At the Amrita-PMKVY hub in the state of Chhattisgarh, students were excited to return in person to complete their final exams. The center is located in a poor tribal belt and only recently opened after a long lockdown. Despite the difficult times and challenges of the pandemic, these young people didn't lose hope and were enthusiastic to keep up their studies.

In rural India, there has been widespread hesitancy to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and the area accounts for 65% of the country’s population. As government healthcare workers travel from village to village, they are often ignored and verbally abused, and some have even been physically assaulted.

In many cases, villagers live sheltered from mainstream culture, and unconfirmed information spread via rumour is taken as matter of fact. In the context of their traditional beliefs, modern medicine is often not accepted, and with the fear that Covid is causing, this effect is amplified. In some areas, there is a belief that the vaccine is more life-threatening than the virus.

“Humanity is going through an exceptionally challenging and painful period. It is only natural to feel depressed, anxious and helpless during such times. However, this is a time when we should pull ourselves together and direct our inner energies to remain afloat,” says Amma.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be dragged down by the undertow of this warlike situation. Yes, this is like a war—a war we need to fight with utmost alertness, awareness, confidence and courage. So, let us maintain a positive attitude and self-confidence. Then, we will be able to persevere through these difficult times.”

So far, men and boys have been largely excluded from the discourse on promoting gender equality. Most of the programs designed to achieve gender equality focus exclusively on providing women and girls more opportunities and resources to lead a better life. While such efforts are essential and have helped countless women, research is showing that the effects of these programs are too often short lived and long-term women’s empowerment is not achieved.

“When I stand near the gate before they go home, some of them cry as they express how thankful they are,” says Sarojini, a volunteer with the Amriteswari Foundation of Malaysia.

“A mother cried as she looked at the picture of Amma by the entrance and said, ‘Thank you, Amma, for feeding my kids.’”

Workshops have begun with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to bring them resilience and help them become more open towards gender equality. In collaboration with the Center for Women’s Empowerment & Gender Equality (CWEGE), the initiatives are planned for the next two years and will reach about 25,000 officers.

The CRPF’s mission is to enable the Indian government to maintain rule of law, public order and internal security. As the country’s largest police force, it has 246 battalions with more than 300,000 personnel. The CWEGE training has started in Kashmir, which is a contentious region due to its proximity to the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.

The vision for Menstrual Hygiene Day is by 2030 to create a world where no woman or girl is held back because she menstruates. This means that every single one is empowered to manage her menstruation safely, hygienically, with confidence and without shame. This includes affordable menstrual products that do not harm our environment.

AYUDH India, part of our youth wing, is finding every possible way to assist people dealing with India’s COVID-19 crisis. Hundreds of volunteers are running medical helplines, locating hospital beds, and organizing supplies and equipment, especially for oxygen.

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Today is Earth Day, an occasion that marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Over the decades, millions of people have come together to call for greater protections for our precious planet. Yet, the urgency of humanity’s responsibility to Mother Nature remains.

It can happen within just a fraction of a second. Someone faces pressures that create a wildfire of anger, frustration or desperation and they take it out on another. Often acts of crime include the element of substance abuse as a form of escapism.