Vellanure Village:
a housing project for blind and disabled people
Under the guidance of Br. Vinayamrita, the M.A. Math
in Madras started an Amritakuteeram project to build
houses for the poor and disabled. The volunteers at
the Math agreed to help and started a Kuteeram Committee.
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Vellanure Village was developed as a community
with 60 houses over 1.5 acres of land located
in the countryside about 35 kms from the city
of Madras. The Kuteeram builders built houses
and a communal bathroom block, made roads and
organised for water and electricity connections
from the nearest village. In the second phase
they will build a community hall. |
All the people are poor or disabled
in some way. The Kuteeram Committee is looking
at ways to help them become self-sufficient.
They are setting up a registered co-operative
society for self-employed people. Some residents
want to make candles, chairs, bags, and incense
sticks. The committee will help them to get big
orders and to find the materials they need. One
member has donated a lathe for making bottle
caps.
Because the site is a long way from the nearest
village, it is very expensive to make the electricity
connection. Amma’s devotees are making a
donation to cover the costs. Another devotee
will act as caretaker for the site and he will
live there and run a community shop. Eventually
the swamis and volunteers from the ashram will
visit on a regular basis for satsang.
The site is located in the middle of the countryside.
The village is self-contained behind a low wall
with an arched entrance.
The houses are arranged in small groups in adjoining
cul-de-sacs.
Kuteeram Committee |
Sambandan, an ex-train driver, and volunteer
at the Madras Ashram, assists Br. Vinayamrita
and gives all his time to co-ordinating
the project. He said, “We sifted through
2,000 original applications and after lots
of consideration we visited 100 homes to
select people. We invited them to visit
the site. We spent a lot of time making
sure people were happy. Finally all the
houses were allocated. The first residents
have moved in and soon there will be a
group of 15 blind people settling there.
I have wanted to work for Amma for a
long time and when Swami asked for my help
on this project I was very happy. The people
of Vellanure are so nice; when I go there
they run to me like my own family.” |
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Jnanashekar is a businessman.
He spends all his spare time working with Sambandan.
He said, “The people were living in small
rooms, mostly in slums, and were paying exorbitant
rents, as much as Rs. 300 a month. Sometimes
even more, up to Rs. 700 - that’s more than
a month's wages for them. They were very ready
to leave those places, the conditions were so
bad.
We found the very poor people.I am very happy
doing this work. When we do Amma’s work
then we start reflecting and try to think like
Amma. For Her we must do the work very precisely
and very correctly.”
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