A message from BGR founder and chair Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Dear Friends of Buddhist Global Relief,
The holiday season is normally a time of joy when we celebrate our blessings with family and friends. This year, however, we have been reminded—starkly and repeatedly—of the need to turn our attention to others, to welcome into our hearts the many neighbors and strangers who have lost family members and friends to COVID-19. At the time I write this message, the pandemic has been taking on average the lives of 2,500 Americans each day, and the total U.S. death count has already surpassed 300,000. The pandemic has spread across the world, with rising infections and death counts in many countries, especially among the poor.
The devastation wrought by the virus comes as a reminder of the essential oneness of humanity. The virus teaches us that despite our differences of national origins, race, ethnicity, and religion, we are all members of a larger whole—the human family—and belong to a still greater community, the community of sentient beings. We are all alike in seeking happiness and wishing to avoid suffering; we all share the desire to live abundantly and to avoid untimely death. All our lives are vulnerable, and therefore all our lives are precious. Each life deserves to be protected and uplifted and given the chance to flourish.
To live and flourish, people require adequate nutrition. Food is not only a means to survival, but also to peace and prosperity. The Nobel Prize Committee recognized this truth earlier this month when it conferred the Nobel Peace Prize on the World Food Programme. In his acceptance speech David Beasley, the president of the WFP, reminded us of the terrible toll persistent hunger takes, especially on children: “I don’t go to bed at night thinking about the children we saved; I go to bed weeping over the children we could not save. And when we don’t have enough money nor the access we need, we have to decide which children eat and which children do not eat, which children live, which children die.”
That is a terrible choice to have to face. Fortunately, we don’t all have to make such dreadful decisions, but can take action to ensure that at least some who were destined for a life of misery and premature death gain the opportunity to live and to thrive. For twelve years now, Buddhist Global Relief has been dedicated to the work of creating such opportunities for some of the poorest and most marginalized people around the world. We currently sponsor 45 projects in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Haiti, and the U.S.—projects that have been extending a lifeline to thousands of people of every race and creed.
Consider a few of our recent projects:
In Mongolia, BGR partners with Maitreya Charity and the Mongolian NGO Asral to support children in the poorest sections of Ulanbaatar, the nation’s capital. The project provides nutritious lunches, tutoring in math and English, social services, and hygiene instruction for 55 schoolchildren; for many children, this is the only substantial meal of the day. This year’s grant also supported the purchase of a new commercial-grade refrigerator to keep the food items fresh.
In Lima, Peru, a BGR project in partnership with Asociación Grupo de Trabajo Redes supports girls’ physical and emotional health, providing holistic health-care workshops, nutritious food packs, and uniforms and other school supplies to the children of domestic workers. The project also offers workshops to support the girls in developing emotional well-being and confidence.
In Cameroon, a BGR partnership with the Centre for Community Regeneration and Development supports a vocational training center primarily serving impoverished widows, single mothers, and underemployed youths. Built in 2017 with BGR funding, the center has provided vocational training to more than 200 women and girls.
In Haiti, BGR sponsors the food program of the Art Creation Foundation for Children, which provides 50 students with at least one nutritious, filling meal per day, six days per week. For many children, this feeding program offers them their only chance to eat each day. Without the program, many of the children would spend their days either looking for food or working rather than attending school.
In addition to our regular projects, since March of this year, BGR has contributed more than $65,000 to COVID-related food assistance, including $20,500 to Feeding America, an umbrella organization that supports food banks around the country.
The success of this important work depends on the generosity of our donors and the good will of all those who resonate with our mission. We are deeply grateful to you for your past contributions, and now, as the year draws to a close, we hope you will continue to support our work into the future. Your donations do make a critical difference. They are literally saving and uplifting lives, giving hope to those at the edge of despair and opportunity to those for whom all doors seemed to be closed.
As we come to the end of 2020, please bring forth a heart of compassion and, in the spirit of the season, offer us a generous gift in any amount, whether large or small, that best accords with your means. When you give, you become an esteemed partner in our endeavor to express compassion in action.
Let me close by wishing you and your family safety, good health, and peace in the coming year and for a long time to come.
With abundant blessings,
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Founder & Chairperson
