With the second wave of Covid-19 turning out to be more ferocious than the first one and spreading fast in rural areas, AIM for Seva that is focused on rural education is now fully involved in seva work on a war footing.
Our coordinators, volunteers, students and alumni who began with relief related efforts around two months back are now working round the clock and are providing freshly cooked meals, provision kits, vegetables and other basic medicines to students and their families in many last mile areas. They are also helping needy families and students procure ration cards.
The beneficiaries are in thousands and this effort is ongoing and continuous. We share some examples from across our project locations in India.
Under the guidance of Acharya Nawneet ji, (the coordinator of two of our hostels in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh), a group of AIM for Seva’s alumni from Himachal Pradesh are cooking meals and providing piping hot food to other deserving students on a daily basis.
“Two ex-students from Solan, Himachal Pradesh are helping their fellow alumni and their friends in the region. Some are studying in colleges while others are taking training at ITI (Industrial Training Institute) in Solan. With the onset of the lockdown, these students got stuck as they had no money nor family support. We decided to help and they are now being given freshly cooked food daily,” says Acharya Nawneet ji.
Similarly, Swami Shraddhananda Saraswati ji, (the coordinator of the Chatralayams in Dighawat and Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh) and his team are providing kits to needy families in the region. “Our tagline for relief related efforts is AIM for Seva—Ek Kadam Aage (AIM for Seva—One Step Ahead),” says Swami Shraddhananda Saraswati ji.
The provision and relief pack comprises the following items– rice, atta, sugar, turmeric powder, dal, jeera, tea, oil, biscuits, salt, antiseptic soap bar and washing soap powder.
Food and provision materials are being distributed to the poor and needy families on a continuous basis. Families are being called to a central location like schools (Sri Saradwathi Vidyalaya, Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh) for distribution.
Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of AIM for Seva’s projects in Madhya Pradesh and his sevaks are continuously involved in seva work. At Indore, the volunteer team has been providing food, water bottles, energy drinks, biscuits and masks to people wandering and sleeping on footpaths. The livelihood of such daily wage workers got impacted due to the lockdown. Road dwellers in MG Road, Jawahar Marg, Tilak Nagar, Dwarakapuri and other places are getting food, water and energy drinks daily.
The volunteer team from Madhya Pradesh is indirectly involved in medical seva also with food packets being distributed daily to people looking after Covid patients at government hospitals in Indore.
“At AIM for Seva’s Bhojanalaya in Indore, the food cooked daily is being distributed to the poor, needy and those sleeping on the footpaths. We thank the donors who have contributed to this cause,” says a volunteer. The Madhya Pradesh sevaks have now expanded the scope of seva work to other places also.
The coordinator of the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Nagpur, Maharashtra, Swami. Vishnuswaroopananda Saraswati ji and his team are providing monthly provision materials to more than 100 needy people from the surrounding areas on a daily basis.
The field staff at the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Maval taluk, Pune district, Maharashtra – ably guided by Swami Chitprakashananda Saraswati ji are providing complete groceries regularly to many labourers living nearby.
Covid relief work has been initiated at the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Adivasi Chatralayam for Girls, Godhra, Gujarat, under the supervision of hostel coordinator, Swamini Spastatmananda Saraswati ji. The staff and volunteers are continuously distributing provisions and groceries to needy families across the region.
“We are distributing kits to the very poor and needy people. A few of my sadhakas are involved in this effort. They are distributing groceries and vegetables in different areas,” says Swamini Spastatmananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of the Godhra Chatralayam. The sadhaks have hired a three-wheeler for door-to-door distribution in the slum areas.
Down south, the Andhra Pradesh AIM for Seva team has joined hands with RSS and is helping to perform last rites for people who have passed away due to Corona in Gudur. These rituals are being performed based on the request of the family members as they are unable to be near their loved ones.
Swami Krishnatmananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Palakkad, Kerala and volunteers attached to the hostel are also involved in relief related work. “I have collected donations from my students towards poor feeding and am ably supported by an enthusiastic team of youngsters. With the help of Vivekananda Darsanika Samajam, Palakkad, food packets are being distributed daily at various locations in Palakkad,” says Swami Krishnatmananda Saraswati ji.
The Palakkad Chatralayam has a kitchen garden and vegetables from the garden are also being distributed to the poor and needy everyday.
Relief operations are ongoing in Belgaum, Karnataka with coordinator Swami Chitprakashananda Saraswati ji and his supporters distributing provision materials (rice and dal) to deserving families in the region.
Swami Mokshananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of the Jaya Smrithi Dhama AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Udupi, Karnataka, is distributing provision kits comprising rice, dal and vegetables. Sometime back, Swami Mokshananda Saraswati ji also gave cash to a student’s family (elder sister’s husband) towards medical emergency.
Venkatesh Maharaj ji, the coordinator of the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Kanasageri, Karnataka, is arranging for medicine distribution that acts as an immunity booster against Covid-19. to over 12,500 people around the neighbouring villages.
Under the supervision of Swami Sthairyananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of the Swami Dayananda AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh, volunteers have initiated Annadanam service for the poor and needy people living in the surrounding areas. The Annadanam has been sponsored by Professor (retired) Sri. Jagdish Chandra N. Shelat in memory of his wife, Smt. Premila J. Shelat.
In addition, all our hostel coordinators are continuously offering prayers for global welfare.