AIM For Seva

AIM (All India Movement) For Seva is a service organization in India, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 2000 to make education and healthcare accessible to children in rural areas of India.[1] It is a non-governmental organization (NGO) in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. AIM for Seva is funded entirely by donations.[1]

The organization’s overseas operations are in the United States,[2] Canada[3] and Australia. The group's aim is to close the cultural, social and economic divide between urban and rural areas in India.[4]

Project Initiatives

Sheela Balaji is the managing trustee and chair of AIM For Seva.[1] The organisation runs a large school in Manjakkudi in Tamil Nadu, but it also has 100 hostels across India. Balaji was awarded the Nari Shakti Puraskar for her work (including preserving and growing rare rice varieties).[5]

Free Student Homes (Chatralayas)

The core initiative of AIM for Seva, the free student home or Chatralayas concept is a means to create an educational environment for disadvantaged children.[6] Children are offered educational opportunities apart from a clean environment to stay, food, education and extracurricular activities.[7] Education regarding healthy living and ‘eco-learning’ or understanding how to be environmentally aware are also aspects of the experience. Many student homes are located near other academic institutions to ensure that students can access to continuing studies. One of the goals of the organization is to build a student home in every rural district in India or roughly 600 student homes.[4] Since 2001, more than 100 homes have been built.[4]

Healthcare

It has also expanded its scope of aid through the opening of free health centres.

Other

Other initiatives include Art for Development,[8] renewable energy, theatre for development and distance learning

Impact

A list of Indian states with Free Student Homes & the number of students in 2015 was: Andhra Pradesh (368), Gujarat (346), Haryana (41), Himachal Pradesh (35), Karnataka (763), Kerala (88), Madhya Pradesh (439), Maharashtra (287), Orissa (20), Puducherry (unknown), Rajasthan (25), Tamil Nadu (686), Telangana (175) and Uttar Pradesh (69).[9]

References
  1. Reporter, Staff (2014-02-02). "Aim for Seva sets up 100th free student home". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  2. "India Herald". india-herald.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  3. "Welcome to AIM for SEVA | AIM for SEVA Canada". www.aimforseva.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  4. "Building schools to make a difference". Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. "Meet Ms. Sheela Balaji, #NariShakti Puraskar 2017 awardee". PIB India. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  6. VENKATRAMAN, DEEPA. "A loving second home". @businessline. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  7. "US, Mysuru kids learn from each other". Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2014-08-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Reach". Retrieved 8 May 2015.
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