Since 1987, Amma has been constructing houses every year for the benefit of the poor in the vicinity of Amritapuri ashram. In 1996 She inaugurated the massive Amrita Kuteeram project – to build free houses for the homeless and slum-dwellers through out the country.
On May 17, 1998 the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee, handed over a symbolic key for the first 5,000 houses. By 2002, the initial target of 25,000 homes throughout India had been met.
Now Amma has taken on a new goal to build 100,000 homes for the homeless. Houses commonly have two rooms, a veranda and separate bathrooms.
This vast project is possible due to the selfless service of Amma’s monastic disciples and volunteers. They not only supervise the construction of the houses but also partake in the construction of these houses. The housing project includes the building of roads, the providing of electricity, the drilling of bore wells, the installation of water tanks and a community hall.
State governments throughout India provide the land for MAM for this project.
Since the Amrita Kuteeram residents no longer need to pay rent, they have more money to buy essentials they previously had to go without.
In addition to building individual houses for qualified applicants, Amrita Kuteeram has taken on several large-scale building efforts.
These include a major reconstruction effort in Gujarat following the devastating earthquake in 2001, and housing colonies in Panagudi, Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Durgapur and Rameswaram.
Slum Rehabilitation in Pune, Maharashtra
In Ajanta Nagar, Pune, MAM rehoused 700 families who lived in a slum that sprawled across eight acres. The project was a joint venture with the government. MAM built 11 new blocks of five-storey apartments. During construction, families stayed in adjacent temporary housing which was also built by MAM.
MAM Pune provides free medical camps every week inside the new complex.
Slum Rehabilitation in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
In 1999, the Hyderabad government requested Amma to complete 20 blocks of flats and provide homes for 900 families. Many had been living in a slum that had been destroyed by a fire, and had been waiting years, living in makeshift huts. Amma visited them, promising she would help. Their new homes were completed in 2002.
International Volunteers—Building Free Homes
Every year, volunteers from different countries come together to help MAM’s Amrita Kuteeram free-homes program. Read more …