Empowering the Vulnerable, Creating a Better World
"Join Amma Sri Karunamayi and SMVA Trust in Achieving Lasting Change for Underserved Communities”
Education for all
Amma’s two schools offer free education to hundreds of children who would otherwise be confined to a life of daily labor. And while most of these children are the first in their families to ever go to school, their scores rank well above state averages.
Over 600 students, ranging in age from four to sixteen years, attend one of two free schools in the remote regions of Andhra Pradesh. In this rural area where the literacy rate is below the national average, the SMVA Trust is enabling lasting change through the power of education. From as early as 1995, boys and girls have been able to attend school free of cost, receiving textbooks, uniforms, and learning materials without ever having to pay tuition.
In keeping with Amma Sri Karunamayi’s philosophy that education should be whole and complete, students study a rich, holistic curriculum that includes learning three languages (Telugu, English, and Hindi), sciences, math, social studies, the arts, dance, yoga, and silent meditation. “But beyond that,”
Amma says, “students must be instructed in basic human values. Their hands must become helping hands, so that they may benefit the world.
The Dream of a Brighter Future
In this environment of pervasive poverty, it’s not unusual to see children as young as seven or eight working long hours under the broiling Indian sun, hauling bricks, harvesting crops, or herding animals.
This pattern of child labor has existed out of necessity for generations and will continue into the future unless something is done to help break this vicious cycle. In the remote areas of Andhra Pradesh, schools are few and far between. Even for those children who do live near a school, the fees for uniforms and supplies are too high.
When people are barely making enough to feed their families, how can they spend additional funds on their children’s education?
Education to End Poverty
Intimately familiar with the unique challenges and needs in the Penusila region, Amma Sri Karunamayi has been working for years to bring free, quality education to all children. Through the power of education, the new generations are escaping the confines of abject poverty that have imprisoned families for ages. All of the students who graduate from Sri Karunamayi’s free schools are eligible to attend Amma’s college and receive financial assistance
Beyond Academics
Sustainability and our responsibility to care for Mother Earth are common themes presented to students who participate in green programs like Organic farming and community cleanup. Through daily meditation, yoga, and caring for nature and for one another, students begin to appreciate our interconnectedness. Amma says that without compassion, values, and humility, education is not complete.
For the Status of Girls and Women
Through education, as well as access to clean water and permanent housing, SMVA has been able to create the foundation that women and girls need to escape from countless years of illiteracy and hopelessness. To the benefit of all of the students, each school features a faculty with an equal number of men and women teachers. These girls are growing up to become the new forces and voices of change, creating a new status for women and the girl child.
Donate for Child’s education
Empower children to break free from poverty through education. Support Amma Sri Karunamayi's free schools and give every child the chance to learn, grow, and succeed.
