Tsunami Flood Relief - Please circulate & help

[Guest guest]

Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, CA, December

28, 2004

 

Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as Amma, world

renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader, has

initiated relief efforts in Southern India, one of the

areas dramatically impacted by the recent earthquake

and tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia. Amma's

organization has set up relief camps at both the

Amrita University School of Engineering and at the

Ayurveda School in the town of Amritapuri. More than 10,000

evacuees are being accommodated there. The

government has evacuated the area, asking everyone

stay on the other side of the backwaters for the next

48 hours.

 

The government has set up relief centers in nine of

the area's schools, and it is Amma's Ashram that is

providing those centers with food and other

necessities like clothes and blankets. In all, the

Ashram is preparing food for 10,000 people, three

times a day. Sacks of uncooked rice are also being

distributed, as many people's food supplies have been

washed away. Ten ambulances from the Ashram's AIMS

Hospital, with medical teams lead by 10 doctors are

making regular rounds. They are visiting each relief

camp every two hours, 24 hours a day.

 

The MA Math is also actively involved in relief

operations in Cochin (Vaippin), Trivandrum, Chennai

and Pondicherry. Amma has told all the Ashram branches

throughout South India to help in the relief efforts.

All along, Amma herself has been directing the relief

efforts near Amritapuri. As soon as the water rose,

Amma stopped giving darshan and began giving

instructions from the temple balcony. She then came

down into the water and started personally seeing that

everyone was getting to safety. Some 50 people were

stranded on top of a house and unable to swim were

rescued by Ashram residents. They extended a plank

from the Ashram kitchen to their roof and helped them

across. Amma made sure that everyone in each family

was together before sending them across the river in

the boats. She was concerned that if they did not

cross as families that they might get separated.

 

For more information or to contribute to relief

efforts, please go to www.amma.org or

www.amritapuri.org .