Friederike Irina Bruning , a 59 year old german national has become a guardian angel for around 1,200 cows which are mostly shunned, sick and injured.
In 1978 she landed from Berlin to India as a tourist during that time she had no faintest idea of what the future had in store for her. “I came as a tourist and understood that to progress in life, you need a guru. I went in search of a guru to Radha Kund,” she said.
Her life completely changed from that period of time when she bought a cow at the request of a neighbour. Bruning purchased books on cows and learnt Hindi. “I saw that people of late abandon their cows when they grow old and stop giving milk,” she said.
She started her cowshed known as “Surbhai Gauseva Niketan”. “They are like my children and I cannot leave them,” she stated referring to the family of cows and calves from the town of Radha Kund.
She would take complete care of any cow who reaches her gaushala by serving food and medicines. On expenditure, she stated Rs 22 lakh per month was required for medicines, foodgrain and salaries of about 60 workers.
“I have some property in Berlin. I get rent from that. Initially my father used to send some money, but now he is a senior citizen. Every year, I visit Berlin to see him. He is not well. I am not getting any help from the local authorities, but somehow managing my work,” she said. The other major matter of concern was her visa as the Indian government had not given her a long-term visa so she has to renew the visa yearly.
