The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning is about to begin Grama Seva 2012, which is scheduled to span nine days from October 16 , 2012 to October 24, 2011. 153 villages of the three mandals of Anantapur to be served are Puttaparthi, Kothacheruvu, and Bukkapatnam.
More than 2000 students from the four campuses of the Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning-namely Prasanti Nilayam, Brindavan, Anantapur and Muddenahalli along with students of our Higher Secondary School will participate in this 10 day event.Totally 50000 households will be given food and clothing during this period. Grama Seva is an annual event, which began under the direct guidance of Bhagawan in the year 2000. The main purpose of this project is three-fold: 1) to give assurance to the rural population that there is someone there to ‘care’ within their community, 2) to sensitize the students to the needs of the community, and 3) to give the students exposure to project management and team-building. Several positive changes have been observed since the inception of the Grama Seva Project in 2000. Firstly, more students have remained in India, and have opted to work in service-oriented and non-profit organizations. Secondly, the environment of the villages has seemed to improve possibly because villagers have become more caring for their own village. For example, there have been marked improvements in the ground-water table, agricultural activity, and in overall hygiene. Thirdly, the number of uncared-for elderly villagers has also appeared to reduce significantly, perhaps because the younger generations of villagers are becoming more aware of their responsibilities. These are only a few of the many positive changes that have been observed since the inception of Grama Seva. It is no wonder why countless villagers have expressed their gratitude for the care they receive through this project. The Grama Seva Project is therefore a symbol of the unique aim of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, which is development of character. II Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II - taken from : http://www.theprasanthireporter.org/2012/10/sri-sathya-sai-grama-seva-2012/ Sai Ram
