{"id":3565,"date":"2021-12-22T14:17:52","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T08:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=3565"},"modified":"2021-12-22T14:17:55","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T08:47:55","slug":"amritasree-project-enters-its-17th-year-ammas-ashram-has-spent-%e2%82%b985-crore-in-financial-aid-for-covid-19-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/?p=3565","title":{"rendered":"AmritaSREE project enters its 17th year; Amma\u2019s Ashram has spent \u20b985 crore in financial aid for COVID-19 relief"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pune ; AmritaSREE\u00a0(Self-Reliance Education & Employment), the women\u2019s empowerment program launched by Sri Mata\u00a0Amritanandamayi\u00a0Devi (Amma), has completed 16 years and is entering its 17th<\/sup>. Currently,\u00a0AmritaSREE\u00a0comprises 15,000 groups with more than 2.5 lakh members in 21 states.\u00a0<\/strong>Most of the members are from villages and other isolated rural areas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, the Math organised the anniversary event at Amritapuri, where it launched a second instalment of a COVID-19 aid package to SHG members. It consists of financial assistance, grocery kits and clothes worth \u20b9<\/strong>35 crore. Aid is also going to people affected by recent floods in Kerala.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amma explained this is support for the fact that these women sincerely try their best to stand on their own two feet. \u201cThey do not shift their responsibilities to anyone else, or depend on others, or blame others. If we focus on the faults and shortcomings of others, there will be time for nothing else. Instead, take up the reins of your life firmly in your own hands and move forward,\u201d she said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of the AmritaSREE members in different units have been able to put in money and start their own businesses. Many have been able to build homes for the homeless with profit from their businesses. Many were able to conduct weddings with the money. Many were able to give money to others for treating illnesses. Even though those people did not have much, they had the attitude to contribute what they had earned through their hard work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sri C.R. Mahesh, Honourable Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly for Karunagapplly<\/strong>, attended the event and expressed his gratitude for the positive impact AmritaSREE has had upon the women and their families.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
\u201cAs a social worker who represents this area, when people unburden their sorrows, unknowingly my tears flow. People all around us are in debt, sick and dying because they cannot afford treatments. The sadness that started with floods continues unabated due to COVID and we Malayalees are pushing ahead with sadness,\u201d he expressed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is during these times that Amma is showering us with her grace. Irrespective of religion, caste, creed, or affiliation, accepting all those who come to Amma, receive her love and care. Amma consoles them and lightens their sadness. The noble activities that Amma is doing, that this Math is doing; as the people\u2019s representative, I am happy and extend my support.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

V Muraleedharan, Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs of India<\/strong> said \u201cIt is a known fact that women are the foundation of all kinds of development happening around the world. According to the UN World Survey in 2014, fields such as education, health, employment have exhibited drastic improvement following the participation of women in decision making. The advancement of society is entirely based on the empowerment of women in that society. In Kerala, various self-help groups such as Amrita Sree have been launched. And it is true that groups such as Amrita Sree have helped a lot to empower women in Kerala.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further added, \u201cAmma being aware of the importance of women’s involvement in developmental activities helped drive the intention of SHGs\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
AmritaSREE started in 2004 in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The natural disaster not only destroyed thousands of lives, but also seriously impacted the fishing industry. When the fishermen and their families explained the crisis to Amma, she immediately understood that alternate forms of livelihood were necessary and that the women in the households should learn to develop new skill sets to help their families make ends meet. With this goal, Amma launched the community-based self-help group program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
Sri Arif Mohammad Khan is the Honourable Governor of Kerala <\/strong>and virtually attended this year\u2019s event to declare the launch and distribution of aid to the SHG members. He shared how he was deeply moved by the story of a poor village woman who came to Amma about a disease that affected the poultry in their village, and that Amma spent a long time speaking with the woman about it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
\u201cFor an affluent onlooker, the death of two or three hens may sound very small. But for the poor woman, poultry-rearing was a means of livelihood. When she saw her hens dying, the village woman realised that the rhythm of her life was disrupted,\u201d Khan said.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
\u201cAmma realised this and considered it her duty to give her patient care and console her. The message that Amma gives is that there is nothing holier than feeling the pain of those who suffer. That is the essence of all devotion.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Mata Amritanandamayi Math has provided close to \u20b9<\/strong>50 crores in direct financial assistance to AmritaSREE SHG members. Because the pandemic continues unabated, the Math has decided to now give an additional financial assistance of \u20b935 crores. <\/strong> <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this, the total amount contributed since the onset of COVID-19 stands close to \u20b9<\/strong>85 crores. These contributions include \u20b9<\/strong>10 crores the Math contributed to the Prime Minister\u2019s Disaster Relief Fund and three crores given to the Kerala Chief Minister\u2019s Disaster Relief Fund towards COVID-19 relief measures in April of 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every year, on the anniversary of AmritaSREE\u2019s launch, the Math provides a seed grant of \u20b9<\/strong>30,000 to each SHG. Over five-lakh sarees are also distributed to AmritaSREE members, along with new clothes for their families. Even when the COVID epidemic hit in 2020, Amma ensured all necessary help, including food kits, reached all AmritaSREE members.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pune ; AmritaSREE\u00a0(Self-Reliance Education & Employment), the women\u2019s empowerment program launched by Sri Mata\u00a0Amritanandamayi\u00a0Devi (Amma), has completed 16 years and is entering its 17th. Currently,\u00a0AmritaSREE\u00a0comprises 15,000 groups with more than 2.5 lakh members in 21 states.\u00a0Most of the members are from villages and other isolated rural areas.\u00a0\u00a0 This year, the Math organised the anniversary event […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3566,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-activity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3568,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3565\/revisions\/3568"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesofpowerandvoice.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}