The Government of India has recognised Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s significant work to uplift India’s tribal people in the fields of education, health and e-literacy. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has given the university the title of ‘Centre of Excellence in Tribal Empowerment through Digital Inclusion’.
The Honorable Prime Minister of India and the UN Secretary-General presented Amma with a special award at a prestigious gathering in Delhi yesterday. The honor is in recognition for having made the largest financial contribution to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, the most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government of India.
In the wake of monsoon floods that took the lives of nearly 500 people, Amma addressed how Keralites were able to forget their divisions of income and religion and instead unite. She said, in fact, an ocean of compassion arose so that thousands and thousands could support each other to survive this natural disaster and find ways to rebuild their lives.
VIDEO: AMMACHI Labs leverages skill development to address the problem of sanitation in India. They train women in masonry skills to build their own toilets and, at the same time, teach them about the importance of toilet use, hygiene and sanitation. Such occupations are traditionally considered to be for men, so for the women, it is a huge step forward.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amma spoke via video-conference on how to continue work to address environmental and cleanliness drives across the country. After the meeting, Amma and hundreds of volunteers set out to clean a 16-kilometer stretch of coast in the Amritapuri area. Three days later, teams continue to haul in large volumes, and volunteers at Amritapuri’s Waste Management Center go through piles sometimes two meters high.
VIDEO: In India, yoga is an ancient tradition for both physical and mental health. In its villages, Amrita SeRVe has been reviving the practice to aid people in returning to a state of well-being. In recent times, yoga practice has not been a part of people’s lives, as the required tasks to get by in life take up vital time. The way Amrita SeRVe has dealt with this is to assure villagers they are making a good investment.
People who live in the village of Golamba in Madhya Pradesh, India are starting a healthier way to access fuel for the needs of their homes. We are running an awareness campaign on how to safely use liquid petroleum gas (LPG). Villagers across rural India–many of whom live below the poverty line–spend hours of challenging physical labor to collect firewood so they can cook for their families. The smoke they inhale while cooking causes serious health issues, especially in the lungs.
Within five days, Amrita Helpline fielded more than 25,000 calls and connected over 100,000 flood victims with appropriate relief services. This included government officials, the Navy, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force, Kerala State Police, local fishermen and other volunteering agencies. Meanwhile, relief work continues across the state with an emphasis on isolated tribal areas.
“I saw thousands of families, with the same insecure feelings as me, sharing their losses,” explains Sreeni KR. Sreeni works with Amrita SeRVe, our village development project. His home is one of the thousands damaged in the flooding in Kerala. He shares his story of beginning the journey of recovery. Meanwhile, Embracing the World continues the work of relief camps, survival supplies and community cleanups.
Amrita Hospital is continuing to provide as much care as possible, despite the fact the ground floor has been flooded. They have also had to restrict water and diesel usage. The hospital is in the Ernakulam area, one of the worst hit in the state flooding. Many of the smaller hospitals have been forced to close because of inundation of water. Meanwhile, 30 of the 40 Amrita Vidyalayam schools across the state have become relief shelters.