Hello, friends!
I'm writing with some bittersweet news: I'm winding down this Buy Me a Coffee page (for now). I've cancelled all active memberships, so no one will be charged again.
After 20 months of travel across 15 countries, I've finally returned to Canada, which means this part of the Shifting Gears project is now on pause.
Before I go, I want to share what we were able to do together with the funds raised here. This is your impact as much as mine.
🏫 A school in Bodh Gaya, India
Eighty children who likely otherwise wouldn't have an education are given a chance thanks to Sudhir. The school operates in a semi-enclosed space and continues to need support. A friend and I are leading an initiative to keep it running and upgrade critical infrastructure.
With your support, we provided the kids with healthy snacks on several visits, and purchased backpacks and uniforms to keep them warm through winter (some kids were showing up without shoes). We also rebuilt the administrative room from an unsecured, unusable space into a securely reinforced room where teaching equipment can be stored and staff have a desk to work.
Follow the school here: https://www.facebook.com/vkidsfamilyschool.com.au
You can see a draft of a video in progress to support the school here.
Some of the 80 children at the school in Bodh Gaya.
The admin room with Sudhir, upgrade in progress.
🏔️ Ganesh's kitchen in Nepal
In Nepal, I met a yogi named Ganesh who hosted me for a few days. He dreams of building an ashram on his land and lives simply with his sister. They produce most of their food on their own land. Their kitchen burned wood for fuel and was unventilated, so I gave Ganesh $200 in seed funds to ventilate the kitchen and buy construction supplies for his building projects (he had only a few tools when I visited, including a rusty saw).
An unventillated kitchen needing upgrade
Ganesh with his sisters in rural Nepal
🍛 Meals across India
During my motorcycle trip across India, I bought meals for strangers along the way (anywhere from 5 to 30 at a time), handed out to those in need. Hundreds of people were fed this way.
We also provided a day's dinner to 200 sadhus (spiritual renunciates) and others in need in the spiritual city of Tiruvannamalai.
The Sadhus of Tiruvannamalai
🌸 Little Flower school, Kodaikanal
$400 was donated to Little Flower, a Montessori school connected to a Buddhist zendo (Kanzeon Zendo) I visited in Kodaikanal. Started by Zen master Ama Samy, it's run entirely by local staff, educates around 100 children, and operates entirely on donations.
The quality of the staff, education, and facilities was remarkable, and I know the money goes to good use — evening tutoring spaces, supplements for the children, a stipend program for the elderly, and general support for a small community outside Kodaikanal.
Learn more: https://kanzeonzendo.in/little-flower/
Children learning in the Montessori method.
🤝 Helping a friend recover
A friend I met in Bodh Gaya (who also supports NGOs and local initiatives) was in a bike accident when a truck tire blew out beside him, leaving him concussed and unable to work. He supports his aging and unwell parents as well as an orphaned nephew. With limited social programs in India, these funds helped him stay afloat (including getting needed medical care) while he recovered.
🌱 What's next
Any remaining funds will continue to support the school project in Bodh Gaya, as Peter and I work on further improvements — electrical upgrades, teacher salaries, a nutritional program, school supplies, and enhanced security. If you'd like to keep supporting this work, reply to this post or reach out and we can arrange something directly.
I started this project to prove that the combined effort of people around the globe can truly make an impact; a ripple of love as I say. As this chapter comes to a close, I can honestly say I feel that.
I've seen the hundreds of smiling faces that came from your support, and I'm incredibly grateful to have been the conduit through which it could happen. I plan to keep initiatives like this going in the future to connect people, and show how we can collectively raise consciousness and be sources of goodness in the world.
Thank you, and I love you,
Adam