Ashram’s services highlighted in study

A MASTER'S graduate, Yashna Gurcharan has explored the role of the Sarva Dharma Ashram in contributing to the wellbeing of youth and their families in the Welbedacht community in Chatsworth.

The Sarva Dharma Ashram is a participative development programme dedicated to the welfare of society, by working with the vulnerable to overcome poverty and social injustices. Some of the services offered to the community include a feeding programme, clothing and school stationery distribution, job seeker training, women empowerment, primary health care clinic, youth education, religious programmes and skills training.

Gurcharan completed her Master of Health Science degree at the Durban University of Technology. Her topic was “The role of the Sarva Dharma Ashram in the development of youth and their families in the Welbedacht community.”

She said serving the community has been one of the most significant roles played by the Sarva Dharma Ashram (SDA).

"I had therefore undertaken a case study of the ashram for this reason. The SDA is situated in the heart of the Welbedacht community, where youth and their families experience various socio-economic challenges. The SDA plays a pivotal role in the upliftment

of youth and their families through the services that they offer, therefore I wanted to explore their role in the community," said Gurcharan.

She said the study used a qualitative research approach, specifically a case study design, to explore the role of the Sarva Dharma Ashram.

Three samples, which consisted of 24 participants, were purposively selected. The three samples were made up of the board members of the Sarva Dharma Ashram, family members who belong to the Sarva Dharma Ashram and community members who live within the milieu of the ashram.

“Semi-structured in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion were used to collect data. Following a thematic analysis of this data, the study found that the Sarva Dharma Ashram played a central role in empowering and enabling the well-being of disadvantaged families and community members.

“The ashram not only provided assistance when psychosocial or financial distress was encountered but also highlighted the spiritual support offered to families and other community members in order to transcend the socio-economic ills they faced as a marginalised community,” she said.

Gurcharan, 27, of Isipingo Hills, said the data reflected that the ashram played a pivotal role in addressing the basic need for food, through its feeding schemes in the community and at schools in the area.

“This is part of the ashram’s poverty alleviation strategy in and around Welbedacht. The study also found that the ashram offered youth development programmes for children and youth in the community. School support is combined with other educational and life skills programmes aimed at youth development. These include computer classes, yoga, and art and drama lessons.

“Youth from the surrounding community were active participants in religious activities at the ashram. The

Sarva Dharma Ashram was found to be described as a space where the community members could also receive spiritual counselling. Hence not only do those who attend the SDA experience emotional and social support, but they are also able to grow spiritually.

“The most important finding was that the Sarva Dharma Ashram was open to youth and families from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Despite it being a Hindu organisation, there was no religious discrimination in terms of providing support and attendance at the different activities being offered at the ashram.

“Regardless of their religious affiliation, the focus of the ashram is developing the strengths of youth in their milieu," she said.

Swami Ramkripananda, founder of the organisation, said Gurcharan was very thorough in her research work.

“We have been working in Welbedacht for 28 years. We are not an organisation that seeks publicity.

“However we hope that this research will give our work exposure. We feed between 3000 to 3500 people daily and we rely solely on donations. We help the poor. Our goal is to uplift the youth and steer them in the right direction,” he said.

Gurcharan’s paper has been published in Religions journal, an international, interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal on religions and theology, published monthly online by MDPI.