Swiss lady helps turn Baba Amte’s project into reality

Married to an Indian agro-biologist settled in Switzerland, Ms. Raman started her association with the Anandwan project for the rehabilitation of leprosy-affected people years ago.

To begin with, she joined the Maharogi Sewa Samiti after being sufficiently inspired by a French book on Anandvan, written by one of Baba’s well-wishers, Jean Bubler of Switzerland. Her association with the institution became closer after the demise of her husband. She then started giving scholarships to poor bright students of the Anand Niketan Agriculture College, Warora.

It was in 1984 that she donated Rs. 60 lakh for building a home for the benefit of aged people by depositing the amount in a Swiss bank in Baba’s name. As was usual with Amte, he donated the amount to the Maharogi Sewa Samiti.

In fact, the first experiment in this direction began in 1978 when a trustee of the institution and a businessman, Mr. Kamlakar Kulkarni, initiated the construction of a home for senior citizens at Anandwan. However, work on the Wisdom Bank project was initially delayed, thanks to some arbitrary rules and functional difficulties prevalent then. Finally, the work began in 1995. The project was inaugurated earlier this month by Amte himself. According to the noted social worker, the Wisdom bank would enlarge the moral and intellectual aspects of its inmates. On the occasion, Amte also handed over the keys of two rooms to the first two inhabitants of Loti’s home for senior citisens. He, alongwith wife, Sadhanatai, were pleased to witness the completion of te project.

The inauguration function concluded with recitation of Baba’spoems by Dr Bharati Amte.