Anandwan ------ A journey from stones to Milestones to Smilestones

From last three years Nitin and I was waiting for this opportunity to visit the Anandwan ….., and yes its in 2017 finally we got the booking.  Glad to know that there are millions of people like us who wanted to visit the place are in queue. It seems good that majority of people showing interest to social work. However, many of the people still does not know what is Anandwan? Who are Prakash Amate and Vikas Amte?

I do not believe in God….but whenever I saw this couple…no no...the whole Amte family, I feel yes, there is God who is present on the earth through this human beings. Dr. Prakash Amate and Dr.. Mandakini Prakash Amate……interantional renowned personality with simple nature. Highly qualified but do not have an ego, prestige and jealousy. They worked for the Adivasi (the people who live in forest) community.

Dr. Vikas Amte….the great human being, who work for leprosy people..…do not able to express his work in words. It took a lot of courage to sacrifice a comfort and cozy life, to serve the Leprosy (Maharogi) people, blind, deaf, handicapped people. 

 Image courtesy: Livenet

They spend their entire life to give this people a normal life as we live with basic needs, education and right to be a human being. They spend almost a six decades and their third generation is now managed the same responsibility.

I am a tiny creature who will not able to capture their work in words. I would like to do a vlog for this. But that was not possible. Here I would like to take you out to visit this place with me. We would not able to sum up the whole Anandwan through this small blog post, but would like to cover the most of the part it. First, post I will try to cover what is this place and in second post I will be give you a small real tour of this place.

This is the brief introduction of MSS….(Source: MSS catalogue).

MSS, Warora is Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora founded in 1949, by the internationally renowned development worker and peace activist Murlidhar Devidas Amte (polularly known as Baba Amte), is a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization that has empowered over 2.6 millions people affected with leprosy and speech impaired, visually and orthopedically challenged and socially backward tribal populace through sustained and effective psycho-socio-economic rehabilitation. (Anandwan:  The headquarter of MSS, was founded by Baba Amte. It is a world renowned, presidential award winner cooperative village which is home to some 2500 people with disabilities and people who lost hope to live.

I)              Somnath: A village where the cured leprosy patients would live together use own resources, blood, sweat and toil. It is food bowl of MSS. Along with intensive modern farming, fishery, dairy-farming and dry land horticulture are also practiced here.

Image courtesy : Bharari Net

II)           Lok Biradari Prakalp, Hemalkasa: This was started in 1973 by Baba Amte for the integrated development of the primitive tribe ‘Madia-Gonds’. The members of this tribe, residing in the deep forest of Gadchiroli district, were living the life of animals, deprived of necessities of life, totally neglected by the rest of the world. Dr. Prakash Amte and his wife Dr, Mandakini volunteered to work among the Madias.

III)              Mulgavan : In October 2006 Baba Amte’s son Dr. Vikas Amte taking along his land army stepped onto the disaster-struck soil of Mulgavan which was reeling under severe penury, illiteracy and a recent deluge of farmer’s suicides. He initiated relief and rescue operation to benefit the local population.

IV)         One of the special programs of MSS is Swaranandwan (A Therapeutic Theatre): This is unique orchestra of the select group leprosy afflicted, visually challenged, orthopedically challenged and hearing and speech impaired people of Anandwan. It is “Therapeutic Theatre” conceived by Dr. Vikas Amte aimed at providing them a psycho-socio rejuvenating therapy by harnessing their latent talents. The Artist has performed in over 3000 shows all over Maharashtra and Delhi.

V)        Amte Animal Ark: This one is orphanage cum rescue centre at Himalkasa for young animals, whose parents have been killed by the tribe people only for food and not for fun. The love of Dr. Prakash Amte cannot be explained in word. I will recommend you to read this Book Negal.  Today this Ark has almost 90 animals.

Apart from that, MSS also have following infrastructure.

Healthcare, Rehabilitation, Education, Special and Vocational, Agriculture, Village developmet, Production Unit, Environment, Bank and post office too.

Let’s move to the Management of MSS:

Baba Amte and his wife Sadhantai, decided to take up the cause of serving leprosy patient. MSS has flourished under the able leadership of Baba and Sadhantai. After Baba, his sons Dr. Vikas and Prakash Amte have taken up the role as flag bearers of MSS. Dr. Vikas Amte is leprosy rights activist and a social entrepreneur changing the lives of millions of people with leprosy and other disabilities.  Dr. Prakash Amate is the Assistant Secretary of MSS and a Padmashree and Ramon Magsaysay awardee. He is the head of Lok Biradari Praklap.

That’s it guys….I hope you all came to know what is this place? How it works? For whom it works? Everyone know Mr. Baba Amte who worked for leprosy people and now you can imagine how big is the jorueny. Stay tune for the upcoming post of Anandwan.