Mission and Objective

The adage ‘Love All – Serve All’ has been the guiding principle of the followers of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Inspired by the words and works of Baba, many a devotee the world-over have taken to the path of self-less service leaving aside their personal goals and ambitions in a bid to contribute their might towards eliminating grief and distress from fellow human beings and even other living beings. In doing so, His followers have not given a go-by to what Baba has urged them on innumerable occasions – that it is not the quantity of service (Seva) that is rendered, but what is more important is the quality thereof and that an individual is required to render Seva with passion and with a sense of surrender to God.

Sri Sathya Sai SevaSamithi, Ambodalais one such spiritual centerformed in the year 1994by a band of devotees having immense faith in the Divine form and Principle of Bhagawan Baba. Some of the devotees went on to form a Trust in the name of Sai Karunalayam whose pristine objects include:

1.       to provide food, shelter, education, medicine and any other assistance including scholarships to poor and needy children, old-age persons and the distressed without any bar on their religion, caste, creed or gender;

2.       to create awareness and to establish a classless, casteless and unexpolited society promoting social, economical and educational development of people;

3.       to renovate, repair and erect any temple of worship;

4.       to promote literacy programs, value-based education and other general welfare projects and schemes.

             Journey so far….

The Sathya Sai Seva Samithi, Ambodala is the mother institution of Sai Karunalayam. Before receiving Divine instruction from Bhagawan Baba Himself to start an orphanage, the members were engaged in various service, spiritual and educational activates in the region by following the lofty ideals of Bhagawan Baba.

The devotees from the Sai Center have staged cultural programmes in the Sai Kulwant Hall at Prasanti Nilayam in the immediate physical presence of Bhagawan Baba. Baba had blessed and advised the members directly once and inquired about the activities of the Sai Karunalayam and even gave some advice to the Trustees on the activities to be undertaken in future by the Trust.

The local District Administration has also expressed its appreciation to the Sai Centre for the innovative service activities and the quality of the service rendered in the past.

The Trust in the name ofSAI KARUNALAYAMwas set-up in the year 2008 as a home for the destitute and orphaned children and the hostel which also shares its name with the Trust itself (i.e., Sai Karunalayam) -  is run in a modest building in the village of Ambodala in Rayagada District, Odisha.The hostel is now a house for 8 (eight) unfortunate, yet fortunate children – all boys.

While the Trustees were eager to increase the size of the activities and adopt more number of children, they sought guidance from the Divine Master, Bhagawan Baba in 2009 during an occasion when the Trustees and the devotees from Ambodala presented a play (drama) in the physical presence of Baba. Baba, in all His Mercy towards these persons, advised them to restrict the number of inmates for the time being. Incidentally, the play was about how several interesting events led to the unfolding of Sai Karunalayam. The Trust is accordingly aiming to increase the strength to 20 (twenty) as per the Divine Direction!

The Trustees and members of the local Sathya Sai Centre take utmost care of these children by nurturing these budding individuals who should ideally transform into men of sterling character. While the children are sent to the local school for pursuing their academics, the hostel provides them a solid base for imparting discipline and human values into these children. The boys, all of them from rural background, have healthy living conditions in the hostel and are provided with all basic necessities entirely at the Trust’s expense which include their schooling, food, clothes, medical contingencies etc. is funded by the Trust.

While the present hostel building (refer cover page) which was built in the year 2008 adjacent to the Sri Sathya Sai Centre is owned by the Sai Centre,the Trust has acquired another piece of land (of 4.67acres) in the same village in the year 1997. The land has already been developed and agriculture and horticulture activities are being pursued in the land besides a gokulam which is house for 10-12 breeding cows. The Trust intends to build a complex in this land in the medium term which will consist of a hostel for the children, a CBSE school for needy poor scholar, vocational centre, a small dispensary and also an old-age and destitute home for the aged and homeless. A building is under construction which is waiting for completion for want of funds.

Almost every state in India has a State Trust named after Sri Sathya Sai Baba to promote and oversee service projects taken up the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organizations, a behemoth of Sai Volunteers. The Sri Sathya Sai Trust, Odisha controls and supports unique service projects undertaken in the state of Odisha and Sai Karunalayam is one such project which was partly patronized by the State Trust in its formative years. The state organization (SSSSO, India) has even identified Sai Karunalayam as a state project.

The costs of Sai Karunalayam  met entirely from donations and it has not been able to set-up any corpus fund yet since most of the receipts are small in nature and are barely enough to meet the operating costs of the Trust. The Trust operates a savings bank account with the State Bank of India and the accounts of the Trust are audited by a Chartered Accountant, as required under the laws of the country.

Trustees:

1.       Mr. Mohan Kumar Sahu, Settlor-cum-founder Trustee

2.       Mr. Trinath Patra, Trustee

3.       Mr. Arun Kumar Patro, Trustee

4.       Mr. K.Chiranjibi Kumar, Trustee