14 March 2010
On Sunday, March 14th 2010, AYUDH Minnesota members gathered at the RMHC for the fifth service activity. We prepared a full course Indian meal and served it to 100 of the House’s inmates. The RMHC houses poor people from various countries who come to the USA for surgeries, treatment of disabilities, etc. They are provided with three meals a day and comfortable shelter and financial support for treatments, during their stay.
AYUDH has stepped onto African soil. During his visit to the Republic of Kenya from February 5th to 13th, Br. Shubamrita, launched AYUDH Kenya.
“On Saturdays we are bored. Just going out, coming home late and then wasting away our time in front of the TV did somehow not feel fulfilling anymore,” says Pareet, an AYUDH member, from Nairobi. So he decided to call his friends over for a meeting, to sit down and talk about some things they can do to help others.
It is not difficult in Kenya to find needy people and deserving causes. With a youth unemployment rate of 75% in Africa as a whole, crime and drug abuse are steadily increasing. Nearly 1.5 million orphans are struggling to survive day by day in Kenya alone. Pollution goes uncontrolled and there have been times when AIDS was killing more than 700 people a day.
AYUDHs first project will be a clean-up day in one of the slums of Nairobi at the end of March. AYUDH also has established contact with a group of young adults with Albinism, who face a lot of obstacles and challenges in Kenyan society. It is AYUDHs sincere desire to associate with these youngsters and help them develop a positive self-image.
The first two AYUDH meetings were a great success. Youngsters both from the Asian-Kenyan and the Christian African-Kenyan communities attended the meeting. Both parties said that they had never before made such an effort to overcome the barriers of religion and culture and work together to serve society. It is a very promising sign that the youth of Kenya are ready to work together to realize their vision of unity, mutual respect and collaboration.
– Das
22 – 27 July 2008, MA Center, Frankfurt, Germany
4th European Youth Exchange Supported by the Youth in Action Program of the EU organised by Amrita Yuva Dharma Dhara (AYUDH). The major handed over the “Youth Pass,” the new certificate of the European Union to acknowledge informal learning experience.
A bouquet of young people from all over Europe participated in this one week program. They reflected on the topic of the youth exchange: “The Future in Our Hands” by participating in different lectures, debates and discussions.
Br. Shubamrita and Bri. Dipamrita address the youth daily. The youth had a question and answer session with Br. Shubamrita and Bri. Dipamrita in the forest at the end of trekking.
The camp had workshops in Trekking, Acrobatic performance and Dance. The youth build eco-friendly houses out of straw. Had prayer session for World Peace.
Alin Poort (Amma Europe), Heike Neder (Vice-President M.A. Center Germany), Hans-Rudolf Arnold (Board Member M.A. Center Germany), Mr. Kredel, Major of Brombachtal, Br. Shubamrira Chaitanya, Bri. Dipamrita Chaitanya, Christiane Gude, Filmmaker participated at the closing ceremony.
AmmaChimes Amma Says