On 26th January 2001, the Indian state of Gujarat was hit by a devastating earthquake which destroyed entire cities. The Art of Living, and its sister organization, the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), were not only present for immediate emergency response, but also stayed on long after the disaster, helping survivors come to terms with the new reality.

Rehabilitation efforts

Apart from providing relief materials, the Art of Living built a high school, a hostel, and 15 temporary schools. Through its post-traumatic stress counselling and trauma relief programs, volunteers reached out to over 100,000 people in 120 villages. A village called Dahisara Nana, was completely rebuilt with 124 earthquake-resistant homes, a multi-purpose community center, a primary healthcare center, village government center, a primary school, a place of worship, water tank, water supply system and drainage system.