Day 4 12/15/2012
The next two days together we traveled out of state to Tamil
Nadu which is located east of Kerala. We
had to take our passports because there was a "boarder crossing" check
point we had to go through. This is done
as a way for the state to collect taxes on products moved within the country. Previously such check points were found all around
cities - a source of income. Now a day, it
could take a truck 15 hours to get through these spots. It took us 15 minutes. Ann brought up the point how this has a negative
impact on profits. The money is not spent
on the roads. The closest example of the
roads in the USA would be the road system around Squam Lake in New Hampshire with
hundreds of trailers, scooters and 3-wheeled auto rickshaws, all vying for the chance
to move a head while maneuvering around pot holes and oncoming traffic. Words cannot really describe the visual and auditory
sensations simultaneously being bombarded. Forget about trying to nap. 
Our travels took us to the town of Coimbatore in western Tamil
Nadu. The elevation is higher with mountains
and plateau. The air is cooler, cleaner.
We passed lots of rice fields and stray dogs.
It is a very rural area.
Our first stop was to Shanti Ashram an international center for
development, learning, and collaboration. It was founded in 1986 by Dr. M Aram and Mrs. Minoti
Aram. As quoted from Dr. M. Aram, "Shanti
Ashram is a creative laboratory where the problems faced by our communities can
be both identified and provided with constructive solutions. Our spiritual motivation inspires us to be engaged
in social action." Their mission is centered on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi
and his call to sarvodaya - welfare of all has been able to garner support from
the local community and faith practices as well as organizations abroad. There is
a lot to this program, more than I can share here. So below is a synopsis. 
The center has evolved its mission to address 4
basic programs that go from cradle to adulthood.
The 2 they focused on for us were:
1. Bala Shanti Program - bali means child and shanti
means peace. This program focuses on the vulnerable children, especially those that live in underdeveloped rural areas, between
the ages of 4 years to 15.
2. Youth Leadership Program
Some of the barriers families face, especially mothers and children,
are:
*Lack of basic family structures such as no transportation, no
access to electricity and water, huge # of children. To put this in perspective, there are as many children
in Kerala as there are in France.
*India has a high MMR - maternal mortality rate especially in
rural areas. One factor is in rural areas;
girls are married at a young age (child brides) and often have a child within the
1st year of marriage. Their bodies are not
ready for childbirth.
*Alcoholism among the men
So much of the focus of these programs is on the girls and mothers.
They do this by addressing:
* Language development
* Moral development - their interfaith structure and approach
allows them to tap into resources while developing religious tolerance among the
population.
* Heath development - immunizations for preventable diseases
beyond those offered by the government
* Financial health
The structure they use is based on sustainability and the following
philosophies (with a Jamey twist) if you give a mother a fish, she feeds her family
for a day. But if you teach a mother how
to fish, she feeds her family for life. "If
we wish a lasting peace, we must begin with the children" Mahatma Gandhi. Children become teachers in the family.
The program focuses on mothers who are vulnerable in order to
address the disease of hunger. That is attacked by helping them to attain income
generating skills and cooking skills especially since fast food is creeping in.
They attend monthly meetings as a form of
check-up and to educate them on topics such as child brides and finances because
if you educate the mother, the family will be educated.
For children, the Center has created and sustained facilities
throughout rural areas where children go for 2 years to get needed services and
support, enabling them to attend school. Skills taught include savings, child brides, etc.
After 2 years, the child goes to a government
school and are continually watched through a "children's parliament" that
meets monthly.
In order for the program to remain sustainable, families do help
out financially through small fees, paying for the immunizations, and raising funds
including the piggy bank where children and families put funds into a piggy bank.
When it is cracked open, 1/3 goes to personal
spending, 1/3 to Shanti Ashram, and 1/3 to family needs. Shanti Ashram now serves over 250,000 children,
men & women.
Afterwards we all enjoyed tea and more conversation with Mrs.
Aram.
Shanti Ashram does make a difference, and from my perspective,
the key components to the program are:
- It has condensed its mission to 4 goals – addressing the health and educational needs of children in poverty; developing a leadership program for the youth; educating and empowering mothers with skills and knowledge to take care of their families; and community health. Another saying is if you educate the mother, the family will be educated.
- This is not a hand-out program but a sustainable program requiring families to support it with funds, fundraising efforts, and/or time
- The program includes training (teach a mother how to fish) as well as follow-up support
- The program focuses on the financial health of the family, similar to the focus of USA’s BankOn financial program
- They use Gandhi’s philosophy as its framework, allowing them to focus on the betterment of the whole community rather than a specific faith or group – more inclusive
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