Anandwan information

Anandwan literally, Forest of happiness, located around 5 kilometers from Warora in Chandrapur district in the state of Maharashtra, India, is an ashram and a community rehabilitation centre which was mainly started for leprosy patients and the disabled from downtrodden sections of society.^[1] It was founded in 1949^[2] by noted social activist Baba Amte. The project is run by the organisation Maharogi Seva Samiti,^[1] and even being located one of the most backward districts of Central India -Chandrapur, has built livelihood capabilities of thousands of downtrodden people, persons with disabilities like leprosy, orthopedically handicapped, vision and hearing impaired and primitive tribal members since 1949.^[3] Two of its other projects are Lok Biradari Prakalp and Somnath, a village for cured leprosy patients.

Baba Amte developed Anandwan to be a self-contained ashram (which could be described as "a kibbutz for the sick"). Today residents are self-sufficient in terms of basic subsistence. In addition the ashram has various home-based, small-scale industry units run by the residents that generate income to cover additional requirements.^[4]

Baba Amte also shaped Anandwan as an environmentally aware community to practice energy utilization, waste recycling and minimizing use of natural resources that might otherwise lead to their depletion.^[5]

Anandwan today has two hospitals, a college, an orphanage, a school for the blind, a school for the deaf and a technical wing. Dr. Vikas Amte, Baba Amte's elder son, is the chief functionary at Anandwan. He undertook various experiments in Anandwan regarding rehabilitation which have been mentioned in a book titled 'Anandwan Prayogwan'.