Making of a Beggar Free Capital City
This is not a day dream, but a daylight truth. Not a fantasy, but a fact – a true culmination of honest efforts. When the sense of equity and equality are endangered, there grows a feel of insecurity. The volcano of problems starts fuming in a society, when a segment of the society starves while others float on affluence. Seven years ago, the city of Thiruvananthapuram had a similar context when it was usual to find beggars coming in as refugees evoking a concomitant rise in criminal activities like kidnaping children, theft and abuses. Bringing a sweeping reformation was Sakshathkaram the benign initiative jointly launched by the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram and Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust – Kerala. The scheme seeks to permanently plug the menace of begging through humanitarian initiatives that can eradicate starvation and miseries that prompt the downtrodden to resort to begging. The project has scored a whopping 90% success by appropriately rehabilitating about 90% of the city’s beggars. Shoulder to shoulder with the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram, the Trust is untiringly carrying forward the mission with refurbished spirit and enthusiasm.
“Look at the world with the vision of peace, love, and compassion. Then the whole world will appear loving and peaceful.” Sai Baba
Nirbhaya
For empowering the mind, body and soul, art plays a big role and we try to reach out to different groups who would benefit greatly out of art, music and dance. Currently we are conducting music and dance classes in the “Nirbhaya home for protecting the victims of sex crimes”, run by the Social Justice Department.
Chaitanya Jyothi
Sri Sathya Sai Publications
This scheme envisages production of well-set publications about Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Sai Gramam. ‘Sai Mahima’ is a monthly published on 25th of every month propagating the divine discourses, messages and life mantras bequeathed by Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Each issue of the monthly carries placid compositions of Puttaparthy news, and creative contributions of students and inmates of Sai Gramam. Thus ‘Sai Mahima’ offers an enchanting sight of the activities of the Trust as well as the plush creativity sprouting under the roof of Sai Gramam. Sai Mahima’s English version is available online. The project could also bring forth a number of books written by renowned scholars. ‘Swamy Saranam’ by E.U. Madhavan; ‘Saiye Ariyan’ by Prof. Sasikumar; three parts of ‘Sai Gramam – Viswas - Santhi Dhamam’ by Mr. K.N. Anand Kumar are among the galaxy of literary works. ‘Sai Gramam – Viswasanthi Dhamam’ was released by the doyen of Malayalam literature, Dr. Sukumar Azhikode at a ceremony held at Sai Gramam. Production of an English translation of the book is currently underway.
Sai Darshan
If to distribute good thoughts among masses, there should be initiatives to tap the potentials of the mass media. Hence the Trust has telecast more than 900 episodes, a programme titled, ‘Sathyam, Sivam, Sundaram’ on Asianet News Channel through Fridays and Sundays for the past 13 years. The programme could instill upon the value of charity and other virtues in life. Sequel to this, a programme named, ‘Sai Darshan’ is telecast on Jai Hind TV at 8.30am on Sundays that remains to be the lone television programme in Malayalam speaking on Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Sai Darshan’s viewership is ever growing, testify the survey results.
Police Outpost
Functioning within Sai Gramam is an Outpost of Kerala Police, furthering the safety and security of all.
Vivekananda Museum
In its effort to establish the largest museum on Swami Vivekananda, the Sai Gramam could get due support from the Government of Kerala. The landmark project, which is a joint venture, was inaugurated by then Chief Minister, Mr. Oommen Chandy. Brainstorming and planning are progressing. Works for realizing the biggest museum may begin within a short span of time.
Lok Adalath
Sai Gramam extends a helping hand for the underprivileged, especially poor villagers in availing legal support on time. For those who can’t afford the cost of pursuing legal disputes with formal court suits, Sai Gramam’s Lok Adalath project provides necessary support.
Cloth Bank & Mobile Cloth Bank
Adjacent to the main entrance of Sai Gramam is a Cloth Collecting Centre. The Centre collects clothes from willing public and distributes cloths for the needy people including victims of natural calamities. At the same time, there is a Mobile Clothe Bank that travels through adjacent village localities, distributing clothes to the poor who are in dire need.
Sai Hastha
Free Training Centre for Women
For women belonging to the Mudakkal Panchayat, where Sai Gramam resides, a unique free training is offered for earning through crafting with yarns and fi bers. The free training is on vocational trades including banana fi ber craft, tailoring, and embroidery works. Mahila Samakhya is another project of the Trust that provides free training in the above trades and paper bag making exclusively for women in distress. This project is supported by Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society under the government of India scheme on Women Empowerment.
Free Computer Training Centre
At the free Computer Training Centre, the Trust offers free of cost computer knowledge for children and women. On an average, more than 500 people are trained at this centre.
Survey Programme
The Trust has taken up the onus of launching a survey at grassroots at Mudakkal Panchayat, where the Trust is situated. Various socioeconomic and demographic factors of the panchayat will be gathered, sorted and analysed to arrive at certain useful assumptions. Major objective of the survey is to convert the panchayat into liquor and litigation free one.
Yoga Class in Prison
Beyond certain limits, the long stances of solitude in places like prisons can cause severe damages to one’s mental and physical health. In order to solve such possible weighty consequences our prisoners suffer, Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust – Kerala has introduced a groundbreaking project of training Yoga for prisoners of Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram. The scheme was inaugurated at the prison premises at a special function by Mr. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan then Minister of Home & Vigilence, Kerala. The Trust’s Yoga for Prisoners project is the fi rst of its sort in Kerala and fourth in the country. Jailbirds take Yoga lessons inside jail premises from acclaimed Yogacharya, Mr. Rajakrishna at 4pm on every Tuesday.
