‘Amma’, the Hugging Saint to Visit Kenya

By Staff Writer

‘Amma’ as she is known all over the world today, has inspired and started innumerable humanitarian services. She has earned international recognition for her outstanding contributions to the world community. She is recognized as an extraordinary spiritual leader by the United Nations and by the people all over the world.

Over time, Amma's popularity has risen to the point where in India she has been known to individually hug over 50,000 people in one day, sitting sometimes for over 20 hours. Amma travels all around the world to receive all her children around the globe.

Timothy Conway, Ph.D., author of the book Women of Power and Grace, describes Amma as "one of the most glorious lights to appear in the history of religion. Just her stamina - embracing these millions of people one by one, day after day, without a break, all over the world-is some kind of divine gift. No mere human resources could accomplish this."

According to M.A Math Charitable Trust Kenya Committee member Vijay Kumar, the highlight of her 3 day visit to Kenya (4th April to 7th April 2011) will be the inauguration of the Amrita Watoto Boma or Amrita Children’s home in Athi River. The orphanage will be home to over 100 destitute children from all over Kenya and will offer shelter, food, and education and healthcare.

 This is the third time the Hugging Saint, will be visiting the country. The last time she visited Kenya was in 2009 when she laid a foundation for Amrita Watoto Boma, or Amrita Children’s Home.

 During her last visit, Amma distributed new sets of clothing and school supplies to 54 children (between the ages of 6 and 14), who continue to stay in a dilapidated shanty a nearby slum. These children will now move into the new home once officially inaugurated. 

“She has inspired and started innumerable humanitarian services the world over. She has also earned international recognition for her outstanding contributions to the world community,” noted Kumar.

 Uplifting the suffering of humanity through the simplest of gestures-HUGS has been Amms life’s dedication in the past 35years. Through this intimate gesture, she has hugged, blessed and consoled more than 30 million people throughout the world.

 Regardless of whether she is touring the world or is in her Spiritual Center in India, the one thing she is most of the time doing is receiving one and all who have assembled in her presence with a gentle, warm embrace that has been described as “Divine” by many around the globe.

 There are some days that she will sit for over 20 hours straight as multitudes of devotees line up to feel her embrace and hear her share motherly advice.

M.A. Math Charitable Trust Kenya this time around is inviting H.H Mata Amritanandamayi Devi to formally inaugurate the Amrita Children Home for destitute at Athi River. The foundation stone though laid by Amma in her last visit in April 2009 had taken a long time for completion due lack of sufficient funds. The Amrita Children's home for destitute is constructed on a portion of the 11 acres plot donated by one of Amma’s Kenyan devotee. The Amrita Children's home is a well-designed, modern children’s home with all the modern amenities. It has couple of dormitories to house 150 children besides staff quarters, a fully equipped modern kitchen and a large dining room. M. A. Math Trust Kenya has also put up a permanent structure with the intention to start a Vocational Training Centre for the unemployed youths in the area. The entire project will be totally managed and funded by the M.A. Math Trust Kenya in collaboration with the parent organization.

Sudhamani (Pure Jewel) was the name given to her by her parents when she was born into a low caste in a small fishing village called Parayakadavu in Kerala, south India.  It is said that unlike other babies who come into the world in tears, Sudhamani came into the world beaming with a smile on her face, as if prophesying the joy and bliss she was to bring to the world.

Though only a child, Sudhamani did whatever she could to ease the suffering of the poorest of the poor and of her elderly neighbor’s who were being neglected by their families.

Her talk’s touches a wide range of topics, including the means of creating interreligious harmony, the proper role of education in society and the importance of taking pride in one’s motherland and national heritage. Her main focus however is on the youth – their needs and the role adults should play in helping them attain their full potential. Each subject is dealt with concisely, with an insight that penetrates to the core of the issue. And as the words come from such a unique human being, it goes without saying that such words are profound, lively and spiritually vibrant.

 Her philosophy is not of the intellectual kind, but simple and profound encompassing the very basis of creation. She has no formal education but her experiencing the oneness of all creation made her realize that; “Love is the only medicine that can heal the wounds of the world”. Her philosophy revolves around the fact that it is love that binds everything together and hence emphasizes the fact that love and service to ones society is the only way to self-fulfillment and peace. Service, rather than study, is the focus of her work.

 The United Nations and people all over the world have recognized Amma as an extraordinary spiritual leader. She was invited to the Millennium World Peace Summit, UN General Assembly and New York in 2000 where she was a keynote speaker. She was also a keynote speaker at the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious & Spiritual Leaders at the UN, Geneva. The world movement for Non-Violence conferred upon Amma the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence at the UN, Geneva.  Some of her achievements are being presented with the Interfaith Center of New York’s 4th Annual James Parks Morton Interfaith Award on 2nd May 2006. The Interfaith Center of New York (ICNY) bestowed the award upon Amma for her outstanding role as a spiritual leader and humanitarian, citing in specific, her organization’s massive relief work in the wake of the 2004 Asian tsunami (aid of over USD 23 million). As part of the award ceremony, Amma delivered an address on intra-religious understanding and collaboration.

 Amma also donated USD1 million towards the Katrina relief fund spearheaded by the former US President Bill Clinton. One of the humanitarian projects launched in Kenya was a scholarship program for 54 children across the country. On this occasion, the first 20 of the 54 students received their scholarship certificates from Amma’s hands. The scholarship of 24,000 shillings per student will be enough to cover their educational expenses for a full year.