Amma has done more work than many governments have ever done for their people... her contribution is enormous.
Who We Are
Embracing the World® is a global network of local and regional charitable organizations and projects which grew out of the India-based charitable projects of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math. Currently active in more than 40 countries around the world, Embracing the World exists to help alleviate the burden of the world’s poor through helping to meet each of their five basic needs — food, shelter, education, healthcare and livelihood — wherever and whenever possible.
We believe that having these needs met is the fundamental right of any human being, and that it is the responsibility of each of us to strive hard to ensure that one day, every human being can live in dignity, safety, security and peace. Amma teaches that everyone — rich or poor — has the power to make a difference in the life of another, and that no selfless gesture is insignificant. Rather, it is the selfless actions we perform for one another that hold the keys to true peace — peace in the individual, peace in the community and peace among diverse cultures, nations and faiths. Amma’s centers in many countries contribute to this humanitarian effort by inspiring people to serve selflessly in the building of a better world.
How We Began
Each project began in response to the needs of the world’s poor who came to unburden their hearts to Amma and cry on her shoulder.
More than three decades ago, the administrators of a local orphanage confessed to Amma they were out of funds and that before long, they would have to turn the children out on the street.
In 1989, Amma diverted money that had been saved to build her first prayer hall and used it to assume care of the orphans. With this, Embracing the World was born.
More than 500 children were there and the numbers kept increasing, half from poor tribal communities. With the nourishing food and loving care they received from the dedicated staff, the children gained the confidence and the strength to move forward in life.
Today, more than one in three go on to earn college degrees, all of which are fully sponsored by Embracing the World. Latest update on Paripally Orphanage