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Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, January 2020.
For the past nine years, due to the kindness of one main benefactor, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been offering substantial grants toward the amazing projects of Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, which directly benefit underprivileged individuals in the area. In 2020, US$$53,900 total was offered to Maitreya School (US$39,200) and Shakyamuni Buddha Health Clinic (US$14,700).
Maitreya School is a free school benefiting impoverished children from neighboring villages. In 2019, 70 new students entered the school, bringing the total to 306 with the addition of two new teachers. The school continued to offer free education to all the children as well as transport them to and from the school, provide education supplies and uniforms, healthy snacks, and classes on meditation and mindfulness.
Due to COVID-19, all schools in Bihar state were closed starting on March 25 of this year. Since that time the students were mostly learning through online classes, but as Root reports: “It is quite difficult to develop proper and creative learning programs for our children who mostly belong to less affluent rural families, or who live in remote villages where people rarely even use a basic phone.” To help address this, some teachers have made their homes available for up to ten students who live near them to receive coaching and classes.
Please enjoy this short video of a snapshot day at Maitreya School (before COVID-19):
Shakyamuni Buddha Health Clinic began in 1991 as a home for the destitute and has evolved into a diverse community health program encompassing a wide range of medical and rehabilitative services and health promotion activities.
The clinic continued to do important work in the community in 2019, serving 3,500 patients each month. A new medical vehicle was purchased and they started classes for girls on women’s health. These workshops are helping to bring an end to early marriage, domestic violence, help with long-term family planning, and teach the value of education. The clinic continues to help the community of Bodhgaya by running programs on homeopathic & allopathic medicines, a dental clinic, as well as physiotherapy and speech therapy. The clinic combined with the mobile outreach units offered free medical treatment to 42,000 patients in 2019.
Shakyamuni Buddha Clinic has been temporarily closed due the COVID-19 pandemic situation in India, but will open again as soon as allowed.
Please enjoy this short video of a glimpse into the work of the clinic as well as life at Root Institute (pre COVID-19).
We invite you to rejoice in the ongoing beneficial work of the social service programs of Root Institute which are benefiting so many in need of this most precious care.
During this time when the regular social service activities has been limited or shut down, Root Institute has engaged in inspiring community service by offering food the most needy in the area.
Thank you to all the kind supporters of the Social Services Fund who make it possible to offer donations like this. These grants have a very real and direct effect, changing lives and benefiting extremely poor children and those who are sick and have no other means of support.
Support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants such as this can continue; or make a donation directly to one of Root Institute’s social service projects.