Anandwan Community

“…..There is no place on Earth that I know, where reverence for life is more all-pervading, taken for granted in all its aspects  and natural – as the air you breathe – than at Anandwan.                                  Yet there is none happier either…..!”

said our chairman, who has twice spent 3 weeks amongst the lepers and outcasts of this unique Community in Central India.

Since its inception by Baba Amte, (right) who,  in 1951, had walked with his young wife and two small children, 6 lepers, one cow, a dog and some 14 rupees the 80 miles from Nagpur to the land the government had leased to them, no-one who has sought refuge there amongst these lepers has ever been turned away.

Now the Community has three main Centres and some 25 sub-centres within a radius of about 300 miles and Baba Amte’s grandchildren are heavily involved in its management.

There are strong similarities between Albert Schweitzer and Baba Amte, who was disinherited by his family and gave up his titles of Lawyer and Mayor the day he came face to face with a leper in agony on the roadside and decided to study leprosy at the School of Tropical Medicine.

We have sent annual donations for specific medical projects and for  general medical expenditure since 1998.

The community is at the forefront of issues like water-conservation, organic agriculture, brick making, nubian vault construction, recycling of plastic, art, craft and agricultural training, composting and biogas production for cooking, bicycle technology, wildlife conservation, youth-camp organisation and entertainment by those with disabilities, all in addition to medical care and due to the ingenuity of Baba’s sons Vikas and  Prakash.

 ”The honeybee’s treasure of nectar is not obtained at the cost of the flower.  Choose …. to learn from the honey bees …. they will show you how to develop without destroying.” Baba said.

Find out more at the Anandwan website.