoundly and invited to rest their heads in her lap so that she can love them more..


"We can do no great things; only small things with great love- said and practiced Mother Teresa", I heard this quote many times and in this eco system witnessed its gravity too, possibly "great" is relative term but the power small things done with love is uncomparable. I feel grateful to Ani didi, for being a phenomenal teacher, she taught me and many others the lesson of power of small acts done with "great" love :)