Lok Biradari Prakalp (Marathi

Marathi language

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...

; Brotherhood of People project) is a social project of the Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Warora involving a hospital, a school and an animal orphanage. It was started on 23 December 1973,by the social worker Baba Amte

Baba Amte

Murlidhar Devidas Amte, popularly known as Baba Amte was an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy....

 in 1973 for integrated development of Madia Gond

Madia Gond

Madia Gonds or Madia or Maria are one of the endogamous Gond tribes living in Chandrapur District and Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra State, and Bastar division of Chhattisgad State India. They have been granted the status of a Primitive Tribe by the Government of Maharashtra under its...

. It is situated at Hemalkasa, Taluka Bhamragad in Gadchiroli District

Gadchiroli District

Gadchiroli district is an administrative district in Maharashtra, India. The town of Gadchiroli is the administrative headquarters of the district....

 of Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Dr. Prakash Amte

Prakash Amte

Prakash Amte is a medical doctor and social worker from Maharashtra, India. Son of Magsaysay awardee and legend Baba Amte, he and his wife, Dr...

 and his wife Dr. Mandakini Amte, who serve as the Medical Director and Medical Officer at the project respectively, were awarded the 2008 Ramon Magsaysay Award

Ramon Magsaysay Award

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...

 for Community Leadership.

Davakhana

Davakhana means clinic in Marathi

Marathi language

Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...

. In this particular project primary health care has been given top priority. Six sub centres were started in the interior forest area, geographically wide apart from the main hospital, of which three are still functional.
The early years of the project entailed a massive struggle in the extremely difficult conditions of a thick and remote forest. The centre, started in 1973, has recently developed into a full fledged hospital having 40 beds and caters to over 45,000 patients annually. At Hemalkasa the hospital is ensconced in the surrounding dense forest, where the Madia Gond tribal patients feel most comfortable in recuperating after their treatment. Hundreds of patients come daily to the hospital traversing long and difficult terrain sometimes on foot.

Ashram Shala

An ashram shala or a residential school was started in 1976 for the tribal children now having classes from 1st to 12th Standard, giving free education to over 600 students. They are provided with free lodging and boarding facilities. All education material is also provided free of cost to them. Apart from formal education, they are also provided vocational training and guidance, which will be useful in their day to day life. e.g.- practical training in farming, seed production, dairy, bamboo craft, ceramic art, greeting cards, tailoring, health education etc. These programmes are aimed at the survival of the tribals to bring about awareness of social rights and duties through continued dialogue and social exposure.

43 students of the school appeared for the 2007-2008 Secondary School Certificate Examination, held by the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, 36 students passed a pass percentage of 83.72%, in comparison the state passing percentage was 86.33%.

40 students of the school appeared for the 2007-2008 Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination, held by the Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, 37 students passed a pass percentage of 92.50%, in comparison the state passing percentage was 87.39%.

Illustrious Madia Gond alumni

• Dr.Kanna Madavi
• Dr.Pandurang Pungati
• Dr.Komti Durwa
• Dr.Sudhakar Wachami

Amte's Animal Orphanage

A small sheltered enclosure has been formed at Hemalkasa to keep orphaned babies of wild animals, thereby protecting them from being killed for food. The Hemalkasa community of workers live in complete harmony with a great diversity of wild animals still to be found in this relatively undisturbed, thick forest. Amte’s Animal Ark – Orphanage cum Rescue Center at Hemalkasa includes leopards, bears, snakes, deer, wild boars, crocodiles, lion etc.
Negal I and Negal II are books based upon real stories of leopards that grew here. Authored by Vilas Balkrishna Manohar, volunteer with the Lok Biradari Prakalp, the books describe his experience living with wild animals including big cats. He also written two more books, Eka Nakshalwadya Cha Janma, and Nari Bhakshak.

External links

• Lok Biradari Prakalp, Official website of Gadchiroli district.
• Report on Lok Biradari Prakalp, Hemalkasa, Excellent article on LBP-Hemalkasa.