I have been thinking of doing some social service activity. I am just jotting down some ideas that I have currently. If anyone is interested to join me, please let me know.
The organization can be called “Swami Vivekananda Movement for Human Development”. The objective is to improve the condition of people in villages and towns, on the following fronts:
- Medical – Health is the basic investment into life. Areas of work: primary health care, hygienic environment, knowledge about basic hygiene, clean drinking water, proper sanitation, etc.
- Financial – A reasonably good financial state is a basic necessity. Every person should afford basic necessities of life like three square meals a day, comfortable living conditions, affordable clothing, vehicle, TV, etc. This should be done by increasing the agricultural income by developing watersheds, agricultural practices like multi-crop, crop rotation, etc. and small agricultural produce processing units. Income augmentation during periods when there is not much agricultural work should be provided by cattle rearing, poultry, other cottage industries and other home-based working facilities. Loans should be available to farmers by micro-finance and cooperative banks.
- Educational – Quality education for children and continued education for adults are necessary. A good studying environment at home after school is necessary. Support for higher education to needy people in the form of grants and loans is also needed. Good libraries and informal education on health, science, culture, etc. by mobile awareness troupes are needed to go beyond mere literacy into real education.
- Social – Social dignity to all people is mandatory. Religious and social harmony should be promoted. Discrimination based on caste, gender, profession, economic status, etc. should be eliminated.
- Cultural – Art forms like music, dance, drama, literature, etc. should be promoted. Celebration of festivals both at home and in community, stories from mythology, Ramayana, Mahabharata, etc. should be promoted.
- Moral and spiritual – People should be educated on why morality is necessary, law of Karma, etc. Community worship should be arranged once a week. People should be taught personal worship at home. People should be taught to emotionally stand on their own feet so that they can face the ups and downs of life with strength and dignity.
The focus should be in villages and towns, so that people do not feel the necessity to move to cities. If we are able to improve the condition of a village so that people who have moved to the cities from that village start coming back, it would mark the success of the movement.
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