Meyyur Rural Unit
A unit of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai since 1986
Medical Service
- Free medical service is given on all days by a team of Doctors and volunteers from Chennai and Meyyur. As the nearest medical facility is 15 km away, all the poor patients from 14 villages avail our service.
- Special camps are held for Alcohol de-addiction by specialized doctors once a month and counselling given for both affected men and women.
- Special Eye check-up, Dental, Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Orthopedic, Asthma, Diabetes, and tests like ECG, ECHO clinics are conducted periodically.
- Mammogram, PAP’s smear (cancer) camp was conducted for Women.
- Special Pulmonology Camps with a Pulmonologist for the past three years. Patients are provided with spirometer test in addition to inhalers and drugs if required on a regular basis.
- Cardiac Camp for Children was conducted and about 100 children were screened & Regular counselling and referrals are done for patients to increase their awareness.
- The math provides free medicines and food for the patients.
- During natural calamities like floods, Covid Pandemic, etc., villagers are provided all their daily requirements.
Educational Activities
- Keeping Swami Vivekananda’s ideal for imparting the man-making and character-building education, the local children are given tuition in academics daily.
- Bhajans and Personality development classes are conducted by Swamijis and volunteers for these ‘Saradamma Bala Mandir’ students on every Sunday followed by Prasadam.
- Due to lack of transportation, most children in Vembedu and Gurupuram could not attend school. The math has coordinated with the local school and has arranged transport for these children to go to school. Some students are also given cycles to reach the school in time. Books, School Uniform and Stationery items are given free to these students.
- Students living in these villages attend the free tuition coaching arranged by Math. Over 100 Students are attending daily. Special subjects are taught to them by experts through online classes.
- A water tank and water filter for clean drinking water have been arranged at two local schools.
- In addition, new clothes, books and stationery for children are being provided on a regular basis and many more amenities are arranged.
- Basic Computer training is given to students and women.
- Assistance from staff and students of IIT has given these students a big exposure to higher education.
- Under ‘Saradamma Bala Mandir’ students are taught value education, bhajans, chanting and other cultural practices during Sunday class and Summer holiday classes. Over 60 students participate in these camps.
- The math arranged a photocopy machine for the benefit of the villagers (the nearest Xerox centre is 15 KM away).
Cultural Programs
- Ramakrishna Math, Chennai has renovated temples in Gurupuram and Vembedu and arranged regular worship in them. This has revived the faith of the local people in traditional worship. The impact of the service done by Sri Ramakrishna Math can be seen as “a positive change” in people’s life.
- All the people in this village participate in celebrating Navaratri (Durga Puja) for 9 days, Pongal festival and Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. Their involvement in these celebrations has brought in a healthy interaction and harmony among them.
- At the shrine in Meyyur Community Centre, over 90 students and 20 adults attend evening arati.
- Birthday Celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramakrishnananda Maharaj are celebrated with great devotion and the food Prasad is given to all.
- Children from Meyyur performed a cultural programme during Vivekananda Navaratri Celebration on Feb 2021.
- Meyyur villagers regularly take part in all Pujas and Jayanti’s held at our Math.
Saradamma Grama Mangalam
Center for Women Empowerment
- In November 2014, a rural tailoring unit was started as “Saradamma Grama Mangalam”. This is run exclusively for the local women who are very poor, and in the past five years, about 125 rural women have been trained in tailoring skills. They have also taken orders for stitching school uniforms. This has provided them with financial assistance and also increased their self-confidence. This has helped them to educate their children too.
- Tailoring machines have been procured with donations from the Math and distributed to the qualified women of this group. About 40 machines have been distributed.
- The elderly women in the group were trained to make Agarbathi and Sambarani. This has become a small scale industry as there are steady production and regular sales of these products. This has also been a source of income for these people. Sixty women have been benefited from this.
- Twice a year our Math is providing new clothes to around 300 People in and around Meyyur.
- Daily about 50 students and 20 elders are attending evening Arati and sing bhajans regularly.
- Every day more than 50 widows and deserving villagers are served food.
- Every year the birthday celebrations of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Navaratri etc. are celebrated with devotion. Many villagers from Meyyur attend the main functions at Mylapore Math regularly.
- The Math is striving hard to empower the women as envisaged by Swami Vivekananda by helping them to acquire skills to become self-sufficient.
Relief Work
Corona Relief
- Corona Relief in Meyyur Village
Distributed 300 food material kit worth Rs.500/- at Meyyur area on 17th April 2020. - Corona Relief in Irular Colony, Meyyur
Distributed 500 Grocery kits for the needy in Irular Colony, Meyyur. - Corona Relief at Gummidipondi
Distributed 500 kits of food material worth Rs 400 to poor by MLA Vijaya Kumar at Katchur area Meyyur. - Corona Relief at Katchur area, Meyyur Village
Distributed 500 kits of food material worth Rs 400 to poor by MLA Vijaya Kumar at Katchur area Meyyur. - Corona Relief at Meyyur for Elderly Widows and Handicapped people
Distributed 200 Grocery kits to Elderly Widows and Handicapped people in Meyyur through our Rural Healthcare Center on 24 April 2020. - Corona Relief to Sanitary workers and rural community
No. of food material(100) was given to sanitary workers and ruler community by Math through BDO, VAO (govt staff) of Meyyur. - Corona Relief at Gurupuram, Vembedu, Timma Puram of Meyyur
People residing at Gurupuram, Vembedu, Timma Puram of Meyyur areas were given 200 food material kits worth Rs. 500/- each on 12 April 2020. - Corona Relief for Hunter communities
350 rural Hunter communities are helped by serving the cooked meal in the afternoon at Meyyur village. - Corona Relief for Village people at Meyyur
Through our Rural welfare centre at Meyyur we have been distributing cooked food to 300 people daily.
How we perform?
125
Women Trained in tailoring skills
100
Students attending free tuition
60
Elderly women trained to make Agarbathi and Sambarani
300
Elders receiving new garments every year
70
Women and Children attending Prayer
60
Villagers partaking food daily