Om Namo Bhagavade Sivanandaya

Established in 1949 by Sri Swami Sivananda

Sivananda Luwamba Wellness Centre

Divine Life Society has recently opened its most prestigious project in Luwamba, Ntambanana, a rural area not far from Empangeni. Initially intended to be just a clinic, it grew into a formidable project, with buildings alone will occupy an area of about two and a half hectares. It will provide much needed medical and other facilities for the poor in the area. The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. The Society is contributing R7 000 000,00 (seven million rands, about rupees fifty-four million) towards this massive project.

 The entire complex is built with beautiful white bricks and the outside walls are decorated with colourful tiles like those that we use in our Peace & Skills Training Centres. This complex will be the most important and prestigious project in the name of our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, who himself was a medical doctor in Malaysia before he left back for India to become a monk. Our Divine Master deserves this great honour.              

 

Official Opening of Sivananda Luwamba Wellness Centre

On Friday 3rd April 2009, over 6000 people attended the grand and historic opening ceremony of the Sivananda Luwamba Wellness Centre in Ntambanana, a rural area some 30km from Empangeni. The centre was the outcome of a joint venture between Divine Life Society and the Provincial Government. Divine Life Society contributed R7 Million towards this R17 Million project.

Amongst the eleven buildings, all of which are built in the same style as the Sivananda Ghat, with beautiful face bricks and colorful tiles, are a clinic, a pharmacy, two wards that can house up to 60 beds, a crèche and a Peace and skills training centre. Pujya Swamiji performed the sod-turning ceremony in August 2007, and has written that this is "the most prestigious project of Divine Life Society and a fitting tribute to the Divine Master who himself was a medical doctor."

The date of the opening was changed a few times, but finally settled mysteriously on 3 April, which coincided with the Holy Festival of Ram Navami. Moreover, while devotees were reciting the invocation prayer prior to the cutting of the ribbon and the unveiling of the plaque, a gentle shower of rain descended upon the proceedings. As soon as the official opening was done, the shower miraculously stopped! These events have strengthened our firm belief that Sri Gurudev's and Pujya Swamiji's unseen hands were guiding the project from start to finish.

There is still some work to be done before the final handover, which will be some six months before the scheduled date. This is all due to the Grace of Pujya Swamiji and our Divine Master, and the dedication of many devotees who worked tirelessly and selflessly on the project. We place on record our gratitude to all devotees who contributed financially and otherwise, in bringing to fruition Pujya Swamiji's dream a hospital in the name of the Divine Master. 

1. At Umgababa, the Gozololo Children's Home comprising 3 blocks, including a residential block, was established in partnership with the Miriam Cele Centre.

2. In 2005, fifty computers were installed in Computer Training Centres in Stanger, Estcourt and Richards Bay.

3. A joint venture with the Ministry of Sport resulted in the creation of an Olympic-size swimming pool in Ulundi. It is the only public swimming facility in Ulundi.

4. Traditional African Handicraft Centres: 7 such centres were built in 2002 as part of a self-help initiative in rural areas.

5. Two Community Halls were built in the Umlalazi Municipality in 2008.

6. Liberal financial contributions were also made to about 40 temple organisations and institutions in South Africa, as well as numerous institutions abroad.

School Feeding Scheme

Everyday sandwiches are prepared and delivered to schools by devotees of the Society. About 2000 needy children of all races are provided with sandwiches daily.

 Hydrophonics

 

Hydroponics Gardening

Several hydroponics projects have been set up for charitable institutions to raise funds. These are at Spes Nova School (Phoenix), Crisis Care Centre (Hillcrest), Natal Blind & Deaf Society (Pietermaritzburg) and V.N. Naik School for the Deaf (Newlands). Vegetables grown at these gardens are of excellent quality and provide the centres with opportunities to raise funds.

  • Feeding of 2000 poor people every 1st day of the month
  • Grocery Hamper Drives

 

Housing Projects

The Society undertook two large housing projects. In the late 1990's, 181 low cost homes were built for displaced Indians and Africans at Waterloo near Verulam.

In 2006, the Society embarked on a major housing project at Parkgate, also near Verulam. Phase 1 & 2 of this project saw 346 homes built and allocated to displaced Indians and Africans for occupation. Phase 3 of the Project, consisting of and additional 39 houses, has now begun. In total, 385 low cost houses will be built at Parkgate.

 

AbalindiOutside

 

Old Age Homes

In keeping with the teachings of the Master, the Society interacts with and assists all religious groups. When an appeal was made for providing accommodation for the aged at the Christian Care Centre in KwaMashu, the Society erected a large complex consisting of 36 rooms.

The Abalindi Welfare Society takes care of the aged in the rural area of Inanda. It is led by Rev. Arthur Sibisi. Divine Life Society adopted Abalindi Welfare Society for about 10 years from 1979, building a spacious dining hall, kitchen, pantry and two dormitories. The blocks for these new buildings were made by the members of the Abalindi Welfare Society in their yard. A feeding programme was also commenced to cater for the needs of nearly 500 people. The Indian stall-holders of the Durban Municipal Market generously provided the vegetables free of charge for nearly three years. Surplus cement blocks were sold to Divine Life Society for its school building projects. In 1986 another four dormitories were constructed, and the kitchen was equipped with modern cooking facilities, providing succour for the disabled and aged people of Inanda.

The Abalindi Welfare Society is now on its own feet, a well-organized relief unit, self-sufficient in operation, in the midst of a poor rural African community.

In 1993 the Folweni Learning Centre in the Umlazi region was constructed by the Isipingo Rotary Club. The Club approached Divine Life Society to participate in the newly created community facility. A large number of women in the neighborhood were unemployed.

The Society, through the kind help of its many patrons and well-wishers throughout the country, donated 20 motorized sewing machines, 10 Olivetti typewriters, 25 hand-operated sewing machines and one copying machine to the institution.

At Ntuzuma, another poverty-stricken area in the north of Durban, a similar need was identified. The St. John Apostolic Mission, under the direction of Rev. Khumalo, was doing its best to serve the local community. The Society worked closely with this organisation. Four typewriters were donated to it. A sewing centre was started with an initial donation of 10 hand-operated machines, since there was no electricity in the area during that time.

At the Umlazi Technical College, a modern sewing centre has been constructed by the Society and is being efficiently run by the College. The Society donated 30 sewing machines to the College.

The first of all sewing centres built by the Society was at Esikhaweni, near Empangeni. This centre, which is being run by the KwaZulu-Natal Government, provides training for about 100 women. The Society also donated 25 electric sewing machines to the centre.

In 2004, Pujya Swamiji decided that the Society administer sewing centres at its Ashrams. The Society currently administers five sewing schools which house 103 industrial and overlock sewing machines. The Administration Centre is located at Sivanandashram, Havenside, Chatsworth. Two other centres are run at our Ashrams in Merebank and Pietermaritzburg. A centre in Tongaat is managed by the Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple. The centre at Newlands West is managed by the Sai Organisation, Durban Region, Newlands.

Training is provided mainly to unemployed adults by qualified trainers who are paid by the Society. Training extends for six weeks, eight hours per day. Certificates are awarded to all “graduates”. Since the inception of this project in 2004, 2300 certificates have been issued. Almost all graduates have been absorbed into the industrial sector.

Trainees are provided with an opportunity of securing a free sewing machine, provided they sell a minimum number of garments sewn at their centre. To this end about 2000 sewing machines were purchased.

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