Anandwan* today cares for more than two thousand leprosy victims and more than a hundred of their children, another several hundred blind or deaf-mute children, plus orphans and those born to unwed mothers.
"When I visited there," the Dalai Lama said, "everyone was full of self-respect and dignity, everyone equal. They all had jobs, a livelihood. When they became old and retired, they were still looked after. They were handicapped but full of spirit. I was really very much impressed."
Baba Amte** put it bluntly: "Charity destroys; work builds."
The residents of Anandwan support themselves by making products ranging from carpets, school notebooks, and greeting cards from recycled paper, to metal bed frames, crutches, and special protective footwear for those with leprosy.
Though Baba Amte passed away in 2008, his two sons, both physicians, carry on his work. At last report, Anandwan --and two sister communities-- employed over five thousand residents. (p. 122)
"Their mental attitude makes a big difference," the Dalai Lama recalls from his visit to Anandwan. "Their work gives them self-confidence and self-respect, so they are full of enthusiasm."
When it comes to helping those in need, the Dalai Lama --like Baba Amte--emphasizes people helping themselves. Here attitude is crucial. "Sometimes poor people feel they cannot do much to help themselves."
...it's the root causes of their difficulties that need to change. They have the same potential as anyone else. But they need to believe in their own ability and to make an effort. Then, given the same opportunities, they can be equal.
....some hard-liner Chinese Communist officials had spread propaganda saying that the Tibetan brain was "inferior," and...some Tibetans had adopted that self-defeating view of themselves. But when given the same schooling and chances in life, Tibetans did as well as anyone else --and that convinced many Tibetans that they were not inferior after all.
[The Dalai Lama] had used this example with a post-apartheid resident of a shanty town in Soweto, whose home he was visiting. The man told him that African brains were inferior and so Africans could not be as intelligent as whites.
The Dalai Lama was shocked and saddened by this. "I argued that this is totally wrong. If you ask scientists if there are any brain differences due to color, they would definitely say no. The real point is equality. Now that you have the opportunity, you must work hard. You can be equal in every way."
The Dalai Lama argued energetically to convince the man that Africa had great potential and that long colonial rule had created a lack of self-confidence in Africans, which could be overcome --as with the Tibetans--with social equality, opportunity, and education.
After a lot of argument, the man sighed and in a low voice said, "Now I'm convinced: We're the same. I believe we are equal." (p.123)
Sources:
*Anandwan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandwan
**BabaAmte
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_Amte
Daniel Goleman. Force for Good: The Dalai Lama's Vision for Our World. (New York, NY: Bantam Books, 2015)
