The Case of a
Community's Collapse
Ramadasu was a statue of
dejection and despair. His three sons had deserted
him. They had no more faith in their father's
profession. It was the fourth year in succession
when Ramadasu found only a dry dreary earth for all
the long hours of toil that he had put in under the
unforgiving Sun. "I can swallow converting my sweat
into blood to cultivate my land and still get a
piece of burnt earth, but what do I do about the
loan?" Ramadasu was almost in tears.
That was the
year 2003 and since 1999, the five hundred
odd residents of Cholamarri - the village
where Ramadasu was born and brought up - had
never seen a single good rain. "It had never
been so bad," says Ramadasu who has lived
through more than forty summers and winters
in his hamlet.
Every year he
would borrow Rs. 10000 or Rs. 15000 from the
bank to buy seeds and plow his land hoping
against hope, "If this year I get a good
yield, I can repay all my loans". And every
year it would be a disaster more severe than
the previous. He has a large area of land –
12 acres. But no food to eat. He is one of
the poorest in the village with at least Rs.
50000 against his name as arrears in the
bank. He can sell his eight animals – a few
buffalos and cows – and clear his loan. But
how will he cultivate again without the
plough? With eight animals and a big patch
of land, Ramadasu is tragically still very
poor. And now he resorts to the final option
– sell his animals. With tears Ramadasu
every year sends one or two of his buffaloes
to the slaughter house for half the price he
bought them for a few years ago. It was as
if he was he was cutting his own stomach
with a knife. But what else could he do?
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Ramadasu just like his land was
pitiable, hopeless and burnt out
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Swami Initiates
‘Sustained Rural Development'
In the November of 2003,
when Sai Youth from Andhra Pradesh reached this
obscure village and asked the villagers how they
could help, "Fodder" was the unanimous reply.
"Please save our cattle, Sir. They are dying.
Without them our profession is doomed."
But how to grow fodder
in this dry land? The youth were clueless. Getting
them fodder from outside for one year will not solve
their problem. They needed a sustained development
project. In fact, that was what Swami had
specifically instructed them just a few months ago
when they had all assembled in hundreds in Prasanthi
Nilayam on the 20th of October 2003.
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"Start sustained village
service" - Swami
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"All these years you have been visiting
villages and conducting medical camps or
have been doing some physical activity
going once in a while. But, this is not
going to help the villagers much. You
must concentrate on the long pending
unsolved issues the villagers are
facing. Look to focus more on sustained
rural development activity which will
help them in the long run,"
Swami said.
In fact, Swami
took all the youth by surprise when He
declared out of the blue,
"I have decided to form a Sri
Sathya Sai Grama Seva Trust to
facilitate you to continue lasting
village service."
He even
immediately gave the first cheque. "Where
shall we start the work, Swami?" The youth
wanted explicit directions and guidance.
"Start
with A – Anantapur district,"
Swami had said.
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That was the beginning
of what turned into an avalanche of Sai Seva of
gigantic proportions. Since then the Youth have
embarked upon half a dozen sustainable development
activities for rural areas and as you read along you
will see how the success of one activity led to
another. The Youth virtually covered the whole
spectrum of village development in the state of
Andhra Pradesh with resounding success. For now,
let's return to Cholamaari.
I. Providing Fodder to
the Starving Cattle And Crafting a Turnaround - The
Sai Youth's First Project
So, it is with this
renewed enthusiasm and direction from Bhagawan that
the youth had come to Cholamaari after a long search
of different villages in the Anantapur district
looking for the neediest. And having come they were
now determined to evolve a solution to this "fodder"
problem. They conducted an extensive survey of the
village, spoke to the villagers, had brainstorming
sessions among themselves and out came an idea. "Can
we not use the village lake bed? The lake bed of the
village has inherent moisture and this could just
suffice to grow fodder," they contemplated. The
sporadic and scanty rains that the village received
did contribute to the wetness of the earth which was
once a lake spread over more than four hundred
acres.
But there were
several knotty issues to be resolved. The
lake bed, by order of the government, could
not be cultivated. It did not belong to any
specific village either as it was shared by
a cluster of five villages spread all around
the lake – Cholamaari being the biggest. So
the first step was to meet the district
Collector. Getting an appointment, they were
soon in the office of Ms. Anuradha, the
former Collector of Anantapur.
"You Must
Not Delay Good Work"
- Swami
The Collector
seemed impressed and was more than eager to
help the inspired Sai Youth. She immediately
came to Prasanthi Nilayam and Swami
graciously blessed her with an interview. A
few minutes into the interview and Swami was
out. He beckoned to Sri Y Srinivas, the
President of the Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva
Trust and said,
"You must not delay good work. Start
this immediately."
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The 442 acres of lakebed - the
solution to the villagers' woes
lay in this wetbed
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The Youth now were
literally unstoppable! They had no more
apprehensions whatsoever – should they deal with the
government, should they speak to all the five
villages, what if the project just did not succeed,
and the like.
The Collector cautioned
them that it was not going to be easy. It was going
to be a Herculean task to convince the villagers of
the efficacy of the project and persuade them to
take to the soft earth with their ploughs. And the
even trickier issue was that there was no way they
could do the project unless they forged a consensus
about it in all the five villages around the lake.
Otherwise it would be a war - the youth knew this
well and this was the last thing they wanted.
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Drought resistant 'African
Grass Sudan Variety'
fodder being sowed
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The Collector on her part did all she could.
The seeds for cultivation - a special
variety of drought resistant seeds called
the African Grass Sudan Variety which would
cost tens of thousands - came from the
government free of cost.
The Collector
even shared with the Youth that there are
good sums of government funds under
different schemes which are available for
the villagers, but most of the time they
remain unspent. And she is most happy
releasing those funds to the youth as she is
impressed with their sincerity of purpose
and is confident about their ability to
deliver results. Soon the requisite
permissions to cultivate the land arrived
too.
Having won the
confidence of the local administration, the
next step was to build a cordial
relationship with the villagers of
Cholamaari and then unite all its five
neighboring villagers. The youth achieved
this more by actions than by words.
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The village was not new
to Sai as Swami's drinking water project had reached
their surrounding areas. And the village had a small
Bhajan mandali established a few years ago. The
youth taking Swami's Name conducted medical camps,
visited the villages frequently and gave a
sympathetic ear to all their problems – all this
sent very positive signals to the village community.
They started to believe "Yes, these Youth are really
concerned about us. They are here to help us with no
ulterior motives." Once the villagers became more
receptive, the youth then convinced them of the many
positive fallouts of the fodder project and how if
all the villagers would unite it would do maximum
good to maximum people. And in a few weeks the five
villages began to work as one cohesive unit. For the
villagers themselves, it was a miracle!
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More than 150 ploughs and 500 farmers
from five villages worked unitedly for
three days to chart a new chapter in
their lives....
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"We never thought we would
work with untouchables before" – A Village Community
"We
had never thought that we would work with people
from the Harijanwada (untouchable colony)
before,"
said one community of villagers,
"But, today we
do not feel the same inhibition anymore as we
were working with them throughout these few
months. We have learnt that all are humans and
that there is no other difference."
It is this sense of
camaraderie which the youth feel was the most potent
fallout of the project apart from the nearly 500
bullock-cart loads of fodder that grew in three
months in mid-2004.
"It grew 5 to 6
feet high. I got three bullock-cart loads,"
say Govindappa with jubilation. He, like all his
150 odd brethren, had worked for three days on
the fields with his plough in the January 2004.
And every drop of sweat was worth it.
"The
fodder is like a goldmine for me "
–
Ramadasu
Ecstatic
Ramadasu now says,
"The fodder
that we cultivate in this lake bed is
like a gold mine. I use it very
sparingly. It is my reserve for the dry
months. I will not sell my remaining
animals. Now I even sell milk from my
cow everyday in the village."
The villagers
have cultivated fodder many times after 2004
and do so with great enthusiasm every year.
Another group of villagers from the
neighboring village said to H2H,
"These
Sai Baba people (organization) have
saved us." With
immense gratitude on their faces they
continue,
"We
would have definitely left the village
for lack of sustenance (just like
Ramadasu's sons) if not for this
project. God bless them all."
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Ramadasu so happy now with his
animals, his land, his life...
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"This project has
brought so much unity among us" – Sri Kulyappa, the
Village Sarpanch
When H2H asked the Sarpanch
(local government head) of the village, Sri
Kulyappa, if they would continue this project, he
said,
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"The whole atmosphere in the
village has changed"- Sri
Kulyappa, the Village Sarpanch
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"Yes. We want to continue this every
year at all costs. This project has
brought so much unity among us. It has
shown us what we can achieve if work
together for each other. We will even
borrow bullocks if required and do this
project to save our remaining animals.
The whole atmosphere has changed so much
since the Sai Youth came to this
village."
"We are waiting
when the Grama Seva youth will come
again to our village. We want them,"
said Ramaiyya,
another elder of the village who
coordinates all the activities with
respect to the project with the
villagers.
When the fodder
was cut for the first time in 2004, it was
the culmination of a series of sincere
efforts by the youth. It was a great
occasion to celebrate and an occasion to
reflect too. The youth were more confident
than ever in their abilities and had learnt
very salient lessons. |
First and foremost is
that if the project addresses an urgent need of the
village, then the beneficiaries of the project can
be convinced about it with minimum effort. And once
they are convinced, the work is already half-done.
As Sai Prasad Gollapudi, a member of the Grama Seva
Trust said to H2H,
"If
you noticed, the need of the villagers drove
them to work with unity towards the completion
of the project. We know that we should look at
such projects where the need is so great that
the villagers themselves come forward to work
for it. For example, this project had most of
the village farmers working and not the
volunteers."
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The villagers clearing the wild bush
growth (left) before tilling the land to
sow the fodder seeds yet another year
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"The whole project was accomplished with just three
volunteers and without spending a pie!"
– Sri
Y Srinivas
"Yes, that was
another amazing feature of this Project,
"adds Y Sreenivas,
"Here we had
hundreds of families benefiting from five
villages from a big project involving so many
parties – the Collector, the village heads and
different groups of farmers – but all this was
achieved with just three Sai volunteers and
without spending a single pie!"
It just shows how to
undertake large projects, and that what is necessary
is the sincerity of purpose and clarity of thought
and a sense of surrender to His will. Funds for any
worthy undertaking are the last thing to worry about
- the Sai Youth were more convinced than ever before
about this fact.
The "Fodder Project" was
a grand success no doubt but still it was not a
comprehensive solution to the villagers' miseries.
At best, it served only the animals in the lean
months and kept the families together. But the
primary problem with the villagers was the single
dreaded thing – drought. And this was the issue that
the Youth next wanted to tackle.
II. Taking the Scientists To The Villagers To Deal
With the Droughts - Their Second Project
The farmers never had timely
rainfall and the three main crops they would
cultivate - groundnut, castor and pigeon pea were
all dependent on rains. And there was no groundwater
either to be able to sink bore wells. Surely, you
can do little about the vagaries of nature but the
Youth believed they could do something with aspects
which were under the control of the villagers like
the seeds, the land, the pesticides, etc. They
examined various factors and thought it was best to
take guidance from experts in the field. And this
was how they found themselves in the campus of
ICRISAT- International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics [a UNO arm which works
primarily in Africa] in the city of Hyderabad.
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The experimental lab in ICRISAT
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The experimental crop in arid land
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The youth with the scientists in their
office
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"Do the scientists at
ICRISAT have a solution to the woes of the villagers
of Cholamaari cluster?" was their moot agenda. And
the answer - an emphatic "Yes." The Chief Scientist,
Mr. S.P Vani and his colleague Mr. Gowda, the Global
Theme Leader, took the Youth around their labs and
fields where they were testing drought resistant
varieties of crops. The Youth were indeed glad. They
immediately knew they had come to the right place.
And the Scientists too working for the UN, which is
also essentially a non profit organization, evinced
keen interest in helping the farmers of the
drought-affected Anantapur district.
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Quality drought resistant seeds
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How cropping was implemented in Africa
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'A successful crop despite drought' -
scientist
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The scientists even
mentioned,
"It is sad that despite
there being such a great need in our country we are
here trying to help only farmers in Africa."
So this was a welcome opportunity for them
and they looked forward to visiting the village and
sharing their research with the farmers. And this
happened very soon.
ICRISAT
Scientists at the Farmers Meet in Cholamaari
In a matter of days, on
one sunny weekend the Scientists drove down along
with members of the Grama Seva Trust to Cholamarri.
Incidentally, that was the day of Raitu Mela – the
farmer's meet. The villagers knew about the
Scientists visit and had all assembled before they
arrived. And then began an illuminating session for
the villagers where the Scientists explained farming
techniques like Inter-Cropping and Integrated Pest
Management. Everything they heard was new to them.
They listened with rapt attention. The Scientists
also showed them the quality seeds they had
produced. The villagers saw the drought-resistant
and superior quality groundnut and castor seeds. The
farmers seemed to assimilate all that was conveyed
to them. Many of them were proactive and asked
questions narrating their practical problems. Having
understood all that, the next important hurdle was,
whether the villagers were willing to try these
seeds the coming season? Will they be willing to
take the risk?
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Youth educating villagers on the new
method of cultivation
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Some of the village farmers raise
practical issues
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The scientists explaining to the
villagers the new seed technology
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When the Sai Youth
asked, "How many farmers are willing to experiment
with the new seeds?" There was fortunately an
encouraging response. The visit of the ICRISAT
scientists paid off. The scientists finally took
samples of the soil and promised to provide the
first lot of drought resistant seeds to the farmers
free of cost for their first experiment.
And true to their word,
on a subsequent weekend, Dr. Lingaraj Jangvad, an
ICRISAT scientist arrived at the village with a UN
mini-truck loaded with seeds. Each farmer was given
seeds according to the amount of land he was willing
to set aside to try the new seeds. They got drought
resistant groundnut, castor and pigeon pea seeds.
The scientists also spent a lot of time explaining
to the farmers how they should cultivate these
crops, what pesticide to use, how to maintain the
cultivation, etc. The scientists also gave them
Azola - a bio pesticide.
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Drought resistant groundnut seeds
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The quality castor seeds
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Villager showing azola - bio pesticide
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The youth forming a select team of
villagers to monitor the project
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Scientist explaining to the farmers how
to cultivate the new variety of seeds
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A villager glad to receive his bagful of
new drought resistant groundnut
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When we asked Yadagiri,
a farmer, why did he believe the scientists and what
gave him the confidence to go ahead with the new
crop, he admitted,
"Initially, I
was very apprehensive about the seeds and so
many strangers (scientists) coming to the
village. But, once they showed us the seeds and
we tasted them, I was convinced. Moreover, the
"Sairam people" had brought these scientists so
I knew it would be for our benefit, so I decided
to try out the seeds. I have 8 acres and had set
aside 2 acres for experimenting. This time I
will use all 8 acres with the produce I got. I
also got a good price in the market."
Yadagiri is all smiles.
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Rangaswamy's new groundnut crop
doubled
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And
Rangaswamy, an elder in the village, is
actually on cloud nine.
"I got
double the produce I used to get with
the normal seeds. I am willing to
cultivate all my 20 acres with the new
seeds now," he said to H2H, with
a gentle grin on his face hiding his
inner exuberance in consonance with his
age.
"The government may have forgotten
us but God has not forgotten us"
–-
Ramaiyya, a Village Elder
What
Ramaiyya, another village elder said to
the Sai Youth literally turned their
hearts into sponge.
"We
always looked forward to the government
to come forward to help us. But, you
people have come. The government may
have forgotten us but God has not
forgotten us. That is why He has sent
you."
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For the Sai Youth the
whole project was another soul-stirring experience.
It was yet another exercise where they acted as just
able facilitators. In the "fodder project", they
brought the government and villagers together and
now in this the intellectuals and farmers were face
to face sharing each others' experience.
"It is
precisely this role that we want to
play," says
Balachandra, a Sai Youth.
"There
are a number of government schemes,
agricultural institutions, ideas and
more ideas which are not reaching the
people they are meant for. All we need
to do is to create a forum where the
experts and the people who can benefit
from this expertise meet."
Sri Y
Sreenivas, the President of the Grama
Seva Trust, says,
"Despite being involved in rural
activities for the last decade, we have
never done anything like this before. We
will monitor this for some time and if
it turns out to be successful, we will
implement it in other areas of the state
which are prone to droughts. This has
been such a wonderful learning
experience for all of us."
The ICRISAT
project is still in its pilot phase in
Cholamaari cluster. Not every attempt was
completely successful. While the new variety
of groundnut seeds did extremely well, this
could not be said of other seeds where the
yield did not match up to the scientists'
expectations. With the youth submitting the
feedback report from the villagers to the
scientists there is further research going
on now in ICRISAT. |
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Very happy to receive his share
of new seeds
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Therefore, just like the
fodder project which had its utility limited to a
few lean months, the ICRISAT project too, though
successful, had its own shortcomings. There is more
research needed on some seeds and there was an
element of dependence on nature, however, small that
may be. To really yield good crops the
drought-resistant seeds needed blessings from heaven
- even if it is a little at the right time. And with
no groundwater whatsoever, the farmer had absolutely
no backup. So in spite of continuing their efforts
to make these projects fool-proof, the Sai Youth
were still exploring other options which could
provide lasting self-employment to the villagers all
the year round and where the uncertainties to deal
with were minimal.
III. An Innovative Scheme That Made The Precious
Youth Stay In The Villages! - The Youth's Third
Endeavour
In their quest for such
alternate schemes, the members of the Grama Seva
Trust constantly interacted now with the youngsters
of the village. Every passing day the village was
losing its young men. Just like Ramadasu's sons, no
youngster wanted to take up agriculture and they
were all only dreaming of ‘doing it big in the
city', and were moving away from their homeland. For
the village elders, this was a major concern, but
they were helpless, the Sai Youth gathered.
"My dream had become dust"
– Ramakrishna
B Ramakrishna, a
youngster of the Nallur village (one of the
villages in the Cholamaari cluster) has no
parents. Filled with the zeal to make a life
for himself, he fled the village to the
nearby town of Hindupur when he was not even
fifteen.
"I worked as
a labourer under a Handloom weaver in
Hindupur," he says, "But even after
three years of dedicated labour, he
still paid me very little. I could not
even make ends meet. My skill and
dedication was never rewarded. In the
city, the expenses too were very high. I
realized I can never do anything on my
own in this city. I never wanted to be a
labourer forever. I was thoroughly
dejected. My dream had become dust. I
returned to Cholamaari," shares
Ramakrishna.
In the
meantime, Ramakrishna got married and
thanks to his in-laws he had a thatched
hut to stay in the village. With no
land, no parents, no assets whatsoever,
Ramakrishna had no option but to work as
a labourer now in his own village,
however much he disliked it.
"For two
years I worked as a daily wage labourer
earning Rs. 30 or Rs. 40 on the days I
found work. There were times when for
days I would find no work. It was so
terrible," Ramakrishna's face shrinks.
He does not want to talk about those
horrific days of his life.
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Ramakrishna's life was in
shambles...
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It was during this time,
that the Sai Youth approached Ramakrishna and asked
him if he was willing to go the Anantapur District
Vocational Training Centre in Hindupur for two
months. There he would learn weaving from experts
and at the end of it he will also get a certificate,
the Sai Youth explained to him. Ramakrishna gave his
name. "And this was the turning point of my life,"
says Ramakrishna.
Like Ramakrishna another
20 youngsters went to the Vocational Training
Centre. Their food and accommodation were taken care
of by the Grama Seva Trust. In two months, these
boys were ready to set up their own handlooms. And
now the Sai Youth approached the Anantha Grameena
Bank, a government-sponsored organization which is
supportive of self-employment schemes for villagers.
"But even they were reluctant to offer a loan. These
youngsters, the bank knew, were very poor and did
not have any property against which the bank could
sanction a loan," says a Sai Youth.
It needed a lot of
persuasion at the highest level by the Youth. To
convince the bank officials of their idea to make
these youngsters self-reliant, the members of the
Grama Seva Trust persuaded the Chairman of the bank
to visit the village and see the work being done by
the Grama Seva Trust and the Sai Organisation. The
Chairman came and was impressed. He was convinced of
their noble motives and sincerity of purpose. The
Bank finally conceded to offer a loan of over two
lakhs to be repaid in installments. The Sri Sathya
Sai Grama Seva Trust gave the surety to the bank.
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The Chairman of the Anantha Grameena
Bank
speaking to the villagers
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One of the very first handloom sets
installed in the
village with the bank's support
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"This is a dream come true for me"
– Ramakrishna
So this is the story of
how Ramakrishna is now a proud owner of a handloom
in his own house. Brimming with confidence and
surfing on delight, Ramakrishna says,
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Ramakrishna is dream-weaving his
life now...
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"It is a dream realized for me. I know
in one more year I will have paid the
entire loan and then this handloom will
be mine wholly. The ‘Sairam people' have
given me so much confidence. They have
unlocked my creativity. I want to do
quality work. I want to work hard. I
will never leave this village again. My
life has found a new meaning."
It is not
only Ramakrishna - the story of every
unemployed-youth-turned-skilled-weaver
in the village is as moving as this. And
all this did not happen without many
more hurdles. Getting the loan and
buying a handloom set cannot generate
employment. There has to be a market for
the produce and also a supplier who will
give the raw materials – the yarn, the
colours and other essentials.
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And for this, the Sai
Youth reached out to Saree sellers in Anantapur and
the nearby town of Dharmavaram. They fortunately
found a willing trader who was a devotee of
Bhagawan. This good Samaritan not only offered to
buy the sarees from the village youngsters but also
provided them with all the raw material they needed
at cost. Now the loop was complete. And what more,
the Sai Youth themselves bought the first few
sarees. This filled the young artisans with
tremendous confidence. Indeed, the sarees were of
high quality and so beautiful, every Youth
vouchsafes.
"It is amazing
what these youngsters can do when they are given
the opportunity and environment to blossom,"
says a member of the Grama Seva
Trust.
On their first
visit to the village after setting up all
the handlooms, a young weaver came up to one
Sai Youth and offered a saree. When the
Youth was about to pay him for it, the
weaver said,
"No, no
sir. If my parents were alive today, I
would have offered clothes from my first
product. But since they are not here, I
am offering them to you, as you are like
them. Please do not give me money for
this." That is not
all.
Another young
weaver Basha went to the Youth and said,
"It was my long
cherished dream to have a handloom.
However, I could never afford to get one
because I did not have the money. But
you have helped me realize this dream. I
am extremely grateful to you. Please
accept this saree. It is the first one I
have woven."
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So happy to be in the village
and earn well
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All these youngsters now
spare Rs. 200 from every saree they sell to repay
the loan.
"Of the Rs.
2,06,000 loan we had taken, the weavers had
already paid Rs. 54,000 and within one more
year, they would have paid all the amount due,"
says Mr. C R Rao, a senior member of Sai
Organisation who coordinates with the bank, the
weavers and the Grama Seva Trust members.
"They are all
very serious about repaying their loan and
owning the handloom", he adds.
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Nagamani delightfully shows
her creation...
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"We will never let you down at any
time" –
Yellaiah
In fact, when a
Sai Youth visited them recently, Yellaiah, a
beneficiary of this project said,
"We are
indeed grateful to you brothers who have
given us this livelihood. We have
decided that we should not let you down
at any time and have therefore formed an
association. This will ensure that none
of us defaults the loan payment so that
you are never put to any embarrassment.
If any one of us defaults payment, the
rest of us will ensure that the payment
is made." This is the
commitment that these youngsters exude
now towards the project. There is
nothing more satisfying for the Sai
Youth.
|
"Livelihood
projects have been on our mind for sometime. We
are looking at many ways of providing self
employment for the villagers so that they don't
have to leave their villages when crops fail.
The success of this experiment is such a
heartening feeling for all of us. It worked
essentially because of the dedication of the
villagers themselves," says a Grama Seva
Trust member.
Yes, the dedication of
the villagers is the key to the success of every
project. In fact, it is this which is now changing
the demography of Cholamaari. Ramakrishna who was
unemployed a year ago is now training Venkatesan,
another teenager of the village, in the skill in
which he has become expert now.
"I do not want
any teenager to go out of the village and suffer
like me," he says,
"I will train as
many teenagers as possible, so that they also
learn this skill and feel secure about their
future. I want them to lead a settled and happy
life in the village itself just like mine,"
says a jubilant Ramakrishna.
"The Handloom Project Is A Boon From Heaven" – Sri C
R Rao
"What the Handloom project has done
to the village is beyond estimation.
It is a boon from heaven. Now every
youth in the village wants to be a
weaver and the skill is being
imparted now from one to the other.
The positive effects of this project
are much beyond providing livelihood
to a few individuals.
The
Fodder project takes care of a few
lean months, the ICRISAT project
helps a few farmers but is still
dependent on a little rain, but the
handloom project is a perennial
income-generating project which is
successful in every way. There is
suddenly so much opportunity in the
village itself,"
says Sri C R Rao, a member of the
Sai Organisation, who stays in the
village and coordinates various
activities of the Sri Sathya Sai
Grama Seva Trust.
|
|
|
The handloom set is a blessing
beyond compare
|
|
The Cholamaari village,
which derives its name from the Chola kings who once
ruled that area five hundred years ago, still has
certain buildings with the ornate architecture of
the 15th century. But they are no more ruled by
anybody. If anybody has captured their imagination,
it is only "Sairam".
|
God's tiny yet mighty messengers in
the village |
|
|
Bal Vikas
classes are held regularly in this
village and it is these students who are
ideals for the village now. When we went
to the small Sai Centre there, the
little girls folded their hands and
welcomed us with a loud "Sairam." But
what was astounding was that they were
next chanting a Vedic hymn "Shanno
mitrah Shann Varunaha…." This was
Shiskshavalli which Swami's students
generally chant in front of Him in the
Sai Kulwant Hall. How did they learn
Vedam? It baffled us. And all the
students who come to the Bal Vikas, we
learnt, are the top 50 in the local
school.
But what is
more amazing is that it is these sweet
children who have persuaded their
parents to stop eating non-veg. They
take baths everyday, wear clean clothes
and keep their surroundings clean. Their
devotion and dedication to Swami is
something to be emulated by all. The
Cholamaari cluster today is a "Sai
cluster" in every sense. There is nobody
who does not love Swami in these
villages. The ways of the divine are
mysterious but for those who can see
there is an invisible element guiding
and directing every selfless activity in
the village.
|
IV. The Sai Youth Resurrect
Hundreds of Schools - The Gurukula Seva Maha Yagnam
Project
Enthused with the
success of the activities in a village cluster, the
Sai Youth next wanted to expand their horizon. They
had gained profound experience from the Cholamaari
service projects. Now they wanted to make a
difference to the whole state. As they surveyed the
state visiting a number of villages in different
districts of Andhra Pradesh, one aspect which struck
them the most was the dilapidated and neglected
state of Schools in virtually every district of the
state. And in many villages, the shade of a big tree
was the classroom. It was pathetic to see how the
future citizens of the country were being taught and
trained. The Youth immediately knew what they should
be doing next.
They got in touch with
the right authorities - the District Education
Officers and the Chief Secretary for Education for
the state of Andhra Pradesh. The plan was to work on
about 100 schools throughout the state. This
included constructing new school buildings in many
villages and renovating the existing schools in
places where the building was in a pitiable state.
It being a state wide project, the amount of
planning and coordination needed was phenomenal and
it is for this reason that the Grama Seva Trust
teamed up with the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization
of the state.
Primarily, there were 3
aspects they knew they had to work on:
-
Firstly, to ensuring that
there is proper infrastructure for primary
education which included the building, the
teaching aids and the playing equipment;
-
Secondly,
ensuring that there is the right attitude
among the teachers;
-
And finally,
seeing to it that the villagers understood
the importance of sending their children to
the school and encouraging the little ones
to study.
To put it in a nutshell,
the total ecosystem of the school was to be built
and sustained.
|
|
|
Condition of a school premises as
observed during the survey
|
A neglected school which was later
properly built by the Sai Org.
|
The only remains of a school building in
a thanda, a tribal village
|
In dealing with
the first issue pertaining to infrastructure, the
Sai Organisation gave directives to each district to
construct/renovate schools depending upon its
capacity in terms of finances and manpower. All the
23 districts responded positively and in just a span
of six months 110 schools were worked upon in
various parts of the state.
Where schools had only one or two
rooms, more rooms were added. In schools were the
drains were blocked, they were cleared and
surroundings of the school made hygienic for the
students. Many did not have any teaching aids at all
- be it blackboards or maps, charts or scales -
these were made available.
|
|
|
This was the school building in
Turkapalli village in the Nalconda
district
|
|
The new school building built at the
same site by the Sai Organisation
|
Many schools did not
have electricity - they now had a power connection.
And where the students were sitting under trees, new
buildings were constructed. Nearly 48 schools were
constructed from the foundation.
|
|
|
The state of the school building at
Upparapalle village,
Ranga Reddy district during the survey
|
|
The school building completely renovated
now
by the Sai Youth
|
|
|
|
The old and dilapitated school building
in Narayanraopet, Khamman District
(left) gets a complete makeover now
|
It was not easy. Many
Samithis lacked funds or manpower to be able to
execute such a project. But resources poured in just
at the right moment mysteriously. As Gangadhar, a
youth leader from Hyderabad says,
"There would always be a
stage where we would feel that the water is
getting over our heads. The costs would seem to
be going beyond our estimates. But there would
always, arise some solution and it was during
such times that I would feel Swami's unseen
hand." This is an experience
which every Samithi involved in this project can
relate to. Swami says for any selfless activity
money is never a hindrance and every Sai worker
knows what it means.
|
|
|
A new school in the Peddatanda Panchayat
of Nalgonda district
|
|
Another new school in the same district
|
|
|
|
Additional rooms being added to
Venkateswara Tanda
in Ranga Reddy district
|
|
Mylaram Kindi Tanda, a tribal village in
Nalgonda district gets a new school
|
The
'Software Aspects' Now Had to be Dealt With
While the buildings took
care of the "hardware" aspect of the project what
was more important to sustain this program were the
"software" aspects, namely the teachers and the
children.
It was shocking
to note that a number of schools did not even have
teachers appointed to them. And where there were
teachers appointed, they either never turned up to
teach or made an occasional visit - or even worse,
they sent a proxy to go on their behalf to the
village while they pocketed the salary from the
government and continued an alternate profession. In
short, what was needed was a complete change in the
mindset of the teachers. And to this end, the Youth
undertook many initiatives.
They
approached the District Education
Officers and organized special training
sessions for the teachers. They even
brought 175 of them to Puttaparthi on a
special mission and while they were
here, they arranged talks by eminent
educationists and inspiring teachers
from Swami's institute. Prof. Anil Kumar
regaled them and at the same time
illuminated them. They were now aware of
the Sai system of education. They
understood the nobility of their
profession. They were told how the
President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam,
says he always wanted to retire as a
teacher. And when somebody asked what he
would prefer to do once his presidential
term expires, without a second thought
he mentioned that he would go back to
the teaching profession.
All these
conferences and interactions did strike
a chord in their hearts and the Youth
noticed a visible change in their
attitude. All of them promised they
would contribute positively to the
society now. But the Youth did not stop
there. They conducted another teachers'
training camp and invited the State's
Chief Secretary of the Education
department, Sri I. V. Subba Rao, to the
grace the occasion.
|
|
|
Prof. Anil Kumar inspired the
teachers
|
|
But the chief
guest's presence was kept a secret and he was
requested to sit in the last row and observe the
proceedings of the camp. During the interactive
session at the end of the camp, the teachers came
out with many of their grievances. They mentioned
how it was difficult for them to travel long
distances to reach the village they were appointed
to; how they could not visit it everyday due to lack
of proper transportation facility; how they could in
no way settle in a village because there were no
quality schools there for their own children and so
on.
The Chief Secretary then
was called onto the dais. The teachers were
understandably surprised. But the Chief Secretary
put everyone at ease. He said,
"These
issues would have never surfaced in a formal
meeting,"
and promised to do everything possible to address
their concerns. He expressed his immense gratitude
to the Sai Organization for making him aware of such
subtle and important issues pertaining to his
department.
"This one project
(of Sai Org.) is enough to clean all the dirt that
is in our system" –
The Chief Secretary of Education
A few weeks later at the
District Education Officers' meet in West Godavari
district, the Chief Secretary said,
"It is a shame
that we have not been able to address these
issues so far. The Sai Organization has taken up
this wonderful task of revamping the educational
system. This one project is enough to clean all
the dirt that is in our system."
For the youth and the Organisation, it was a
well deserved pat, no doubt.
But the project was
nowhere near its objective still. There was the
third and most important aspect to deal with – the
children. Actually it was more to do with the
villagers who would never encourage their children
to go to school. Creating awareness among the
village populace was the next herculean task.
The only way it could be
done was speaking to each family of the village
personally, the Youth thought. So, they launched a
door-to-door campaign and patiently explained the
importance of education to the parents of every
child. They were told how knowing a little bit of
mathematics and knowing how to read and write would
prevent them from getting cheated. They understood
how their children could earn much more than what
they are earning now and lead a better life if they
studied in the high school. All this persuasive
talking actually did wonders. Encouragingly, the
villagers seemed willing to send their children to
school once they were approached. Many of them even
said that no one had ever told them earlier that it
was so important to get educated.
They not only sent their
children to school, they even agreed to keep the
premises of the school clean for the sake of their
children. They were told that the school is like a
temple and if they misused it for playing cards or
gambling, etc., it would defile the atmosphere of
the place. The villagers seemed convinced and even
agreed to take responsibility to keep the
surroundings of the school clean.
Building The Bond Of Love With The Village Children
Having
impressed the elders about the
cleanliness aspect, the Youth now wanted
to drive home this aspect very strongly
in the minds of the kids. And for this,
they thought of an interesting idea.
They conceptualized what they called as
the ‘Premabandham Kit'–
literally meaning ‘the bond of love'.
The kit
consisted of hair oil, nail cutters,
toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo
sachets, soaps, first aid kit, needle
and thread and a small first aid box.
The idea was to inculcate the value of
self-grooming among the children. Sai
Youth would visit the villages every
Sunday and practically demonstrate how
to maintain cleanliness using the
Premabandham Kit. The youth would give
the children a bath, haircut, cut their
nails, oil the hair; teach them to
stitch their own clothes, and also the
use of first aid. And this effort which
continued for a few weeks really paid
off.
|
|
|
The 'Premabandham' kit -
innovatively teaching
cleanliness through love
|
|
The children of the
village became so friendly with the youth that they
would wait and long for their visit. As Kalyan, a
youth member says,
"The villagers
initially did not know who we are and why we
came there. But later, they got so attached to
us that they would all assemble around us as
soon as we came. They would offer us buttermilk
and pamper us. The children would keep running
around us. They also learnt a number of Bhajans.
I do not know how much impact the project had on
their lives, but it has surely left a deep
impression on me."
|
Inspired by the Sai Youth, the
village children display their
spirit of patriotism
|
|
|
That was the
invaluable bond that was established
between the Youth and the Bal Vikas
children of the villages. For every
youth it was a memorable experience just
like Kalyan's.
"I
never knew that the villagers lived
in such pathetic conditions. When I
first saw them, I decided that this
project was a golden opportunity to
do something concrete. I would go
every weekend to the village and
take up Bal Vikas for the children.
It has been such a satisfying
experience," says
another Youth member.
So
ultimately it was love which transformed
the children. To give more exposure to
these children from the village, the
Youth organized another interesting
event. They did a small camp in the
campus of the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar
School, Hyderabad so that children from
the city could have one to one
interaction with their counterparts from
the village and be sensitive to their
needs.
When the
Youth members narrated the conditions
under which the village children were
studying, the children of Vidya Vihar
School immediately came forward and gave
away pencils, toys and may other such
things. The senior students shared their
study materials which were photocopied,
spiral bound and distributed all across
the state during the project. It was
indeed a moving sight to see a practical
demonstration of sacrifice and sharing
in the students of the city.
|
All these efforts yielded positive results and
within six months all the 110 schools had proper
building and teaching aids while the students were
given school uniforms, Premabandham kits, study
materials, notebooks, pencils, erasers, slates, etc.
There were even many teachers appointed by talking
to the District Education Officers. The culmination
of this grand project happened in Prasanthi Nilayam
when in 2004 more than 8000 Youth from all over the
state assembled for the Dasara festival and
performed a delightful drama in the divine presence.
"Lakshala Lakshaala"
|
|
|
|
The Sai Youth's scintillating offering
to Bhagawan in October 2004 in the Sai
Kulwant Hall
|
|
|
|
"How can I take money
from you?" – The Fruit Seller
All the beneficiaries of
this project express their deep sense of gratitude
whenever they see Sai Youth. For instance, it so
happened that one day, one of the Youth members,
Raju, was in the fruit market picking fruits. He was
dressed in white as he had just returned from a seva
activity, that day being a Sunday. As he was trying
to bargain for some custard apples, the fruit seller
asked, "You are Sai Baba people, isn't it?"
Raju was taken aback. He
said, "Yes." The fruit seller's expression changed
immediately. With glee he said, "You can take the
whole basket for free." Raju was at loss. "What's
wrong with this person?" he began to ponder. The
fruit seller then replied,
"Sir, you have
constructed a school in our village. Because of
that my child is getting education today. How
can we take money from you?"
There were tears in his eyes.
Raju stood there
transfixed. This incident probably just about sums
up the impact the whole education project has had on
the villagers across the state. In the words of Sri
Y Srinivas, President of the Grama Seva Trust,
"The
results have been fantastic. This was the first
time the whole state worked on a single theme as
a cohesive unit. It was a challenge, no doubt,
to work on a focused time bound activity with
tangible deliverables. But the amazing results
have now only encouraged us to take up more such
statewide rural projects."
V. The Pharmacy Bank - A Pioneering Concept
And since then the Grama
Seva Trust indeed has taken up many more such state
wide projects, notable among them being the
establishment of the Sri Sathya Sai Pharma Bank in
2005.
After statewide
education, healthcare was the next major focus of
the Trust. The Youth deduced that medical camps were
one of the most common activities undertaken by
every Samithi in the state. While the doctors
available did not charge for their services, the
Organisation ended up spending huge amounts in the
purchase and procurement of medicines. The Youth
wanted to explore if they could spare the
Organisation this expenditure. Their idea very
simply was to set up a Pharmacy Bank located in
Hyderabad from where medicines could be supplied to
wherever there is a need across the state freely.
At the drug
controller's office, they made presentations
of their concept and explained their idea
and intentions. Fortunately for them, the
man in charge was a devotee of Bhagawan. He
immediately endorsed the idea and even
agreed to organize a Pharma Manufacturers'
Meet.
The meet was
held in the premises of Bhagawan's temple in
"Shivam" and had representatives from most
of the Pharma companies of Hyderabad. When
the Sai Youth explained their idea of the
Pharmacy Bank many of the representatives
showed a positive response and came forward
to donate medicines on a regular basis to
the bank.
They were
impressed by the noble cause of the project.
"Around 20,000
patients would be benefited every month by
this effort," the Youth
calculated. |
|
|
The Pharma Manufacturers' Meet
in Shivam
|
|
‘Sri Sathya Sai Aushadalayam' is Born
It was then that the
Pharmacy Bank was registered as ‘Sri Sathya Sai
Aushadalayam' on January 4, 2005 . And since then it
has served thousands of patients all across the
state. However, there is an interesting anecdote
connected to this. When the Pharmacy Bank was to be
registered, there was a minor hiccup as in the
government's rule book there was no clause for any
registered Pharmacy to disburse medicines free of
cost. This was an unheard of undertaking and the
government did not know how to register such a body.
So, interestingly a new clause was added to the
existing Registration Act which incorporated the
allowance of a Pharmacy set up for disbursing
medicines free of cost. Bhagawan's projects have
always baffled government officials be it their
concept, timely implementation or perfect execution.
And this was yet another revealing tale.
So the registration done
and working with perfect coordination, the Pharmacy
Bank is now a great success story of the Grama Seva
Trust. On a regular basis medicines are being sent
to various places across the state to conduct
medical camps, mostly to the areas where there is
sustained medical service activity all round the
year. The Grama Seva Trust has now labeled these
centres as ‘Grama Seva Kendras'. Incidentally,
Cholamaari is now one of the Grama Seva Kendras.
A Sample of the Pharma
Companies That Support The Pharmacy Bank
|
Some of the Regions Which
Received Medicines For Sustained Medical
Camps
|
The Pharma Company
|
No. of Units
|
The Grama Seva Kendras
|
No. of Units
|
ARSA PHARMA(MARS) |
13625
|
CHOLAMARRY |
151471
|
DR.PUSHPA & DR.RAMANA REDDY |
163468
|
ELURU |
177896
|
DR.REDDY'S |
683901
|
KAKINADA |
32812
|
ESPI INDUSTRIES & CHEMICALS PVT. LTD.
|
9840
|
KERELLY |
16201
|
INDU PHARMA |
11228
|
KUKATPALLY |
14880
|
INVOMED |
7690
|
MEDIPUR |
2353
|
MARS THERAPEUTICS & CHEMICALS |
10255
|
MEHDIPATNAM |
59675
|
PHARMADEEP REMEDIES |
4657
|
POLLA |
292394
|
SRI KRISHNA PHARMACEUTICALS LTD.
|
8000
|
POTEPALLY |
6808
|
SUZIKEM DRUGS PVT.LTD. |
46070
|
SAROOR NAGAR |
36850
|
TINI PHARMA |
3060
|
TANUKU |
117349
|
TRIDENT PHARMACEUTICALS PVT. LTD.
|
3500
|
VIZAG |
64295
|
More than thirty seven
lakhs worth of medicines have been dispatched to
date by the Pharmacy Bank and there are twenty
companies which regularly donate to the bank. This
is truly a great example of how a neat idea could do
wonders. If we look closely, we can see that here
too the Youth played the role of an effective
enabler. Without a paisa of expenditure, the Youth
is now removing the distress of hundreds of
villagers just by bringing the Pharma companies and
the Sai Samithis together. An idea can change the
world, they say and the Youth is precisely doing
that albeit within the confines of a single state.
VI. Building Houses - Rebuilding Lives
–
The Youth's Recent Project
Having contributed on
the education front and on the Healthcare front, the
Youth next wanted to do more. They wanted to go into
the interiors of the state - places where no
government machinery or voluntary organizations ever
reaches - and look into their problems. This time,
they chose first the district of Prakasam. They
extensively toured this district looking for a
village where the need is greatest. In two days,
they visited twenty seven villages - until they
found Guntapalli.
Guntapalli
was the kind of village they were in
search of. Cut off from mainstream life
and leading an island-like existence,
the nearest road to the village was 6kms
away. This meant if a villager had to
catch a bus, he/she would have to walk
at least 6 kms.
Moreover,
there was no Primary Health Center in
the village. There was a primary school
but it was functional only once a week.
And if any villager needed medical
attention, it was not before he traveled
20 kms. The road to the village was
arduous, to say the least. Full of rocks
and mud, it was a challenge for the
vehicle as well as the passenger to
reach the village in one piece. And how
were the houses? Sorry, there were only
dilapidated huts, which looked more like
slums. It was in this condition that the
Sai Organization found the village.
The youth,
after a lot of discussion and
deliberation, decided that they would
work first to provide proper dwelling
places to the villagers. Initially,
their idea was to provide asbestos roofs
and cement and with the help of the
villagers build the walls. However, this
changed dramatically when someone
suggested, "Why don't we try the
government. Maybe they will have some
schemes for the villagers?"
|
|
|
The road to Guntapalli was as
pathetic
as the village
|
|
The Youth team
immediately met the Collector of the district. It
was heartening when the Collector, Smt. Udaya
Lakshmi, confirmed their notion and told them, "Yes,
there is a housing scheme available," and extended
her full support to the project. She was impressed
with the noble intentions behind the project.
According to the scheme,
the Collector explained, the owner of the house
should pay an initial sum and get a basement for the
house constructed. Only then would the government
provide the remaining amount for the house to be
completed.
How Swami Helped Through Trying Times
This scheme appealed to
the Youth. The villagers however, were not in a
position to finance themselves even for the
basement. And so, the Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva
Trust decided to take care of the initial funding.
To support them in this venture was the telecom
giant, Nokia.
"Finances were
never a problem," says
Surendra, Youth coordinator of Prakasam
District,
"By Swami's
grace, everything fell in place. I remember
Swami's words - He had said in the interview
that He blessed us with in 2003 that we should
work on rural development and He would ensure
that money comes at the snap of our fingers.
That is what exactly happened in this project."
With funds available,
the Youth of the Prakasam district went into action
and started collecting information about the
logistics involved. Within days, all the necessary
government clearances were obtained, thanks to the
local MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly).
Twenty eight houses were sanctioned for the village
in the first phase of the project.
|
|
|
The condition of the houses when the Sai
Youth first surveyed the village
|
It was no mean task
getting materials like bricks, cement, steel, etc.,
to an isolated place like Guntapalli which had only
stones and mud as roads. But if the project
proceeded, it was purely because of the constant
prayer of the Youth and their determined effort. The
commitment of the district youth was commendable. In
fact, one of the youth members would drive down 200
kms every week to ensure that the project moved as
scheduled. The villagers too showed great unity and
put in their labour and sweat in the construction
work.
|
The village now has a water
storage tank
|
|
|
While the
construction activity was going on, the
Youth noticed that there were other
crying needs in the village. The
villagers did not have any medical
facilities. They did not even have
proper clothing to protect them from the
winter.
The Youth
soon organized three medical camps and
one eye camp with the help of the Sai
Organisation. They also distributed
blankets for use during the cold months.
The school children received school
bags, books and pencils. Although the
village had a well with water, they had
no storage facility. The Sai
Organization got a water storage tank
made.
"All the villagers are changed
today" – Surendra
All these
activities went a long way in building a
healthy rapport with the villagers.
Their suspicions reduced with every new
activity.
|
"The villagers
were not responsive initially. They had lost
faith in humanity. They did not trust us even
when we said that we had come there to help
them," says Surendra,
"But today, they are a
transformed lot. They do their own work. They
respond with love. Many of them have given up
bad habits like drinking and this was the change
we wanted to see."
After three months of
relentless effort, the first phase of the project
saw twenty-eight houses finally completed. The 11th
of June 2006 was set as the inauguration date. The
inauguration ceremony was no small occasion. It was
replete with celebrations. The Sri Sathya Sai Grama
Seva Trust president, Sri Y.Srinivas and Sri Sai
Prasad Gollapudi, Director, Nokia who is also a
member of the Sri Sathya Sai Grama Seva Trust,
arrived in the village along with the District
President of the organization and a few elders. The
morning began with the hoisting of the organization
flag. The local MLA, Sri Pagadala Ramayya, then
inaugurated the houses. He was so touched by the
project that he declared that a road has been
sanctioned to the village and very soon there would
be even be bus services to the village.
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Hoisting the flag of the Sai
Organisation on the
Inauguration day
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A director of Nokia speaking to the
villagers
during the ceremony
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The villagers
were ecstatic. They received new clothes from the
Youth that morning. With beaming faces and adorned
in their new sarees and shirts the villagers entered
their new homes. But wait a minute. They did not
enter first. They would first take Swami's padukas
into the house and then set their feet inside. Such
is their love for Swami now. Many of them did not
even know who Sai Baba is just a few weeks ago.
"We want to see Sai Baba now" – Dastagiri
"We have not seen Sai
Baba. But now, we all want to see Him,"
said Dastagiri, a youth from the village,
"If He can
inspire so many youngsters to come so far and
construct houses for someone who they don't even
know, He must be great indeed. We have decided
that we will go and see Him after all the houses
are completed."
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Sai Youth sharing the joy with
the young members of a family in
their new house
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Ramanjaneyulu,
another villager said,
"We had
lost faith in all of humanity because
over the years many people have visited
this place and promised to do many
things. But, no one has done anything.
But now, you have proved our conviction
wrong. There are people who do what they
profess to do."
Ramanjaneyulu's eyes were wide and his
face suddenly had a rare shine.
"For me, it is Christ who has come"
– A Christian Lady
The villagers
were not joyful - they were in bliss. It was
an experience they never had before.
"We have
heard of stories where God comes to give
food, clothing and shelter as told in
the Bible. But here we see you giving us
just these. We feel that Christ has come
to give us all this,"
said a Christian lady of the village.
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Their cup of joy was
full and overflowing. So too were the hearts of the
Sai Youth. Even for them it was a rare experience of
inner joy and tremendous peace. Swami says,
"What joy you
experience doing selfless service cannot ever be
compared to any amount of worldly accomplishments."
The Youth had practical experience of
this.
Of the 350
houses sanctioned in the Komarolu Mandal
(to which Guntapalli belonged) by the
government only 28 houses in Guntapalli
village have been completed. And all
these houses complied with the
directives given by the Andhra Pradesh
State Housing Corporation (APSHC). They
were all 17 feet by 9 feet halls with a
bathroom and a toilet. They all had RCC
(Reinforced Cement Concrete) structures
painted in beautiful colours with a
door, window, shelves and an attic. The
houses truly are a testimony to
Bhagavan's Divine Grace and the constant
perseverance and prayer of the
organization's youth.
It was also
the first time that the Youth had
undertaken a housing project of such
magnitude in a district. And the success
has now spurred all the Youth to do more
with greater confidence.
"It has
given us really tremendous motivation to
undertake long term projects which will
have a sustainable impact,"
says a senior member of the Grama Seva
Trust. The Youth is now busy completing
the second phase of the Project wherein
they will be offering another thirty two
houses to the villagers of Guntapalli.
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The story of Guntapalli - from
God-forsaken
to God-blessed
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The Irrepressible ‘Sai'lent Revolution
What the Sai Youth of
Andhra Pradesh has achieved through the Sri Sathya
Sai Grama Seva Trust and with support of the Sai
Organisation in just three years is nothing short of
a revolution. It is surely a silent revolution (the
press seldom carries such stories in their front
pages), or rather a "Sai"lent revolution which, when
it gains more momentum, will one day change the
complete profile of the state – be it
demographically, economically or spiritually.
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Healing Hearts....in Millions
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And just
recently the Youth have embarked upon
another project, again spanning the
whole state of Andhra Pradesh, but much
larger in its scope and impact.
Christened as "HEART", this is a five
pronged project which will cater to the
Healthcare, Educare,
Agricare, Rural
Infrastructure and Transformational
activities of 80 clusters of villagers,
(mind you, it is 80 clusters which could
mean at least 500 villages) in the
twenty three districts of Andhra
Pradesh.
Fifteen thousand Sai volunteers over
four years will complete the project.
Just imagine what it will do to India,
when every state of the country has such
a critical mass of enlightened Sai Youth
going into the villages. The
golden age for India will have arrived,
or at least, will not be spoken of as a
fanciful utopia. When God walks on
earth, peace, righteousness and love are
no longer utopian dreams.
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Dear reader, while what
the Andhra Pradesh Sai Youth have done is
commendable, we are doubly sure that this is no
isolated activity in just one state of India. In
every region of India, the Sai Youth are making a
difference and we at H2H would consider it as a
blessing to share all these ‘labours of love' with
the larger Sai family spread all over the globe. So
please let us know. Let us share and let us fill the
world with selfless love.
We are grateful to Sri Y Srinivas, Sri Venugopal and
Sri Krishna Raju for their active support and help
in the making of this article.
– Heart2Heart team