Anandwan

Anandwan literally, Forest of happiness, located around 5 kilometers from Warora in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India, is an ashram and a community rehabilitation centre which was mainly started for leprosy patients and the disabled from downtrodden sections of society. It was founded in 1949[1] by noted social activist Baba Amte. The project is run by the organisation Maharogi Seva Samiti. Two of its other projects are Lok Biradari Prakalp and Somnath, a village for cured leprosy patients.

Baba Amte developed Anandwan to be a self-contained ashram (which could be described as "a kibbutz for the sick"). Today residents are self-sufficient in terms of basic subsistence. In addition the ashram has various home-based, small-scale industry units run by the residents that generate income to cover additional requirements.[2]

Baba Amte also shaped Anandwan as an environmentally aware community to practice energy utilization, waste recycling and minimizing use of natural resources that might otherwise lead to their depletion.[3]

Anandwan today has two hospitals, a college, an orphanage, a school for the blind, a school for the deaf and a technical wing. Dr. Vikas Amte, Baba Amte's elder son, is the chief functionary at Anandwan. He undertook various experiments in Anandwan regarding rehabilitation which have been mentioned in a book titled 'Anandwan Prayogwan'.

Books

A book titled 'Anandwan Prayogwan' has been written by Dr. Vikas Amte which describes different experiments undertaken at Anadwan.

See also

Further reading

  • Levinson, David; Christensen, Karen S. (2003). Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. p. 725. ISBN 0-7619-2598-8.
  • D.K. Oza. (2002). Voluntary Action and Gandhian Approach. New Delhi: National Book Trust. ISBN 81-237-0142-X.
  • Hans Staffner, S.J. (2000). Baba Amte: A Vision of New India. Popular Prakashan. ISBN 81-7154-674-9.

References

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