Cuddalore District Government Acknowledges the Work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers

Cuddalore is not only the fastest growing industrial area in the Southern India state of Tamil Nadu, it is also home to the most popular resorts of the region. But in December 2004 its magnificent beaches lay in ruins after the Indian Ocean Tsunami decimated the entire area.

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers has continued the work begun after the tsunami, bringing help to the people of the South Eastern India state of Tamil Nadu.

On hearing of the disaster, two French Scientologists, Marc and Prisca Arrighi packed up their entire family and flew to this French-speaking region to provide help to the survivors. They joined hundreds of Scientology Volunteer Ministers who traveled from around the world to join the South Asian Tsunami Disaster Relief Teams in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

After several months, helping people in towns throughout the region, the Arrighis made a decision that would change their lives. When other volunteers got ready to return to their homes, the Arrighis decided to stay in Southern India to continue the work they began by establishing the Mobile Volunteer Minister Center of Tamil Nadu.

Over the past two and a half years the Arrighis and the team of local residents who joined them have trained over 55,000 people in Scientology assist technology. Scientology assists are techniques developed by Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, that relieve the emotional and spiritual factors that lengthen the time it takes to recover from illness or injury.

The volunteers deliver Scientology assists, Dianetics workshops and seminars in Study Technology in villages and towns throughout the area.

They have also delivered over 4000 Dianetics session to help people spiritually to recover permanently from the effects of the trauma they experienced.

The Arrighis contact the local civic and government officials in every town and village they visit to find out what the community needs. In almost every case they have been asked to help the children gain the literacy they need to compete in today’s technological world. In response, the Volunteer Ministers provide seminars in study technology, based on a chapter of the Scientology Handbook by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Marc and Prisca Arrighi, the directors of the Volunteer Ministers Mobile Center of Tamil Nadu, with the District Collector of Cuddalore District (in the center).

While they measure their success by the number of people they have helped, the Arrighis and their team at the Mobile Volunteer Minister Center were thrilled to receive this official acknowledgement this week from the District Collector of Cuddalore, the chief administrator of the city:

"I have come to know about the activities of Scientology Volunteer Ministers led by the Mr. Marc Arrighi and Mrs. Prisca Arrighi (from Paris, France) in Cuddalore, Villupuram and Pondicherry...they started their services immediately after the Tsunami and worked with Tsunami affected coastal communities including adults and school children, NGO (non-governmental organization) representatives and grass roots workers. The target group was not only confined to communities primarily affected by the Tsunami but also with the secondary affected groups....Study Technology ('Learning How to Learn') and 'Dianetics' has been highly useful for the people in the 77 villages in Cuddalore District where they have been working. I wish them good luck in all their future efforts and look forward to their partnership in the School Education Programme, Total Literacy Campaign and Elimination of Residual Illiteracy."