Embracing the World aid efforts started with a $1.7 million US donation to the governments of India and Kerala. Amma also opened the doors of Amrita Hospital in Kochi, Kerala to provide free treatment for COVID-19 patients.

Doctors and scientists at Amrita University began work to develop emergency aid solutions for essential health workers. This includes items from nano-fiber face masks to plastic shield protectors to 3D-printed masks. The university also set up a 24-hour mental health hotline staffed by trained professionals.

Those initiatives inspired volunteers around the world to sew cloth masks at home during lockdowns so they could in some way help people in need in their communities – from the elderly in care homes to the homeless in city streets. Soon after, volunteers also began preparing food packages to deliver to people out of work and running low on income.