INTRODUCTION: A real leader is one who really serves the people without ego and egocentric desires.

In fact, greatness is not in dress, and lordship is not in acquiring wealth. Real greatness lies in humility and simplicity. Amma Everyone in the world should be able to sleep without fear, at least for one night. Everyone should be able to eat to his fill, at least for one day. There should be at least one day when hospitals see no one admitted due to violence. By doing selfless service for at least one day, everyone should help the poor and needy. It is Ammas prayer that at least this small dream be realised. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation When the need arises, Amma reaches out. There is no question of why or how. Her response is as natural and automatic as drying the tears that fall from ones own eyes. It has been like that since Ammas youth when she dedicated herself to taking care of those suffering in the surrounding villages spending time with lonely, feeding the hungry, providing medicine to the sick As Amma says, If it is someones karma to fall into a ditch, then it is our karma to help him out. It may be someones karma to fall into a well, it is our karma to assist them to come out of it. AMMA Under Ammas guidance, the Ashram has been providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of a series of natural disastersearthquakes in Gujarat and Kashmir, floods in Mumbai, Gujarat and Bihar, hurricanes in the United States, the Indian Ocean Tsunami In the face of these tragedies, Ammas Ashram has provided everything from food, medicine and temporary shelter to new homes, counseling and jobs. Furthermore, the Ashrams provision of emotional succor and long-term support has carried thousands through the darkest periods of their lives into the light of a hopeful tomorrow. The relief-and-rehabilitation work of Ammas Ashram has been praised by government agencies, world-leaders and members of the United Nations as being something above and beyond. It is more than mere relief; it is the care of a mother for her children. The past few years have seen natural disasters and tragedies involving the natural elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. Ammas helping hand reached out to those in need in these tragedies..

worst-affected regions, only treetops were visible above the waterline. On September 10, 2008, MAM began its Rs. 2 crore [$465,000 US] flood-relief program{news}. AIMS Hospital dispatched teams of specialists and paramedics who treated more than 400 patients daily, sometimes seeing to more than 500. Not only did the doctors treat wounds, respiratory problems like pneumonia and fungal growths, they also delivered several babies.

Helping Kashmir earthquake victims (28 Oct '05)

In response to the devastating earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir in October 2005, Amma sent two of her disciples, Bri. Rasamrita Chaitanya and Br. Abhayamrita Chaitanya, along with volunteers from the Delhi Ashram, to the region to console victims, distribute food and relief materials, and provide other assistance. Hundreds of blankets sent from Amritapuri were also distributed. Bri. Rasamrita and the volunteers organized games, painting contests, and other cultural programs to help keep the children active and to focus their minds away from their recent traumatic experience. Br. Abhaymarita also visited four villages in the region, met with government officials of Kashmir, and expressed the Ashrams desire to adopt two or three villages.

Mothers of Kumbhakonam Children Find Peace Amma's Arms 29 January 2005Amritapuri Amma took the photograph, looked deeply into the eyes of the four-year-old boy it pictured and gently kissed his forehead. She then took the next photothis one of a girl in pig tailsand did the same. There were around 70 in all, so it took some time. These were photographs of the children who'd burned to death in Kumbhakonam. It made international news when it happened back in July: 92 children killed and more than 18 severely burned when the thatched roof of a nursery school caught fire in a small Tamil Nadu village. Now, six months later, Amma's room was packed with the mothers and siblings of these children140 parents had come in all. Earlier that day during darshan, one of the mothers had become inconsolable in Amma's arms. She'd lost her son, and now she wanted Amma to turn back time. "Amma! Give me the fortune to see my child once again!" she railed. "Give me the fortune to see my son once again! Amma, I gave birth to him, I brought him up and suffered all the pain, and now he is gone. Give me the fortune to see my

child once again, Amma! Give me the fortune to see my child once again!" Amma held her for some 10 minutes, allowing the woman to exhaust herself in Her arms. The whole time Amma was wiping away both the woman's tears and Her own. When the tragedy occurred, Amma was in the middle of Her U.S. Tour. When She heard the news, She called Amritapuri and told a group of brahmacharinis to immediately go to Kumbhakonam to pray for the children and to console the parents. The girls left that day and soon were visiting all the parents, as well as the survivors in the hospital. The stories they heard were heart-rending. "My son, he came running out of the classroom, but then he remembered that his younger sister was still inside, so he ran back in to get her. But they both died," one mother told them. A father told the brahmacharinis how before the fire his children had not gone to school for two days. They had wanted to stay home that day as well, but he had forced them to go. "I forced them to go, and because of me, I lost both of them," he said. Another lady had been widowed while she was pregnant. "My life is meaningless," she cried. "I don't have anyone now." One mother told the girls that she had only been able to recognise her daughter's body by the anklets she had put on her that morning. The brahmacharinis chanted Amma's 108 names and the eighth chapter of the Gita as part of the children's funeral rites. They then brought some of the ashes back to Amritapuri, which Amma blessed and offered into the sea upon Her return from the U.S. Tour. Today, in Amma's room, one of the fathers reminded Amma of the brahmacharinis' visit. "Your children came and gave us peace," he told Amma. "We are still scared," the mother of a boy who was burned in the fire said. "We still have fear in our hearts. The children are scared to go to school. They are scared of fire. Even if our neighbour's light their stove, my son goes and puts it out." "I am willing to go to school but my mother is not willing to send me," one little girl who'd lost her brother in the fire told Amma. "I don't want to lose her too!" the mother called out. Amma told the woman not to worry, that she should send her daughter back to school as it was important for her to get an education. Amma spoke with the mothers and children for almost one hour, listening to their stories, looking at pictures of their children and wiping the tears of one and all.

Mata Amritanandamayi Math Tsunami Relief & Rehabilitation: Contributions, Projects & Efforts in India and Sri Lanka The Amrita Tsunami Relief & Reha-bilitation Project is a massive 100-crore rupee [23 million U.S. dol-lar] undertaking, covering a broad range of relief efforts in India and Sri Lanka. Of this, Rs. 3 crores (approx. 700,000 U.S. dollars) has been earmarked for Sri Lanka. In truth, the value of the entire relief project is nearly 200 crores, as so much of the work is being done by volunteers. In July 2005, the United Nations officially recognized the Mata Amritanandamayi Math as an NGO with Special Consulta-tive Status. 1. FREE HOUSING To replace homes destroyed by the tsunami, the Ashram is currently building 6,200 houses in India and Sri Lanka which will be given away free of charge. The 300 houses being built in Sri Lanka are being constructed through Healthcare Charities Inc., a not-for-profit organisation run by Ammas supporters in the US. The Ashram was the first NGO in India to complete tsunami-relief houses according to government specifications. On 13 April, 2005 the Ashram handed over its first batch of 18 houses in Kerala (Edavanakkad, Ernakulam District). As of 11 December 2005, the Ashram had completed 2000 houses in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. All over Kerala, construction is taking place in various villages: in Kollam (Cheriya Azhikkal, Azhikkal, Srayikkad, Parayakkadavu, Pandaraturathu, Vellana Turuthu, Kuzhithura, Clappana and Kozhikode), in Ernakulam (Edavanakkad) and in Alappuzha (Valiya Azhikkal). In Pondicherry, houses are being built in Karakkal district. In Tamil Nadu districts of Chennai, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, and Nagapattinam (samantapettai, Akarapettai, and Patinacherry), new homes are being built. Homes are being constructed by the Ashram in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In Sri Lanka, three-story homes are being constructed according to government specifications in the Sinhalese and Tamil districts of Kalutara and Hambantotta. In many places, the Ashram is building not just houses, but also roads, wells, schools, community halls and healthcare centres. 2. FREE EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT In order to uplift those affected by the tsunami, the Ashram is providing free vocational training for 2,500 young people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu; this training will help them find

new employment. According to their educational qualifications, they are being trained to be teachers, nurses, paramedical assistants, electricians, security officers, drivers, masonry workers, carpenters, and mechanics. During the training period, the students receive a monthly stipend of Rs. 500, as well as free food, uniforms, and accommodations. Upon successful completion of the training, they are guaranteed a job. The Ashram has provided free tailoring courses and sewing machines to 300 tsunamiaffected village women in Alappad Panchayat (Kollam District, Kerala). Graduates are now making approximately Rs. 2,000 per month stitching clothing. Similar classes are also taking place in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu. Through a program called Matru Gramam (Mothers Village), the Ashram is helping villagers living in Alappad Panchayat to form independent cooperatives and self-help groups in areas such as tailoring, sandal-making, soap-manufacturing, and other trades. The concept is designed to help small villages become self-dependent and to help them find new means of generating income. The Ashram distributed to students various educational aids, such as 10,000 textbooks, 5,000 pens, compasses, rulers, dictionaries, and notebooks. In Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, the Ashram is providing free hostel accommodations for 24 college students, free computer training for 200 youth, and free general (1st-12th standard) tuition to 750 others. Spoken English classes are also being taught free of charge. 35 children whose families were affected by the Tsunami are receiving free education and hostel accommodations at the Ashrams school in Parippally (Kollam District, Kerala). 3. ASSISTANCE FOR FISHERMEN In Tamil Nadu, the Ashram has given away and repaired a total of 550 fishing boats, complete with engine, handle and propeller. It has also given away an additional 550 new boat engines and fishing nets. In Kerala, the Ashram is building 150 boats, engines and nets which are being donated to villagers who lost theirs in the tsunami. In June 2005, the Amrita-ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) Village Satellite Resource Centre began providing GPS (Global Positioning System) information regarding the best fishing locations to fishermen in Nagapattinam. Three locations are reported and updated every three days. 4. SAFEGUARDING AGAINST FUTURE TSUNAMIS Through its Harita Theeram [Green Shore] project, the Ashram is planting 100,000 casuarina saplings on the beaches of Alappad Panchayat near the Ashram in order to serve as a barrier against surging water from storms and tsunamis. (By September 2005, 50,000 saplings had been planted.) The trees will also protect the beaches from soil erosion. Approximately 650 villagers are participating in this project. The saplings were provided by Keralas Department of Forestry, while the Ashram is providing water tanks and pipes for watering the saplings

throughout the panchayat. The Ashram constructed a footbridge over the Kayamkulam Backwaters, connecting the Alappad Panchayat (where the Ashram is located) to the mainland. This will provide a muchneeded evacuation route for the villagers on the peninsula in the event of another tsunami. The bridge will be 100 meters long, five meters wide, and seven meters high 5. FREE MEDICAL CARE Within hours after the tsunami struck, Amma marshaled medical resources from the Ashrams AIMS Hospital in Kochi to the worst-hit areas in Kollam District. Six ventilatorequipped ambulances and medical teams headed by 10 doctors, including anesthesiologists and cardiologists, nurses and paramedics, made rounds of the tsunami-affected areas and relief camps for four months, initially visiting each camp every two hours. A medical unit comprised of an ambulance and doctors was immediately dispatched to Vypin, Ernakulam District, Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, four ambulances, seven doctors, five paramedics, a full ICU team and dozens of volunteers swung into action soon after after the disaster struck. The Ashrams Ayurveda College provided medical treatment to 200 inpatients immediately after the tsunami. Medicines worth almost $14,000 U.S. dollars were distributed within the first few days. In the weeks after, Ammas charitable hospital in Amritapuri distributed medicines worth more than a million rupees (almost 25,000 U.S. dollars) to the tsunami-affected. AIMS Hospital has treated 900 tsunami victims since the disaster hit, of whom 510 were inpatients. Of those, 450 underwent major surgery, including 15 cardiac operations. Seven women who had lost all their children in the tsunami underwent re-canalization surgery at AIMS Hospital. Five conceived, two gave birth again. Everything was provided free of charge: medicine, pre-examinations, surgery, follow-up examinations, etc. The Ashram provided appropriate care for 16 women throughout their pregnancies and deliveries. The Ashram also provided them with postnatal care. Transportation to AIMS for all the abovementioned patients was provided free of charge. The Ashram set up 20 eye camps, performed 115 cataract operations, and distributed 400 spectacles to those who lost their eyeglasses during the tsunami. A telemedicine center was set up at the Ashrams temporary shelters in Alappad Panchayat, connecting the doctors stationed there with AIMS Hospital in Cochin via satellite.. 6. FREE PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING In the days and weeks after the tsunami struck, a team of child psychiatrists and psychologists made regular visits to the relief camps, actively interacting with the children and

providing assistance and counseling. Trained experts have been using music therapy to help the children and adults recover from their trauma. At the shelters and other local gathering areas, the children received classes in harmonium, tabla, singing, dancing, sports, yoga, spoken-English, Sanskrit and swimming. They were also encouraged to channel their talents through storytelling, poetry-writing, and drawing. These activities kept their minds active and helped to distract them from their traumatic experience. In Alappad Panchayat, doctors from AIMS regularly visited relief camps and homes of victims, and provided counselling for thousands. After months of daily visits and continuous counselling, the doctors diagnosed 160 as suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); these individuals will continue to receive treatment until they recover. 7. FOOD In total, as part of the post-tsunami relief work, the Ashram has served more than 7.5 million meals throughout Tamil Nadu and Kerala. 15 minutes after the tsunami struck, the Ashram began preparing food for the evacuees, and immediately sent 40 trucks of raw rice and food supplies to affected regions all over Kerala. In Kerala, the Ashram distributed 30,000 kg of rice during the first 15 days. Another 20,000 kg of rice were distributed to the evacuees on the day they left the relief camp. In Alappad alone, the Ashram provided three meals daily for 135 days. These meals were served at 22 counters along a 17.5-km stretch of the coast. In Kollam District, the Ashram served three meals a day to more than 3,600 families (18,000 people) being sheltered at the Amrita University campus. In addition, three meals a day were provided to 12,000 15,000 refugees in 12 government relief camps in the district. In Kollam District, during the first 15 days, 15 tons of uppumav [hot wheat cereal] was prepared and 22,500 liters of milk were distributed to children in government camps. The Ashram provided lunch at the schools in Kerala for children who were from the relief camps. At the Nagapattinam relief camps, 675,000 meals were prepared and served within a radius of 15 km, beginning on 27 Dec. 2004. In Tamil Nadu, the Ashram distributed 185 tons of uncooked rice, 1.1 tons of cooking oil, 1.5 tons of flour, 1.5 tons of sugar, 1.5 tons of rava, 2.1 tons of powdered milk and 4.5 tons of dhal. In Chennai, a total of 56,000 meals were provided from 27 December 2004 through 10 January 2005. During Ammas visit to Nagapattinam, Amma distributed 6,000 bags of rice.

 Uncooked foods such as rice and beans were distributed in Sri Lanka. 8. TEMPORARY SHELTERS & RELIEF CAMPS On the day the tsunami struck, the Ashram created three relief camps at the Amritapuri campus of the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham on the mainland across from the Ashram. About 4,000 people stayed there for the first 15 days after the tsunami. About 2,000 of these remained there for four months. The Ashram built temporary shelters for 250 families in Kerala and 300 families in Tamil Nadu. The shelters were completed by 13 January 2005 and were equipped with electric lights, fans, running water and TVs. Relief camps were set up by the Ashram on the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The Ashram loaned five acres of land to the Kerala government to build temporary shelters in Alappad Panchayat, Kollam District, Kerala. The Ashrams camp at Amrita University took in an additional 1500 families when they requested to be relocated there because the families felt that women were not safe at the nearby makeshift government camps where they had been staying. At the relief camps, the Ashram organized sporting events, as well as music and dance programs to entertain the residents. 9. ORPHANAGES & ADOPTIONS An orphanage is being started in Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, in order to care for approximately 350 children who lost their parents in the tsunami. In Chennai District, 50 children orphaned by the tsunami are receiving help from the Ashram. In Sri Lanka, the Ashram has formally expressed to the government a willingness to provide assistance to orphans. 10. FREE CLOTHING & OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS In the days and weeks after the tsunami struck, the Ashram distributed: - thousands of relief kits to people in Kollam Dt. The kits were distributed the day ater the tsunami struck, and included clothing, sandals, sleeping mats, bed sheets, and oter essential items. - 40,000 new saris, dhotis, shirts, underskirts, undergarments, and childrens clothes in Tamil Nadu - 35,000 new pieces of clothing in Kerala.

- 15,000 new saris and dhotis in Sri Lanka. - 30,000 blankets in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. - 10,000 new sets of tailored-to-fit clothing to children from the Alappuzha and Kolam Districts in Kerala. 11. CHILDRENS CAMPS Two camps, which included classes in Yoga, spoken-English, Sanskrit and personalitydevelopment, were conducted at the Amritapuri Ashram for 10,000 children from Alappuzha and Kollam Districts, Kerala. The camps were designed to keep their minds active and help them overcome their traumatic experience. Swimming classes were conducted to help the children overcome their newly developed fear of water. The five-day camps included question-and-answer sessions with Amma. 12. FINANCIAL SUPPORT In Kerala, the Ashram distributed 10.5 million rupees (almost 20,000 U.S. dollars) among 16,000 families residing in the districts of Kollam, Ernakulam and Alappuzha to purchase cooking vessels. Individuals already participating in the Ashrams existing pension scheme received an additional Rs. 1,700. In Cochin District, families received 750 rupees. The Ashram is providing pensions to tsunami-affected families in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Amma has expressed to the government an interest in providing financial aid in the form of pensions to the tsunami victims of the country. This would be provided through Healthcare Charities, a not-for-profit organization run by Ammas American supporters. 13. MARRIAGE ASSISTANCE The Ashram has conducted hundreds of marriages on an individual and group basis for tsunami-affected couples in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. All the costs of the marriage ceremonies were covered by the Ashram, including the wedding ornaments, clothes, and the traditional feast for the couples relatives. In Tamil Nadu, the newlyweds were provided with furniture, cooking vessels and other items needed to start their new lives. 14. PRAYERS AND CONSOLATIONS Amma visited relief camps in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and Sri Lanka to console

those who were affected by the tsunami. Amma held prayers for the peace of the living and the souls of the deceased while visiting relief camps. In Alappad Panchayat, Amma participated in the moksha deepam ceremony traditionally held on the 16th day after a death. Ashram swamis and brahmacharis held similar programs in various locations throughout Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. 15. TRANSPORTATION In the first two weeks after the tsunami struck, 26 vehicles and two earthmovers were mobilized to clear debris, transport food to the relief camps, and for use in other relief work. 16. VOLUNTEERS Tens of thousands of volunteersincluding Ashram residents and supporters from all over India and abroad --- have been selflessly participating in and contributing to various relief works since the disaster struck. Students and staff from Amrita institutions, as well as a group of 100 university students from Japan, joined in the efforts. In the days after the tsunami, volunteers participated in the efforts by excavating the bodies of victims, making arrangements for a mass funeral in Alappad Panchayat, cleaning the Ashram and government-run relief camps, and constructing shelters. Volunteers served food and distributed clothing for months after the tsunami hit. Volunteers continue to help with the relief efforts by participating in the construction of new homes.

There is currently an imbalance in Dharma and in Nature we are taking from Nature with reckless abandon and not caring sufficiently for the suffering in the world. How can we restore this balance? This can be done by following our own Dharma and by praying with our hearts and serving with our hands. AMMA