SRI SARADA ASHRAM

20
SRI SARADA ASHRAM Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (Under the Aegis of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India) Zone-V-A (Core C), 2nd Floor, India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 Tel.: 2464 2395, Fax: 2464 8607 Website: www.capart.nic.in By Essence Advertising Services experiences in partnership Prayas

Transcript of SRI SARADA ASHRAM

Page 1: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

SRI SARADA ASHRAM

Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology(Under the Aegis of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India)

Zone-V-A (Core C), 2nd Floor, India Habitat CentreLodhi Road, New Delhi-110003

Tel.: 2464 2395, Fax: 2464 8607Website: www.capart.nic.in B

y Ess

ence

Adve

rtis

ing S

erv

ices

experiences inpartnership

Prayas

Page 2: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

Sri Sarada Ashram

By T. C. A. Srinivasaramanujan

– A Success Story

For long, there has been a feeling that there should be an unbiased evaluation

of various successful projects undertaken by CAPART. The purpose of this

evaluation is to inspire other voluntary organizations as well as set an

example for carrying out developmental activities. With this intention, we chose

Sri Sarada Ashram, Trichy, Trunk Road, New Edaikkal, Ulundurpet, Villupuram

Distt., Chennai, Tamilnadu to study its activities and progress. Sri Sarada

Ashram has been working on a broader platform of Rural Development,

Watershed Development, Women Development, Improving methods of

agriculture, Education & Health etc.

In this they have received extensive support from CAPART. This book is an

analysis of Sri Sarada Ashram’s work. It provides details of the collaborative

approach and activities of CAPART and the NGO have undertaken to broaden

the horizon of development and undertake various activities which have resulted

in community development at grassroots level.

Page 3: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

A VIEW OF PANDUR TANK

C O N T E N T S

S.No. Particulars Page Nos.

1. Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

2. Women Development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3. Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4. Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

5. Social Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

6. Agriculture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

7. Water Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

8. Propagation of Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

9. Friend in Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

10. Encounter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

11. Finally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

12. CAPART Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Page 4: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

ri Sarada Ashram is functioning since S1979 from Vriddhachalam. It was

shifted in 1985 to New Edaikkal near

Ulundurpet 200 kms. from Chennai and 150

kms. from Tiruchi on the National Highway

connecting the two cities. The 160-acre land

site was selected because of availability and

comparatively lower cost. It was a parched

and dreary land with no grass or tree.

Swami Anantananda Maharaj and Mata

Yatheeswari Ramakrishnapriya Amba, the

moving spirits of the Ashram, have

developed it into a verdant area. 45 Sisters

assist them.

DedicationI n 1 9 9 2 , t h e A s h r a m f o r m e d

Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Trust to carry out

social and rural service activities. They are

managed through two institutions, Seva

Pratishthan and Sri Sarada Seva Samithi.

Broadly, the activities include free hostel for

150 girls, part time hostel for 100 boys,

schools, balwadis, day care centres, old

age home, free and mobile dispensaries,

family counseling and implementation

of programmes in agriculture, water

development and propagation of technology.

Women Development

Uddharet atman atmanam One must raise oneself by one’s own

exertions – this holds good in all spheres. We help them to help

themselves.

– Swami Vivekananda

Sri Sarada Ashram has taken initiative in

forming 300 SHGs in 100 villages with 6,000

women members. The SHG have total

savings of Rs. 1.27 crores and have lent

Rs. 9.89 crores internally.

The members of SHGs have narrated their

experiences. Smt Chitra, member of

Nadaiamman SHG in village Senkurichi,

said that her husband initially objected to

her becoming a member, but had become

supportive after seeing the benefits. She

took a loan of Rs. 25,000 and started

stitching bags and selling them to schools

and shops. She has repaid her loan, sends

her children to school and is not dependent

on moneylenders.

Smt. Vimala Devi of Vinayakar Group in

village Kannaiyar gave details of pottery,

2 3

Smt. Vimala Devi

Page 5: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

4 5

Angaramman SHG in village Sirlapattu is

active for the last 4 years. Members

increased their monthly saving from Rs. 50

to Rs. 100. They run a grocery shop with

phone booth and a machine unit to

recondition and sell power generators. One

member sells sugarcane juice in Villupuram.

The members have purchased land

dairy, grocery and mini tempo businesses of

the members financed out of loan of Rs. 2.5

lakhs granted to the SHG. Members have

revived worship in the village temple and are

marinating it. They co-coordinated with the

Ashram in organising an eye camp in the

village, when people from their village and

nearby villages were examined. 50 people

were operated. SHG members acted as

volunteers and issued tokens to waiting

patients and served them food. They also

coordinate when the mobile dispensary of

the Ashram visits the village. They

participate in school functions and prepare

food when any school function is held. They

have enrolled all girls of the village in

school.

SHG members of Sivasakti Group in village

Erainji are working for 2½ years. They felt

happy to have started a group and say that

4 more groups were formed in their village

after seeing their example. They meet their

urgent needs from savings and have

redeemed all their pledged jewels from

moneylenders. One member, Smt. Santi,

said that her husband fell down and had a

fracture. She treated him with a loan of

Rs. 8,000 taken from the SHG. Smt. Santi

measuring 3½ acres for horticulture. They

sell flowers in Panrutti for the last one year.

In S. Pudur village, there are 5 women

S H G s n a m e d P u t h u m a r i a m m a n ,

Vinayakar, Ayyanar, Angalamman and

Muthumariamman. They took a loan of

Rs. 4 lakhs and purchased 40 cows. K.K.

Dairy of Thyagadurgam collects milk and

makes weekly payment at the rate of Rs. 11

per litre. They have repaid the loan and are

earning a good income.

Smt. Savitri Amma belongs to village

Kattunemmeli of Ulundurpet block. She

became a widow 16 years ago. The burden

of taking care of her two daughters and a

son fell upon her. She started making toys to

eke out a living. She learnt the craft from her

parents in her childhood. She started as a

worker to begin with at a wage of Rs. 5 a

day as a worker, which gradually improved it

to Rs. 20-50 a day over time. To establish

her own independent unit, she joined the

Mariamman SHG of her village and took a

loan of Rs. 75,000 in two stages. She

purchased moulds, dyes, racks, wooden

logs and other basic requirements and also

used the funds for getting raw materials

Sri S. Velappan, retired Headmaster, assisting in dairy collection

Page 6: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

Chennai. She was able to sell Rs. 40,000

worth toys. She proceeded to Chingleput to

sell off the unsold toys. She has taken a

shed at a monthly rent of Rs. 600 at

Vriddhachalam to have better access to

market. She has become self-sufficient,

married off one of her daughters, educating

her children and engages some hands to

assist her in her avocation.

6 7

china clay, whole clay, soda silicate, plaster

of paris etc. She built up a capacity to make

20 toys in two days. Initially, she was selling

the toys to traders, but the return was not

remunerative. Now, she goes to Villupuram,

Cuddalore, Puttur, Tiruttani and other big

centres to vend her wares. Sri Sarada

Ashram arranged with Women Development

Corporation to send her to Navaratri Mela at

Smt. Savitri Amma making toys

She takes Rs. 50 a day as wages and nets a

profit of Rs. 500 to 1000 every month. There

is a telephone booth also in the shop.

Though she can sell vegetables and fruits,

she shows great social awareness when she

says that she has not stocked any item in

her shop, which will cut into the business of

others who trade in them.

In Pullur village of Pali Panchayat,

Smt. Vanasundari was covered under the

Sarada Dhanavarshini Scheme of the

Ashram. She was trained for 15 days in the

Entrepreneur Development Programme.

She took a loan of Rs. 5,000 from her SHG

and started a grocery shop in January 2007.

She has a monthly turnover of Rs. 13,000.

Smt. Vanasundart in her grocery shop

Page 7: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

8 9

Training in Wirebag Making

Training in Knitting

other subjects of training. The girls are

trained in napkin making, rexine products,

arecanut plates and many other handicrafts.

For old, poor and uncared women, a

Vriddha Mahila Kendra is run. There are

25 women. All facilities, including TV, are

provided for them.

The Ashram runs a Vocational Training

Centre for rural girls. It is residential. A

10 - month course in computer training is

given to 25 girls at a time. 12 computers are

available for the training. Already, several

batches have received training and got

employment. Typing in English and Tamil is

taught through 10 machines. Accounts

maintenance and spoken English are the

Inmates of Vriddha Mahila Kendra

Page 8: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

schools and gives them boarding and

lodging facility and coaching. Orphans, one-

parent children, destitute or children without

a congenial atmosphere at home are eligible

for Sevalayam admission. Coaching is given

2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the

evening, especially in subjects for which

teachers are not posted in their schools.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalay is an

institution supported by Sarva Shiksha

Abhiyan. 51 girls in 11-14 age group are

enrolled in classes VI to VIII. They are

school dropouts or they were not enrolled in

any school so far. They are taught in

accordance with Activity Based Learning

System [ABLS]. There are 5 full time

teachers and 4 part time teachers for PT

and vocational training. The school is

residential. The girls are sent up to Standard

IX after completion.

The examination results of students under

the wings of the Ashram are among the best

in the district.

Sri Sarada Ashram started its activities

in 1979 by establishing a school in

Vriddhachalam with just 3 students. Their

parents lacked the motivation to send them

to school on their own. Swami Anantananda

Maharaj himself used to pedal a cycle

rikshaw, unable to afford a paid driver, to

bring the students to the school and take

them back home. There were no funds to

appoint teachers and provide basic facilities.

Volunteer teachers taught. For black board,

walls covered with soot were used. The

dedication bore fruit and the school became

the best primary school in Vriddhachalam.

The Ashram expanded its activities in the

field of education by establishing a Higher

Secondary School in Ulundurpet with 2,500

students, a Residential High School for 600

students and a College of Education for 100

students are being run. In 1998, another

educational experiment was initiated by

starting an institution, Sevalayam. It enrols

150 girl students studying in Government

10 11

EducationTeach some boys and girls of the peasant classes the rudiments of learning and infuse a number of ideas into their brains.

– Swami Vivekananda

HealthThe Sisters of the Ashram periodically visit villages in the area in pursuance of Swami Vivekananda’s call:

Go from village to village from one portion of the country to another.

Your work is to serve the miserable without distinction of caste or

colour.

lady doctor working on a voluntary basis for

the past three years. The mobile dispensary

visits villages as per pre-planned itinerary.

The Ashram runs camps in the village.

Recently, an Eye Camp sponsored by the

famous Sankara Nethralaya was organised

in ten centers covering fifty villages. The

Ashram has on its rolls several eminent

doctors of Chennai. They offer their services

whenever needed.

In one such visit, the sisters bathed the

children and combed their hair. One girl was

found with rashes on her scalp. Her mother

said that it was not possible for her to take

the girl to a doctor, as she would lose a

day’s wage. This prompted the Mother

o f the Ashram, Mata Yatheeswar i

Ramakrishnapriya Amba, to start the

Dispensary in the Ashram with mobile

facilities. The dispensary has a whole time

Page 9: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

he Ashram is located near a village,

Aziznagar. It appears that the village Thad an unsavoury past. According to two

persons of the village, Sri Pazhamalai, a

retired teacher and Sri Sethuraman, an

important functionary of Moovendar

Munnetra Kazhagam, a socio-political

organisation, the inhabitants of the village

belong to Veppur Kallar community and

were in the army of Raja Desingh of Senji

(Gingee). After his defeat by the British, they

dispersed and drifted away. In 1910, they

were rehabilitated and settled in Aziznagar

by the then Collector of South Arcot, Sri Aziz

Hussain, whose name is given to the village.

It appears that they were mostly on the

wrong side of the law. When the Ashram

was established in the vicinity, the Maharaj

took keen interest in their development. He

took them under his tutelage and inculcated

moral values. He tirelessly worked for their

rehabilitation in Neiveli Lignite Project,

12

Social Change

Uttishthata jagrata prapya varannibodhata – Awake, arise and stop

not till the desired end is reached.

– Swami Vivekananda

Sri Pazhamalai of Aziznagar

approached the Maharaj to intercede with

the Collector to remove the liquor shop. The

Maharaj took it up with the Tehsildar and

Collector. On their part, the people of

Aziznagar also took to dharna and other

peaceful forms of protest. Women played a

key role in the agitation. Sri Sethuraman

said that the liquor lobby offered him

Rs. 10,000 to soft pedal the issue, but he

did not yield to the temptation. The efforts of

the people bore fruit and the liquor shop was

removed from the village.

where they lost some lands and got them

both regular and contract jobs. According to

Sri Pazhamalai and Sri Sethuraman, 200

people got jobs and work in Neiveli thanks to

the efforts of the Maharaj. The Ashram is

running a day care centre in the village for

poor old people.

An important offshoot of their joining the

mainstream was witnessed in the year 2002.

Government sanctioned a liquor shop in the

village. Fearing that easy access to alcohol

will disrupt their fragile social progress, they

13

Page 10: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

resulted in considerable saving in seed rate.

He said that against 35 kg of seeds, he

sowed only 3 kg of seeds per acre. Though

yield has fallen from 36 bags to 32 bags in

his 20 cents, he hopes to increase to 42

bags next year. He adopted organic farming

in sugarcane also and has seen increase in

yield from 40 tonnes to 47 tonnes per acre.

He is also doing vermiculture under the

guidance of the Ashram.

Sri K. Gurumurthy is a progressive farmer

of S. Pudur village of Semmanangur

Panchayat. He was awarded second prize

for best urad cultivation in the district and

proudly showed the cheque of Rs. 10,000

given to him. His production was 1,115 kg in

one hectare. The Ashram persuaded him to

adopt the System of Rice Intensification

[SRI] method, also known as single straw

method, in 20 cents of land. This has

Agriculture

14 15

Sri K.Gurumaurthy near his vermicompost tub

Sri Anandakannan applying azolla

asserted that he was able to defy the trend

thanks to his own expertise and the constant

guidance from the Ashram.

Sri Gunasekharan of village Pullur in Pali

Panchayat has adopted azolla cultivation. In

the bed, he put a polyethylene sheet, spread

red soil and cow dung and watered it. After a

week, he shifted to a bigger bed. After

weeding, he put azolla. Last year, he got

1 kg of azolla. In paddy, he found less weed

Sri Anandakannan of Pullur village and

Panchayat, Ulundurpet Block was motivated

by the Ashram to bring 20 cents of land

under organic farming. He stated that the

yield was 12 bags against 8 bags when

cultivated with chemical inputs. The general

perception is that in the initial stages of

switch from inorganic to organic cultivation,

yield drops and only after the soil recovers

natural fertility, yield starts catching up with

pre-organic levels. Sri Anandakannan

Page 11: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

and healthier and greener

crop. In bhindi [lady’s fingers]

and brinjal, the size was

bigger and the vegetables

were fresher and more in

quantity. Pests were fewer.

In Pullur village of Pali

Panchayat, Smt. Vanasundari

prepared panchakavya with

encouragement from Ashram

Sisters. She improvised the

Ashram technique by mixing

cow dung, cow’s urine, cow’s

milk, banana, ghee, jaggery

and neem oil and kept it for

15 days. She added 10 litres

of water for 1 litre of the

mixture to get panchakavya.

She applied it to lemon,

kanakambaram, chili and

beans and got good yield.

She found no pests in the

crop.

16 17

Azolla cultivation in Sri Gunasekharan’s field

Azolla fed to cows

Water Development

Before Renovation - Semmanangur

After Renovation - Semmanangur

Vital Role of CAPART

Page 12: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

sacrifice for public good. Besides, there

were encroachments on the inlet and

outlet routes. The encroachers physically

obstructed the work. One such person was

Sri A. Kaliyamurthy. He said that he

threatened the workers and forbade them

from digging the channels. The Sisters of

the Ashram were summoned. They

persuaded him to give up his opposition and

convinced him that the project was for the

common good and that he would gain in the

long run. He said that he abided by the

advice of the Sisters and became very

cooperative.

ith CAPART assistance, the Ashram Wimplemented the project, Renovation

of Tank and Formation of Tank Users’

Association in village Semmanangur in

Thirunavalur Block of Ulundurpet Taluk in

Villupuram district was in 2002-03. The

water body is a lake with a 1242 metre long

Bund. It has an irrigation area of 169.9

acres. The entire bed of the lake was thickly

infested with weeds, which were cleared

with people’s cooperation. The incoming

channel passed through some patta lands.

Initially, the landowners were reluctant to

part with their land to let the supply channel.

Sri Sarada Ashram persuaded them to make

18 19

People’s Participation in Pandur

O n e o f t h e

CAPART works

implemented by

Sri Sarada Ashram

was “Revival of

traditional chain of

tanks” in Pandur

v i l l a g e a n d

P a n c h a y a t o f

Thirunavalur block.

The tank bund of 3

kms. was cleaned

and deepened.

Two revetments, two sluice, two surplus

weirs, outlet channels and steps are the

features. Bund height is increased by 5' and

more importantly it is widened to allow

vehicles to pass. Photos of the bund before

the work was done show it to be narrow,

uneven and bushy. Panchayat President

Sri S. K. Sridhar is trying to get the bund

included under Local Area Development

Scheme to make it a good road. Water was

abundant on the day of the visit falling on

10th May 2008 in the height of summer.

Local people participated in the works. They

claim that against one harvest, they are now

having three harvests. The view of village

SHG women and other farmers is that the

work was done efficiently and economically

by the Ashram and that any other agency

could not have done it as well.

Sri A. Kaliyamurthy-Semmanangur

Sri Andi Padayachi with family near his recharge well

Page 13: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

which is about the average cost for such

works.

Sri Subramanian of Nannavaram village in

Thirunavalur block has constructed a

filtering structure with assistance and

guidance of the Ashram. This village is in a

rocky area. His well had water at 48’ depth

and did not have retaining capacity. The

filtering structure is of two rectangular tub-

like excavations filed with stones, blue

metal, boulders and sand to filter water.

Pipe connected to the well carries the water

from the filter structure. Sri Subramanian

has tapped a water source at a distance of

200 meters and brings the water to the filter

Recharge well is a structure,

usually 10’x10’, by the side of an

existing well, designed to receive,

store and discharge rainwater into

the well after filtering it. One such

work is in village Pallianthangal of

Pullur Panchayat of Ulundurpet

Block. 4 bores of 80’ each are sunk

with filtering mechanism. The

filtered water flows into the well

through a pipe. A pipe on the

opposite side is fitted to let water

from a nearby canal flow into the recharge

well; this is an additional source of water,

besides rainwater. Sri Andi Padayachi, the

farmer who constructed the recharge well,

has stated that there is more water in his

well for the last three years as a result of the

recharge well.

Another recharge well is in village Pullur

belonging to Sr i Anandakannan, a

progressive farmer. He is a teacher in a

school in a nearby village. In his recharge

well, besides 4 bores of 20’ depth, rough

stones and blue metal are spread in the bed

of the structure as filtering mechanism. This

3-year old recharge well cost Rs. 15,000,

20 21

Sri Subramanian of Nannavaram, near his recharge well

through a channel. This provides extra water

to the filter. Now the well has plenty of water

even in the middle of May. Sri Subramanian

said that his yield had increased from 30

bags to 40 bags per acre. Encouraged by

the result, he is digging another well.

Sri Subramanian of Nannavaram near his well

Page 14: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

ain Centre is serving as a

major source of training Rand demonstration. 150 students

of Indian Institute of Technology

(IIT), Chennai came in 3 batches

of 5-day training each. Students

of Anand College of Engineering

came for a 2-day training. SHG

members, villagers, College and

S c h o o l s t u d e n t s a n d

Government officials visit the

Centre frequently to study all the

51 technologies demonstrated

though telltale models. The most

i m p o r t a n t t e c h n o l o g i e s

presented are: bench terracing,

graded bunds, continuous and

staggered trenches, contour

bunds, gabion structures, gully

plug, check dams (vegetatitive,

sand bags, wooden planks,

bamboo, earthen and masonry),

percolation and farm ponds,

recharge well, filter mechanism,

contour furrowes, tied ridges and

rainwater harvesting.

Propagation of Technology

22 23

Rain Centre models viewed by officials

Rain Centre models explained by the Sisters

In demonstration plots, the technologies

developed by Sri Sarada Ashram are

experimented and used for training villagers.

In March, 2008, Tamil Nadu Women

Development Corporation, Villupuram had

sent 300 women for a month’s training in

agriculture through these plots. They

received training in two batches of 150

each. Each batch was divided into 4 groups,

Ganga, Yamuna, Sindhu and Kaveri. They

were trained in floriculture, horticulture,

water harvesting, vermicompost, bio-

compost, azolla cultivation, mulching

Rain Centre models viewed by women farmers

techniques, crop rotation and similar

activities. They worked on the plots and

sowed black gram, green gram, red gram,

gingili (sesame), groundnut, ragi, cumbu,

curry leaves, cluster bean, cowpea, greens,

radish, chillies, brinjal, kanakambaram,

jasmine, rose and many other varieties to

get hands-on training.

In vermicompost demonstration, the women

prepared the compost in sand mixed with

coconut fronds, coconut fibre, sugarcane

fresh mud, groundnut stalks, tapioca, cotton Smt. Santa Sheela Nair, I.A.S., Secretary, Ministry

of Rural Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi

inaugurated the Rain Centre exhibition containing 50

technology demonstration units on Rain Water

Harvesting and Water Conservation. This project is

assisted by CAPART which is serving as a major

source of training and demonstration centre.

Page 15: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

After 60 days, the compost will be

transferred to a tub. One kilo of earthworms

will be collected from one tub of compost.

The tub will be continuously replenished

with compost, with each stage of collection

of earthworms.

The Ashram has established an Adaptive

Research Centre to demonstrate azolla

cultivation, biocompost and vermicompost. It

has seed bank, meteorological laboratory,

soil testing laboratory and nursery. Farmers

visit the Centre for first-hand knowledge of

technologies.

waste, vegetables, leaves, jaggery etc.

After one week’s watering, worms will be

introduced and cool conditions ensured.

24 25

Women farmers under training

Azolla Spread

Relief work was undertaken

Attipakkam, Sarayamedu, Pullur,

Kattunemmili, Pallianthangal and

Kaliyanallur for natural calamities.

In Eraiyur, Periyaselvam and

Saravanapakkam, relief was

g iven af ter group c lashes

disrupted normal life.

In Sarayamedu, Smt. Sakuntala’s

cotton harvest was gutted within

hours of storing in her barn. The

sisters of the Ashram rushed to

her and provided immediate

relief. They took her daughter,

Punithavalli, under their care and

gave her computer training.

She is now supporting the family.

Smt. Sakuntala’s husband,

Sri Mayavan, developed eye

problem. He was treated by the

Ashram and now he is selling

clothes.

Friend in NeedFeel, my children, feel; feel for the poor, the ignorant, the downtrodden; feel till the heart stops and the brain reels.

– Swami Vivekananda

Relief measures in Kattunemmili

Relief measures in Attipakkam

Page 16: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

They gave two examples. First, in village

Periyaselvam, clashes broke out between

groups and normal life was thrown out of

gear. The Ashram was contacted at 7.30

PM. Food meant for Ashram hostel students

was diverted and by 9.30 PM the village was

reached and food was served to all. Utensils

worth Rs. 1,500 and bedding and clothes

were also distributed from the Ashram stock

to 160 people. On 9-3-2008, village Eraiyur

Block Development Officer, Rural Welfare

Officer, Village Administrative Officer and

Extension Officer, Panchayat, Ulundurpet, in

the course of their usual visits to the Ashram,

explained the close coordination between

Government and Ashram functionaries.

They said that whenever any natural

calamity or law and order problem arose, the

Ashram would be pressed into service for

emergency relief at a short notice.

26 27

Smt. Sakuntala’s burnt cotton harvest

was affected by caste riots. By 8 PM, the

Ashram provided food and relief materials.

The second instance was in village Erainji,

where sudden floods at 7.30 PM marooned

1,600 people. The Ashram was approached

by the district administration. By 8 PM, the

Ashram supplied to food to all people and

consoled them in distress. In village,

Kattupalli and Udayananthal, near Panrutti

Preparedness for Emergency Relief

town, flash floods marooned 2,500 people.

Asked by the district administration at

8 PM, the Ashram diverted hostel food

and supplied it to the affected people by

9:30 PM.

The case of Smt. Vijayakumari, a poor

village woman, is an example of the

Ashram’s response to distressed people.

Page 17: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

Encounter

What is your mission in life and what

role you envisage for Sri Sarada Ashram

in living up to it?

Sr i Sarada Ashram is a sp i r i tua l

organisation. Its inmates are solely guided

by the philosophy, Service to society is

service to God. Swami Vivekananda put it in

these words:

ata Yatheeswari Priya Amba is the Mguiding light of Sri Sarada Ashram.

With a beatific smile, exuding love and

affection, she explains her role as the

mentor of the organisation. During a brief

interview summarised below, she shared

her thoughts about the mission of the

Ashram.

28 29

Mata Yatheeswari Priya Amba with Sisters of Sri Sarada Ashram

Her husband, the only earning member of

the family, fell into a well and fractured his

hand. The Ashram persuaded her to take a

loan of Rs. 7,000 from her SHG and

purchase a cow. By dint of her hard work,

she earned enough to treat her husband,

pay for household expenses and repay the

loan. Today, she is a good dairy farmer.

The Ashram has all materials-cooking

utensils, plates, beds, blankets and clothes-

stacked in a room. At the shortest notice,

they can be rushed to the areas of distress.

The ashram is on a constant alert to

respond to emergencies in the quickest

possible time.

Page 18: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

30 31

people. They involve us in providing succour

to people whenever there are emergencies

like floods, fire ravages and law and order

breakdown. They have confidence in our

capacity to rise to the occasion. They are

using us in many Government schemes like

women development, child development etc.

Officers from Collector downwards visit us

and share their concerns with us. Good and

understanding relationship with Government

functionaries is a source of strength to the

Ashram.

Our sisters go to villages frequently and

meet people on a regular basis. They attend

meetings of SHGs and other village

associations formed by the ashram. They

participate in village festivals and share the

joys and sorrows of the people. All these

actions have helped in forging a bond of

friendship and mutual understanding with

people. We are in a position to feel the pulse

of the people. We have meetings of

Mahasabha every month. Two members

from each village group attend the meetings.

This is also a source of feedback.

What is your feedback mechanism?

values and encourage them to improve their

lives by taking up productive works. We

create conducive facilities for this to happen

and try to upgrade their existing skills and

teach them new skills. Our vocational

programmmes and SHGs are designed for

this purpose. We concentrate on education,

as it is key to the advancement of society.

Our schools, hostels and special coaching

facilities focus on children who are orphans

or very poor, with special attention to girls.

CAPART is a very proactive body. It is doing

a good service by identifying suitable

voluntary organisations and encouraging

them with guidance and funds to take up

meaningful programmes. We are happy that

CAPART sanctioned many projects to the

Ashram and provided needed financial

assistance.

Villupuam district administration is very

understanding and helpful. The officers

recognise us as an effective voluntary

organisation enjoying good rapport with

What is your experience with CAPART?

What is your experience of Government

agencies?

technologies suitable for agriculture in the

district and testing their viability in our farms.

Then we started taking them to the people.

We are slowly persuading farmers to adopt

techniques like vermicompost, application of

panchakavya, azolla cultivation, mulching,

single straw method etc. The pace of

adoption of these technologies is good. We

also feel that water is very crucial in this

area of scant water resources. We,

therefore, s tar ted promot ing water

conservation, rainwater harvest, filter

mechanism, drip and sprinkler irrigation

technologies and propagating them to

farmers. We took up plans to improve

existing tanks and lakes with a view to

increasing irrigation potential. In technology

adoption, we have a twin strategy: prove

effectiveness in our farms and establish

close contacts with farmers to persuade

them to adopt and give all help to them.

We should instil a sense of confidence in

people whom we serve. We, therefore, try to

make them realise their potential to become

self-reliant. We organise men, women and

youth in associations, impart them basic

What are your strategies to help people?

Atmano mokshartham jana hitaya ca

(Self-salvation through service to mankind)

All Sisters of the Ashram are imbued with

this spirit. Once on a pilgrimage to

Brindavan accompanied by Sri Mathur

Babu, a king, Sri Ramakrishna encountered

several hungry, ill-clad and sick people on

way. Sri Ramakrishna sat down on the

ground and asked Sri Mathur Babu to fetch

food and clothes to them immediately. When

Sri Mathur Babu said that it would be difficult

to go back and bring the materials and that

the matter could wait till they completed the

pilgrimage, Sri Ramakrishna was unyielding.

He said that the pilgrimage could wait, but

not the needs of the people. Only after their

needs were met, he resumed the pilgrimage.

We in the Ashram take inspiration from this

incident in Sri Ramakrishna’s life.

Agriculture is the mainstay in Villupuram

district where we serve. From the early

stage, we felt that we should help in

increasing production and productivity in

agriculture. We started experimenting with

What is the reason for giving importance

to technology by the Ashram?

Page 19: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

the end of the term for which it is sanctions.

Programmes are continuous and require

regular follow-up. All our CAPART projects

have been completed, but our Sannyasinis

still go to the villages, interact with the

beneficiaries, attend their meetings and give

the people guidance and support. We shall

continue our efforts and we have every hope

that our future programmes will also be

effective.

How do you look upon the future?

We are working in the area for more than 15

years. We have won the confidence of the

people without any distinction of caste or

religion. Being an institution predominantly

of women renunciates, our relationship with

women of area is especially strong. So far,

our programmes in education, health,

agriculture, irrigation, vocational training and

technology transfer are successful. It is our

belief that no programme is complete with

ri Sarada Ashram has scripted a story

of genuine service to people-literally Sfrom the cradle to the grave. Through its

health units, it is providing antenatal care

and paving way for the child to enter the

world. Nursing it to different stages of

education, it opens up the world to it to be

self-reliant. The service is carried through till

old age help is given. Women remain the

primary focus and many have acquired skill

and aptitude to become self-reliant.

The impact of the Ashram is brought in bold

relief in Aziznagar. From a turbulent life, a

community has progressed to an orderly and

temperate life. The work in the field of

education is also noteworthy. The Ashram

has lit the lamp of learning in the previously

illiterate homes. The boundless love and

self-less dedication of the Sisters of the

Ashram resonate all over in the lives of the

people of the area. The Ashram has become

a byword of selfless service in Villupuram

district.

Finally

Emblem of Ashram

32 33

Page 20: SRI SARADA ASHRAM

34

Sri Sarada AshramTrichy Trunk Road, New Edaikkal,

Ulundurpet, Villupuram Distt., Chennai, TamilnaduPhone: 91-4149-222362

CAPART Projects

Sri Sarada Ashram has been sanctioned the following projects by CAPART:

Amount (in Rupees)

S.No. Name of the Project Sanctioned Released

1. Renovation of Lake and Formation of Users’ Association, Pullur 6,75,835 5,32,668

2. Renovation of Lake and Formation of Users’ Association,

Semmanangur 13,50,100 10,84,500

3. Establishment of Rain Centre 16,87,000 13,69,820

4. Revival of Traditional Tanks and Allied Activities, Arali 30,22,150 11,62,749

5. Preparation of Integrated Organic Farming

with indigenous village level technologies 47,59,262 40,12,349

6. NGOs Institutional Monitors’ Capacity Building

workshop on CAPARET policies 96,000 63,536

7. Nodal NGO Scheme-on going 12,24, 000 3,51,000

8. Grameen Vikas Andolan-on going 4,68,500 2,34,250

9. Capacity Building Workshop for NGOs of Villupuram district 82,000 61,500

Total 1,33,64,847 88,72,372

(All figures are provisional)

(Sketch map not to scale)

We look forward to your suggestions and comments.

Please write to us at:

Chiranji LalAssistant Director

CAPART(Publication Division)

Zone-V-A (Core C), 2nd Floor, India Habitat CentreLodhi Road, New Delhi-110003

Tel.: 2464 2395, Fax: 2464 8607

© CAPART, JULY 2008

AREA OF OPERATIONSRI SARADA ASHRAM

TRICHY,VILLUPURAM