Amrita SeRVe – Intiative of Mother’s Love

September 2023

India is the most populated country in the world, and 64 percent of the population are villagers. About 19 percent of those who depend solely on agricultural work are poor. In 2013, Amma initiated a massive project ‘Amrita SeRVe’ with the aim of self-reliant villages for finding solutions to the hunger of these farmers who work daily to alleviate the hunger of the country. Over the 10 years, the project has grown into a model for sustainable villages with the efforts of multi-disciplinary cooperators.

Amrita SeRVe is working in the areas of rural health, water availability and sanitation, education, agricultural activities, additional income streams, provision of basic facilities, and self-empowerment.

Amma envisioned that universities could send their students to impoverished rural villages or city slums as part of their education. This firsthand experience would not only help them grasp the issues the poor confront but would also kindle compassion, inspiring them to find solutions.

At the same time in 2013, to bring Amma’s vision to life, Amrita University initiated ‘Live-in-Labs’. Live-in-Labs is an internship program with Amrita University where students spend time in villages throughout India. They witness firsthand the challenges the poor face in their daily lives. They also consult with the villagers to develop sustainable solutions. Students from more than 30 universities from around the world also arrive in India to take part.