Monthly Pension (Amrita Nidhi)

At a time, when people are forgetting their responsibilities to their aged parents, and even denying them the basic necessities such as food and shelter, Amma's compassion has come as a welcome and much needed respite.

A monthly pension program has been instituted by the M.A.Math providing monthly pension for more than 100,000 poor, destitute women and the physically and the mentally challenged.

The beneficiaries are among the thousands of women, who are either widowed, or married to sick or handicapped man, or those who have to survive on the small amount they scrape from occasional work. The pension amount is a little more than what the local government's program provides and is given for life, whereas, the government program stops when the recipient's children are eighteen years old.

During the last three days of December 1999, 5000 women from the villages surrounding the ashram poured into the auditorium at Amritapuri to collect their first pension. Br. Premamrita explains, "Seven thousand women in the Kollam district are receiving the first pension. Five thousand of these are being given in the three sub districts closest to the ashram. Alappad panchayat, Amma's birthplace is receiving most of the allocation. Since then, distribution of pension has started at various branch ashrams. Pension is distributed once in three months. It is Amma's wish that the poor people keep a connection with their local ashram directly or through their nearest satsang center. In this way those people who have health problems can receive free food and medicine too. By joining in with the larger Amma's family, they can feel assured that someone knows of their problems and they can seek help. Through a connection with the ashram branches, the children of these poor people will grow-up with a good character, learn to serve others and look after their parents.

Kathyani is a grandmother. She is bent heavily with a spine disease and comes from a very poor family. She says that she uses most of her pension to buy things for her grandchildren. She keeps only one third for herself. This she wraps in newspaper and every night she sleeps, holding onto what she feels to be her gift from Amma. Every morning she offers the gift to Amma's picture. She says it's all she has in the world to rely on.

As Kathyani told us her story, she clung to Sharada, the pension co-ordinator, in tearful gratitude.