I, along with my Servas parents - Abhay & Sunita, recently had a chance to meet Aviram and Yorit in the international township of Auroville, India. Aviram and Yorit are originally from Israel and have made India their home. They first came to India back in 1998 (from Israel) and traveled on a bike throughout India thanks to Servas!
They are the founders of Sadhana Forest, Auroville, India (2003) - an off-the-grid, eco-conscious, vegan, natural learning community that has inspired many communities and projects around the world.
Sadhana Forest is a volunteer-based, international not-for-profit organization primarily focused on reforestation and water conservation through sustainable living practices, located in Auroville, India. They aim to teach local communities and volunteers about environmental renewal by actively regenerating the endangered Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF) through planting trees and managing water resources; the project also operates in Haiti, Kenya, and Namibia.
In my conversation with Aviram, he was very grateful to Servas for creating opportunities for travel and hosting. He sees great overlap and alignment with the values of Servas and Sadhana Forest namely.
1. They operate on 'Gift Culture' - meaning that they're non-commercial organizations - promoting trust over transaction-based relationships. Sadhana Forest has grown with the generosity and kindness of many.
2. They are working towards a more peaceful, compassionate world and recognize human unity while respecting diversity and promoting cultural understanding.
Both are a global community of volunteers and travelers committed to creating a more beautiful world.
3. Sadhana Forest would be very welcoming of Servas guests from around the world to come for long-term volunteering/internship stays (minimum 2 weeks) and who are more interested in environmental sustainability, veganism, natural learning, intentional community living, etc.
To know more - https://sadhanaforest.org/
To arrange for your visit and volunteering, email -
Written by - Vipul Shaha, Servas India