Amma has done more work than many governments have ever done for their people... her contribution is enormous.
What We've Accomplished
Ukraine Refugee Support, 2022
At the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, volunteers from Amma’s centers in Europe in Poland, Hungary, and Romania helped hundreds of students and other refugees reach safety.
In Poland, they transported the refugees by bus to Warsaw, Poland’s capital, and connected Indian nationals with their embassy. Despite the harsh winter weather, our volunteers stayed at the border to provide clothing, shoes, food, blankets, and other basic needs. They also arranged accommodation for those who do not have shelter, shared information on next destination points, and provided references for medical and psychological support.
In addition, Embracing the World, Europe donated €115,000 ($127,000) to support ‘Safe Spaces for Women and Children’, a UN Women project for people affected by the war in different parts of Ukraine.
Covid-19 Relief Efforts, 2020
Embracing the World aid efforts started with a $1.7 million US donation to the governments of India and Kerala. Amma also opened the doors of Amrita Hospital in Kochi, Kerala to provide free treatment for COVID-19 patients.
Doctors and scientists at Amrita University began work to develop emergency aid solutions for essential health workers. This includes items from nano-fiber face masks to plastic shield protectors to 3D-printed masks. The university also set up a 24-hour mental health hotline staffed by trained professionals. Read More
Kerala Flood Relief Efforts, August 2018
With torrential rains continuing to soak Kerala, Amma is giving Rs. 10 crores [$1,418,000 U.S.] to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Embracing the World is also conducting night-and-day relief and medical camps, providing food, clothing and medical aid. Some areas are so flooded that the doctors have had to work from boats.
Chennai Flood Relief Efforts, December 2015
Due to the incessant heavy rains, many low lying areas of Chennai city got inundated on the late night of 1st December. Water from the overflowing Adyar river submerged the houses in the adjacent areas, to the extent of about one kilometer on either side of the river. The havoc has affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
In the wake of the colossal loss and damages due to the unprecedented rains in Chennai and parts of Tamil Nadu, ETW donated INR 50 Million ($749,000 USD) towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for relief and rehabilitation activities.
As directed by Amma, ETW volunteers have been actively participating in the relief work from the last week of November. Starting December 1st, around 500 volunteers comprising of students & faculties have been involved in relief activities including rescuing the stranded to safer places, distribution of food, medicines, essential provisions, utensils, stove, clothes, blankets, toiletries and other essentials in badly affected areas.
A Telemedicine van, two fully equipped ambulances which includes a cardiac unit, an emergency unit, a testing unit to detect epidemic diseases in two minutes, colour ultra sonography, X-ray radiography, mini operation theater, small delivery room, electro-cardiography and light microscopy along with a 25-member team of doctors and paramedics from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences reached Chennai today and plunged into service of providing medical help. Every day the team attends 700 to 800 patients.
Related Links - Chennai Relief Efforts, Update on Relief Efforts, ETW donates INR 50M towards Chennai Flood Relief Efforts.
Nepal Earthquake Relief Efforts - April 2015
A powerful earthquake shook Nepal on Saturday, April 25, 2015, near its capital, Katmandu, killing more than 1,900 people, flattening sections of the city’s historic center, and trapping dozens of sightseers in a 200-foot watchtower that came crashing down into a pile of bricks.
In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Nepal the ETW (Mata Amritanandamayi Mat in India) was also there and came forward with an offer to help. Amma immediately sent representatives to Nepal to assess the situation and help in whatever way possible. ETW was engaged in providing basic provisions – Rice, Dal, Clothing, Blankets, etc. Seeing that the devastation had made many in the villages homeless, Amma arranged for providing tin sheets for roofing – with an aim to serve as temporary shelter, which could later be used as part of their permanent housing too.
Additionally Amma also arranged for 1,00,000 Toxicoid Tetanus Vaccines and 1,00,000 ATT Vaccines to prevent and treat post-disaster infections.Apart from the vaccine, the ETW has donated two tons of essential medicines and surgical items to the Bir Hospital, the biggest Govt. Hospital in Nepal. Thus far, this is the single largest supply of ATT vaccine provided by any aid organization since the earthquake struck.
Related Links - Earthquake devastates Nepal, ETW plunges into relief work.
Jammu & Kashmir Flood Relief Efforts - October 2014
After devastating floods swept through the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Embracing the World responded immediately, sending volunteers to the affected area to provide essential aid and to assess with local government officials the best way our efforts can support survivors of the floods. Within weeks of the initial assessment, Amma pledged a $4 million USD relief package that included construction of houses for those displaced by the flood, as well as monetary aid for widows, medical care and essential supplies. By October 6, our tertiary care hospital in Kochi, Amrita Hospital, had sent two telemedicine units equipped with health and relief facilities to the disaster zone.
Related Links - Medical Relief Camps in Jammu & Kashmir, Community Center in flood ravaged village
Typhoon Haiyan Relief Efforts in Philippines - November 2013
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yolanda, was one of strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, devastating Philippines in early November 2013. It is considered the deadliest Philippine typhoon recorded in history.
Amma on behalf of Embracing the World, pledged a million dollar USD relief and rehabilitation package for the people of Philippines. In collaboration with the Philippines Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), we have made children’s welfare, safety, and education our top priorities. Several initiatives are underway including creating sustainable development programs, rebuilding schools, renovating destroyed classrooms, building typhoon shelters for communities, and enhancing disaster preparedness and responsiveness in schools. In order to create the greatest impact, our outreach efforts are not limited to one area, but are occurring throughout 6 major provinces in the Philippines.
Related Links - Amma pledges $1 million USD, Building back better.
Uttarkhand Flood Relief Efforts - June 2013
Embracing the World launched an eight million dollar relief-and-rehabilitation program to help victims of the Kedarnath flash-flooding and landslides in June.
ETW started its Kedarnath-region relief-and-rehabilitation soon after the flooding. By July 1 of 2013, a team of volunteers—including doctors, nurses and monastic disciples set up a base camp at Agastya Muni in the Rudraprayag District.
More doctors, nurses, techs and other volunteers soon joined the team, and an ambulance and telemedicine van were sent from AIMS ( ETW's super-specialty hospital in Kochi, Kerala.) ETW volunteers provided free medical consultations and medicine to approximately 8,000 people in the disaster-stuck area from July 1 – 20.
Aside from this basecamp, the ETW volunteers also travelled to a number of other villages to provide medical care, including Siddha Saur, Rudraprayag, Devli, Lambgondi, Andrewadi, Triyuginarayan, Toshi, Basukedar, Chandrapuri and Laksar.
Through this relief-and-rehabilitation package, ETW will build approximately 500 houses, the sum total of all the homes destroyed by the flooding. These homes will be built on common sites provided by the Uttarakhand State Government.
Related Links - ETW pledges $8M towards Flood Relief Efforts, Japanese students help with rehabilitation, Japanese volunteers continue to help.
$1 Million for the education of children orphaned in Japan: Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, 2011
Within three days, our volunteers were on the ground distributing food and water for the refugees. After working near the disaster's epicenter, we soon focused on Rikuzentakata, a remote coastal town of 23,000 people where more than a third of the population had lost their lives. Later that year, we donated $1 million to pay for the education of children orphaned by the disaster.
Earthquake in Haiti, 2010 - Immediate and Long-term Aid
After the catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, we shipped 11 palettes of medical supplies to Haiti, where they were received by Partners In Health. We also distributed staple foods to refugees on the ground, and identified 30 children who had lost parents or other close relatives in the disaster and been forced to drop out of school. We’re now providing scholarships for those 30 children, and they’re all back in the classroom.
$10.7 million: Karnataka / Andhra Pradesh Floods, 2009 - 1000 Houses of Displaced Refugees
In 2009, the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were ravaged by unprecedented floods, destroying millions of acres of crops and displacing 2.5 million people. In response, we announced a $10.7 million relief package for the flood survivors in both states. Just 20 days after entering into an agreement with the Government of Karnataka to provide new homes for displaced flood survivors there, we had already completed 100 new houses. And that was just the beginning. Medical care for more than 500 people was provided each day.
$465,000 Aid Package for Flood Refugees: North India Bihar Floods, 2008
In 2008, one million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when the Kosi River over- flowed its banks. We pledged $465,000 in relief. Our medical teams remained on the ground for more than two months, treating 50,000 people. We also distributed thousands of tents, blankets and tarpaulins along with cooking stoves and vessels, food, clothing and school supplies. A government official there commented about our volunteers, "I wonder if they are even sleeping at night! We are very thankful to them for accepting our appeal and rushing to help us in this time of need."
$1 Million to Bush-Clinton Katrina Relief Fund: Hurricane Katrina, 2005
Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, more than 100 Embracing the World service groups throughout North America responded by delivering food, clothing, school supplies and other essential items to the refugees. Our volunteers visited relief sites and provided medical care and emotional support. We also helped the displaced to locate one another via a dedicated website we built for the survivors. In December 2005, we donated $1 million to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.
$46 Million relief aid package to the tsunami survivors:Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004
The relief and rehabilitation work conducted by Embracing the World in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami stands today as one of the most multi-faceted, comprehensive and sustained disaster-relief projects ever undertaken by a nongovernmental organization. What made our work unique was its holistic nature—every aspect of the tsunami survivors’ lives was considered and improved. In the end, many survivors stated that in terms of their quality of life and economic independence, they were better off after the tragedy than they had been before.