Creative Humanism - To Whomsoever It May Concern

I visited Anandvan, Somnath and Hemalkasa in March 2016; witnessed Baba Amte's work. I hate to admit this. But the only reason I know Baba Amte is only because of the marathi movie about his son Prakash Amte that released in 2014. Until then my knowledge was oblivious to the existence of this selfless family. 

Baba with Sadhana tai (His wife)

After watching the movie, I read Prakash Amte's autobiography. That's something I did to cross check the authenticity of what was shown in the movie. I was moved. I went online and could only find a handful information about Amte family's work.

It was clear for me that I'll visit this place and contribute in the way possible for me. I made my travel arrangements. I was the only non-senior citizen in the 14 member group going there; two others pushing towards 60! I then Informed my family, office, friends and acquaintances; barring my family only a few people knew where I was heading to. Mind you, I mentioned I was going to Anandvan which was the first and oldest project of Baba Amte and if someone did not know that, he would surely have no knowledge of Somnath and Hemalkasa.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with our people. We know what the press/presstitutes or social networking sites throw at us. I was in the blind too! Why wasn't the internet speaking about them? Here's some replies I actually received when I told people from my life that I was going to Baba Amte's Anandvan:-

1) Ye konse naye baba hain? (Quite an insulting question once you realise who Baba was)

2) Wo lonavala wala resort? (*Face palm*)

Most others would simply send question marks. I don't blame any of them. You and I were unaware because nobody was creating awareness. The media is busy chasing Bollywood actors not speaking to each other or those who went to/got released from prison. 

A board outside the leprosy hospital in Anandvan

Also, those of you who know about the Amte family know only limited things they've seen in the movies and/or that it has "something" to do with leprosy. Let's not go in to our knowledge about leprosy :| 

Here's a little info about the places I visited:-

Anandvan

Vikas Amte, Baba's elder son who is pivotal for the
administration of all projects.
I had the honor of meeting him. An extremely humble guy! 

Literally, Forest of Joy, located in Chandrapur district, 2 hours from Nagpur in the state of Maharashtra is an ashram and a community rehabilitation centre which was started for leprosy patients and the disabled of society. It was founded in 1948 by Baba Amte to provide cure the leprosy patients who were outcasts of their villages, their homes and void of social acceptance even after being cured.

Somnath

The ever green Somnath.
A camp takes place every year which I will soon be a part of! 

Baba envisioned Somnath as a village where the cured leprosy patients would live together in a village. There are no inter-caste marriages there; only inter-disability marriages. At present Somnath has about 550 residents, most of them leprosy patients and handicaps. About 1200 acres of land is used for cultivation. This project was started by Baba in 1967 after fighting for and finally being sanctioned "barren" forrest land. At present, it is the powerhouse for all projects for agricultural supplies!




Hemalkasa

Prakash and Mandakini Amte treating a tribal kid

Hemalkasa is where Lok Biradari Prakalp (LBP) (Brotherhood of People project) which is a social project of the Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora involving a hospital, a school and an animal orphanage which is being managed by Dr. Prakash, Baba's younger son and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte. It was started in 1973 by Baba Amte for integrated development of Madia Gond tribe and to include them in normal standard of living.

Amte's Animal Ark

This is literally 0.1% info I can provide in this space. I will write more in detail soon. I don't have enough knowledge even after visiting these places for 5 days. These are all smart towns now! In spite of being in the Vidarbha region, none of these places were victims of water scarcity, thanks to water recycling and conservation. They have food supplies in reserve for an year as a precaution for droughts. Presently, the third generation of Amte Family is managing the all the projects. 

When I do some sort of social work or I am a part of any environmental initiative, I tend to ask the people around me if they would like to do the same with me. Most people don't want to and a few who want to, make excuses and procrastinate. I don't force anyone. I still won't force anyone. Coz if you don't 'feel' anything then you won't do it. I urge you, or at least try to motivate and inspire you to make a contribution to those who are in dire need of social acceptance, however little that might be. If everybody did a pinch of good, soon there'll be nobody needing any help. 

"Social responsibility comes along with wealth and influence" - Baba Amte

If you're reading this, you're definitely 'well to do'! You will do yourself no loss by helping someone selflessly. Let me clarify that. If you have at least:-
1) two meals a day and drinking water
2) two sets of clothes and
3) a roof on your head
you're 'well to do'. Everything else you got whether it just be GOOD food, CLEAN drinking water, house with ROOMS (Plural) and other LUXURIES was only by an ACCIDENT. You were born in a well to do family only by sheer coincidence.

The richest family in the world are not the Ambanis, Tatas, Birlas or Gates, it's the Amtes!

Contribution in Funds

Funds

Love, care, freedom & respect that the patients get in Anandvan in unquantifiable!

 Until last year, the government grant per patient per day was Rs. 12, which has now been increased to Rs.70 (Thanks to the efforts of Kaustubh Amte). However, even the notional cost for a patient is Rs. 350 per day. Lets not forget Anandvan shelters them for the rest of their lives!

 1). Using NET BANKING (For Indian Donors only)

Account Details:

SB A/c Name: Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora

SB A/c No.: 20255728439

Name of Bank: Bank of Maharashtra

Branch: Anandvan

IFSC: MAHB0000792

 

2). Make Offline Payment (cheques/demand drafts/cash)

 

Draw cheques/demand drafts in favour of "MAHAROGI SEWA SAMITI, WARORA" and send the same by Post* to the following address. Please make sure to kindly give us your FULL NAME, COMPLETE ADDRESS & PAN to ensure that the receipt from our side is drawn & sent properly

Address:	Secretary, Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora   At-Post: Anandwan, Tahsil: Warora,   District: Chandrapur,   Warora – 442907, Maharashtra State

You are also requested to drop us an email at vikasamte@anandwan.in giving details of your contribution along with your FULL NAME, COMPLETE ADDRESS & PAN.

* (If you wish to send your Cheque/Demand Draft by Courier, please send the same through DTDC Courier only. No other Courier service is available at Warora.)

Please note that receipt of your contribution will be dispatched to your given address within a month. We will be sharing with you information about various activities undertaken by MSS from time to time.

If you wish to make the donation in cash, please Contact Us and we'll work that out for you for sure! 

• Tax Benefits (for Domestic Contributions)

      The contributions made are entitled for deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

3). Using PayPal Account (For Overseas Donors)

 Read instructions and then click the link: Make a donation

• After clicking the link, you will be on "Arpan Foundation contribution" page. Here you will see 4 options. Decide on one of the options
  
  1. Commit a contribution of $1,000 every year under our 1,000 for 1,000 campaign
  2. Make a one time contribution of a significant amount
  3. Commit a contribution every year on a special day (birthday, anniversary, etc.)
  4. Commit a contribution every month of a fixed amount
• For the selected option choose "Anandwan (Baba Amte)" from the list of institutions under the "Select an institution" column
• Enter the donation amount
• Click on "Make a donation" button
• Fill in the form and complete the donation process

• Tax Benefits (for Overseas Contributions*)

      The contributions made through “ARPAN FOUNDATION” are entitled for deduction   under US Income Tax laws. Arpan Foundation is a registered charitable organization  in USA under section 501 C (3).

 

Why we need YOU?

The residents of Anandvan are either visually impaired, hearing and speech impaired, orthopaedically challenged but mostly leprosy patients..

- Leprosy is the most misunderstood disease in the world! 95% of the world population has a natural immunity to leprosy. The remaining who find themselves prone to this disease in backward areas with lack of healthcare facilities and misconceptions about the disease. India has the highest cases of leprosy. Due to the social stigma, leprosy patients are treated like untouchables, disowned and outcasts: even after being treated and CURED!

*It is NOT contagious.

*It IS 100% curable.

*It DOESN'T cause deformities.


- At present there are 2000+ residents in Anandvan and 450 in Somnath. They are provided food, accommodation, healthcare, education and vocational training for free.

What really takes time is curing the leprosy of the mind of those who mistreat these humans.

If the current scenario continues,

The social rejection towards leprosy patients, the disbeliefs about leprosy and dependency of these people from all over India shall continue to fall on Anandvan. It's time we bear the responsibility too!

Until last year, government subsidy was only Rs. 15 per patient per day which has now been increased to Rs. 70. That is suppose to take care of their medicines, meals and living. What they get in Anandvan is much more valuable: love and respect.

More data coming soon!

Know what leprosy really is!

Q: What causes leprosy?

A: A germ, or bacteria, called Mycobacterium leprae. It causes an infection that affects the skin, destroys nerves and can also cause problems in the eyes and nose.

Q: Do fingers and toes fall off when someone gets leprosy?

 

A: No. The bacteria attack nerve endings and destroy the body’s ability to feel pain and injury. Without feeling pain, people injure themselves and the injuries can become infected, resulting in tissue loss. Fingers and toes become shortened and deformed as the cartilage is absorbed into the body. Repeated injury and infection of numb areas in the fingers or toes can cause the bones to shorten. The tissues around them shrink, making them short.

Q: What are the signs of leprosy?

 

A: Early signs include spots on the skin that may be slightly red, darker or lighter than normal skin. The spots may also become numb and have lost hair. Often they appear on the arms, legs or back. Sometimes the only sign may be numbness in a finger or toe. If left untreated, hands can become numb and small muscles are paralyzed, leading to curling of the fingers and thumb. When leprosy attacks nerves in the legs, it interrupts communication of sensation in the feet. The feet can then be damaged by untended wounds and infection. If the facial nerve is affected, a person loses the blinking reflex of the eye, which can eventually lead to dryness, ulceration and blindness. Bacteria entering the mucous lining of the nose can lead to internal damage and scarring which in time causes the nose to collapse. Untreated, leprosy can cause deformity, crippling and blindness.

Q: How do you catch leprosy?

 

A: M. leprae is transmitted primarily through coughing and sneezing. In most cases, it is spread through long-term contact with a person who has the disease but has not been treated. Scientists don’t fully understand how leprosy is spread.

Q: Is leprosy very contagious?

 

A: Most people will never develop the disease even if they are exposed to the bacteria. Approximately 95% of the world population has a natural immunity to leprosy.

Q: Is leprosy curable? How is it treated?

 

A: Leprosy is 100% curable with multi-drug therapy (MDT), a combination of three antibiotics: rifampin, clofazimine and dapsone. Treatment can take from six months to a year, sometimes longer.

Q: What side effects do the medications have?

 

A: Dapsone: Some people may have a mild anemia. Very rarely, other blood problems have been reported. Rifampin: Sometimes it will cause abnormal liver tests, but the problem clears when the medication is stopped. It may cause a harmless orange color in the urine, sweat or tears. Clofazimine: It has virtually no side effects except some darkening of the skin which slowly fades when the medication is stopped.

Q: What happens to pregnant women who have leprosy?

 

A: Most women with leprosy have normal pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. Patients on treatment do not transmit leprosy to their babies.

Q: What types of damage does leprosy cause?

 

Doctor at a partner hospital in India

examines a patient’s hand clawed by leprosy.

A: Leprosy can damage the peripheral nerves and nerves in the skin which can lead to:

• Loss of sweat and oil gland function which causes dry and cracked skin on the hands and feet.
• Loss of the ability to feel light touch or, with more severe damage, loss of protective sensation. Protective pain sensation prevents burns, cuts and exposure to destructive pressures to the hands and feet.
• Weakness of the eyelids, preventing proper closure of the lid and protection of the eye, which can lead to blindness.
• Loss of strength in the hands and feet. With severe nerve damage of the hands and feet, there is paralysis of the small muscles, leading to “clawing” of the fingers and toes.

Q: Can other people get leprosy from a patient?

 

A: Patients taking Multi-Drug Therapy do not spread the disease. When a person is placed on medication, most of the bacteria are killed within a few days. It is not necessary to isolate a person with leprosy at any time. Also, it is not transmitted through sexual contact or pregnancy.

Q: What tests can be done to diagnosis leprosy?

 

A: A trained health worker diagnoses leprosy through a skin biopsy. In this test, a small piece of skin is taken and sent to a laboratory where it is examined for the bacteria. Skin smears are another test that can be used. This is done by making a small incision into the skin. A small amount of tissue fluid is obtained and examined in the laboratory for the bacteria. There are no blood tests for leprosy.

Q:  Is it OK to use the word leper?

 

A:  No. For centuries leprosy has been viewed with horror and the word leper has come to mean outcast. The word leper reinforces the already strong stigma against leprosy and contributes to the heartbreaking ostracism sufferers face. Using the word leper today is considered an offense to the hundreds of thousands affected by this disease. The terms “person affected by leprosy” and “Hansen’s disease” are used instead.

Brief Background about Anandvan

ANANDVAN
(Literally meaning Forest-Of-Joy)

• Maharogi Sewa Samiti (MSS) was founded in the year 1949 by Murlidhar "Baba" Amte in Anandvan (2 hours ahead of Nagpur) to restore the dignity of leprosy stricken and disabled people by helping them to enhance their livelihood capabilities. 
 

• MSS has been relentlessly working towards the betterment of stigmatized and marginalized people such as those afflicted with leprosy, hearing & speech impaired, visually challenged, orthopedically challenged and socially & economically backward rural & tribal populace.
 

• MSS currently provides permanent shelter to 2500 differently abled people who live with dignity to earn their livelihoods created by the numerous initiatives of MSS.
 

• India reports about 70% of the total leprosy cases in the world. In the last six decades, Anandvan has impacted 2.6 Million disadvantaged people and has grown tremendously from nothing and now houses the largest community of leprosy afflicted and people with other disabilities in India, perhaps in the world!
 

• Of the different problems MSS faces, revenue being one; government grants form 12% of the total revenue of Anandvan. It goes without saying that it heavily depends on donations from ordinary people like you and I for its continual running.  Other problems being social stigma surrounding leprosy and their rejection even after being cured of the disease.