In a world where temples are taken hostage and nations are spurning refugees they make, a small group in a little town is trying to make a difference. The Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation (SSSSO) of Panvel is a small voluntary organisation of families who adopt the villages scattered around Panvel and empower the villagers through education and health facilities.

They are a spiritual and social service organisation, who follow the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In their efforts, they have surveyed and adopted thirty odd villages around Panvel and carry out regular activities, with the support and participation of their untiring members.

The interior villages lack any kind of medical facilities; the nearest professional help is 25 kms away, in Panvel city. Since the past seven months, the SSSSO sets up monthly free medical camps in the Gadheswar village. This camp services residents of 25 villagers around Gadeshwar. The doctors render their services and medication for free and serious cases are referred to the hospital in Panvel, where efforts are made for the treatment to be on a charitable basis.

Dodhani, a tribal village on the foothills of Matheran, located about 21 kms from Panvel houses a population of around 1,200. This village has been the centre of SSSSO’s activities for the past three years. Routine Sunday visits are made to the village to conduct a variety of activities such as Balvikas and Bhajans. Balvikas consists of the welfare of the children of the villages. Food is distributed and general lessons on hygiene, habits, spirituality and morality are conducted. Once a month, the organisation also cooks food on a large scale for the unfortunate families.

Numerous other activities such as bi-monthly distribution of clothes, periodic medical, dental and hygiene camps are also conducted. On a larger community front, the youth wing of the samithi intends to construct a water tank with the capacity of 32,000 litres on a hillock. A bore well has already been drilled and the uptake pipelines leading to the tank have been laid. The water will be distributed to the entire village at various point, each point holding around 4 to 6 taps.

The Adivasi Residential School that educates around 500 students from the Chickhale also reaps the benefits of the Samithi’s efforts. The school toilets have been renovated, water two tanks have been and invertor of 1,000 watts provides electricity when the power fails.

SSSSO also has a very strong spiritual wing that conducts bhajans in various temples around Panvel, especially during festivals. Discourses are held on the teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba in the residences of the various members.

These discourses are weekly activities participated in by the women, men and even children of the committee.