“Service Is the highest spiritual discipline. Prayer and meditation, or knowledge of scriptures and Vedanta cannot help you reach the goal as quickly as Service can. Service has a double effect. It extinguishes the ego and gives bliss”- Bhagawan Baba
Our beloved Bhagawan has not only shown us the way to seeking bliss, but was also compassionate to take the lead forward to actualise most of the activities to be emulated by us. The service activities undertaken in the Service Wing can be broadly classified under Socio Care and Medicare
(I)SocioCare (Love in Action)
Sri Sathya Sai Village integrated programme (SSSVIP):
SSSVIP project aims to ensure the holistic development of every family in the village, and ultimately the village as a whole. Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba has firmly believed and propagated that “Grama Seva is Rama Seva”. After the initial adoption of the village, they follow a systematic & integrated 7 Care approach -Individual Care, Educare, Medicare, Sociocare, Spiritual Care, Econocare and Agricare’.
Work carried out by SSSSO Tamil Nadu in 20 districts under SSSVIP is as follows:
- Total No. of Villages Adopted : 48
- Total No. of Balvikas classes: will update
Prashanthi Seva:
The state of Tamilnadu has been given the opportunity to perform Parthi Seva thrice in a calendar year. March 15th to March 31st, May 1st to May 15th and from October 15th to November 15th at Prashanthi Nilayam (Bhagwan’s divine above), Puttaparthi.
Out of the billions of people on earth, only a few million knew about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Out of these, only a few believed in HIS divinity and worshiped Him. Even among those who knew and believed in Him, very few had the opportunity to see Him, experience Him and be in His presence. Only a few have the opportunity to serve in Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation. And only very few had wonderful opportunity to serve in Prashanthi Nilayam.
Prashanthi Nilayam is a divine workshop, given by our beloved Bhagawan.
Sri Sathya Sai National Narayana Seva (SSSNNS):
National Narayana Seva is a rare opportunity to feed the people who have not had the joy of having two square meals a day. This is a blessing in disguise as we feed the Narayana Himself
This is conducted in once a month in the samithis throughout the State
Total number of SSSNS conducted across the State: 917(update)
Sri Sathya Sai Amrutha Kalashams
Sri Sathya Sai Amrutha Kalasham is a unique way of providing monthly ration to poor people in remote localities of towns and villages. Initially a survey is conducted by volunteers of SSSSO to identify people or families having very low income and struggling to earn their livelihood. A monthly package grocery & other essential items sufficient for 2-3 persons is handed over to the needy identified persons at the Samithi or at their door step
This is conducted once a month in most of the samithis throughout the State (need more info )
Food Distribution in Government Hospitals
In Government hospitals, food is served to those admitted in the hospital as in-patients. The patients who visit Government hospitals in India are poor and the attendants who accompany them must wait in the hospital for the treatment for long time. SSSSO has initiated to supply free food (Narayana seva) to the attendants twice daily in the selected hospitals. SSSS Samithis take complete responsibility to prepare food, serving and cleaning the premises with utmost love and care.
This seva is being currently done at Omandurar Hospital at Chennai feeding an average of 500 persons per day
Rural Vocational Training Centres (RVTC)
Rural Vocational Training Centre aims at improving the economic conditions of the unemployed youth in a particular village and to create areas of self-employment. The suggested skills are: Plumbing , Electrical wiring , welding , Carpentry, Mobile phone servicing , Two wheeler servicing , Mason , Motor rewinding, Bicycle repair, Tyre Puncture sealing , Bicycle repair, Basic Tractor and farm equipment servicing etc,.
As on date Five Centres are functioning in Tamilnadu :
- Tirunagiri, Nagapattinam district. Started on 20.4. 2014
- Nanmangalam , Kanchi North district : Started on 21.4.2014
- Thirukkurungudi ,Tirunelveli District : Started on 23rd November 2005
- Chitthode, Erode District: Started on 04-12-2014
- Padavedu, Thiruvannamalai District: recently opened in Sep 2019
Disaster Management
Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba directed the All India President of the SSSSO, India in the year 2002 to train the Sevadal (volunteers) in Disaster Management (DM). The same year in Tamil Nadu, the Disaster Management Team was formed with proper training.
The various modules of training offered by the Disaster Management team are
(1)Disaster Management Intensive training For the Sai Sevadal/ Sai Youth (2)Disaster Awareness Camp – This programme formulates as a bridge between many colleges/ companies/ villages to Sai Disaster Management team.(3)DM Preparedness : A three hour programme for the Industries, Corporate Co. & School students. DM Team has been abundantly blessed by our beloved Bhagawan for their commendable efforts. As a jewel in the crown, The Govt of Tamil Nadu has permitted the DM Team TN to work as Disaster Response Guards (DRG) as part of the inter departmental team and towards this end have received 69 State level DRG ID card from Govt of TN .
At present the strength is 354 trained members who can handle any emergency. With the blessings of our beloved Bhagawan, our TN DM Team have trained more than 1 lakh members as of date
(II)MediCare (Love in Action)
Bhagawan’s principal message to the medical fraternity during His Valedictory discourse at the International Cardiac Conference in 1995 was only this
“Make love the capsule that you offer to your patients… anything you do with love will be rewarding.”
Three- pronged approach of Sri Sathya Sai Health Care:
Sri Sathya Sai Health Care has a Holistic Approach which is executed through the following three- pronged approach:
- Curative drive
- Preventive focus
- Spiritual base
MediCare – Activities in Tamil Nadu
Medical cover and counseling for expectant mothers
A unique program organised by the Mahilas of the Sri Sathya Sai organisation is the prenatal and ante natal medicare for the expectant mothers from the economically weaker sections of the society. This medical camp was inaugurated 20 years ago. Expectant mothers from adopted villages and SSSVIP villages are brought to this medical centre for treatment. Experienced gynecologists offer their services every fortnight. The treatment includes educating the expectant mothers regarding the health and hygiene, precautions to be taken during pregnancy and providing them with ‘Sai Protein’ required for 10 months. The new born baby is provided with a small kit containing the essential items like rubber sheets, nappies, baby powder, soaps and shampoo. A total of 5 mahilas are involved in organising the camp with a minimum of 2 specialist doctors at every camp. So far 732 (no. to be updated) mothers have been benefitted by this seva.
Sai Kripa Free Medical Aid Centre
Sai Kripa are free medical aid centres across the State for the needy & the underprivileged. Swami inaugurated the “Sai Kripa” free medical aid centre for the underprivileged at Kilpauk, Chennai on 15th January 1978 e. This later shifted to a place adjacent to Sundaram, making every Sunday a Sai day catering to the health needs of the needy in and around Chennai.
There are more Sai Kripa Centres in Chennai at Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Chinamaya Nagar, Nungambakkam & Sundaram
In Chennai alone, there are about ten Sai Krupa supported by the ‘StateofArt’ Mobile Hospital, on every Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the rural areas.
Liquid Love Seva (Blood donation)
In December 1998, SSSSO TN commenced a programme called “Liquid love” (Blood Donation). It was started in a small way and within a short span of time, it expanded with a need-based software and a database of more than 7,500 donors (update figure) comprising of all blood groups which is constantly updated, it serves on an average 100 patients a month who are undergoing surgeries and some receiving 2-3 units of blood, including rare blood groups
There is an information counter and a data bank manned by volunteers at Sundaram Chennai, 24X7 for catering to the blood transfusion requirements for nearly 25 hospitals (update figure) in the city of Chennai in cases of emergencies and post surgeries.
There is also a counter in the Central Railway Station in Chennai. Christened as Sri Sathya Sai Public Utility Services, this counter in the railway platform provides a host of voluntary services to people landing in Chennai from all parts of the world including first-aid, city info, etc.
Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospitals
Originally Sri Sathya Sai Mobile Hospital was launched by Sri Sathya Sai Baba on March 3, 2006. It is a boon for patients with chronic ailments who can never dream of buying medicines on a continuous basis.
With the divine blessings of our beloved Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai mobile hospital was inaugurated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on 21st August 2014. This mobile hospital seva is being rendered in parts of Chennai and its adjoining districts of Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the chronological order at 1. Sirudavur village, 2. Chennai Korukkupet, 3. Kodungaiyur, 4. Guruvaraja Kandigai village, 5. Red Hills, 6. Kannagi Nagar, Torapakkam, 7.Arasankazhani village, 8. Ambedkar Colony, Nanmangalam, 9. Karasangal village, 10. Arambakkam, Tambaram, 11. Nandambakkam village, Kundrathur and 12. Nandanambakkam Chennai Trade Centre respectively for the benefit of the down trodden people living in these areas from September 2014.
Sai Rehabilitation Programs” (SRP) – “HRUDAYA SANGAMAM”
Sri Satya Sai Seva Organisation, Tamil Nadu has taken up a new initiative to reach out to all the patients residing in Tamil Nadu who have benefitted from the Super Specialty Hospitals at Puttaparthi & Bengaluru. Sai volunteers in every district would go to the patients’ homes and enquire their well being. Invitation regarding a re-check up camp at the nearest Samithi is informed to them.
Doctors and other para medical staffs from the Sai medical fraternity would then conduct a thorough check up of their present health condition and guide them in leading a proper, healthy life. In some cases, patients who require further medical treatment were advised to contact the Super specialty hospitals. The Medical team would also instruct them the need for regular medications and tests to be done at regular intervals etc. along with some simple exercises to keep themselves physically fit.
The “Sai Rehabilitation Programs” (SRP) has been rechristened as “HRUDAYA SANGAMAM” in the state of Tamilnadu. With Swami’s grace, till date around 50 such patient contact programs were conducted across the state with 3000 beneficiaries