Bodhgaya is the place where the historical
Buddha became enlightened some 2500 years ago. It is currently
a place of pilgrimage for people interested in Buddhism. It is
in the state of Bihar and one of the poorest and most violent
regions of India. Villagers tend to have very little opportunity
to change their circumstances. The Bodhgaya Development Association
(BDA) provides support for long term initiatives to help the
poorest of the poor in the Bodhgaya region.
The BDA was established in 1992
and is based in Brisbane (Australia). It was formerly known as
the Bodhgaya Development Fund (BDF) but incorporation requirements
led to the name being changed. It is an incorporated tax-exempt
non-profit organisation.
The BDA has provided funds for
different programs. The longest program we have been supporting
is the development, running and expansion of the Prajna Vihar
School, which provides education for children of the very poor
who would otherwise (generally) receive no schooling. In January
each year there is a program put on by the PV School for westerners,
and travellers are welcome to attend. Please contact us for details.
We also provided funds for fifteen
years for the the Mahisi Gyanodaya Abhiyan, a literacy and economic
self-suffiency project administered by a woman called Sister
Jessy, which operated in outlying villages in the Bodhgaya area.
This program is still running but has been scaled back as Sister
Jessy has taken a less active role and at her wish now largely
relies on local support.
We have supported other programs
in Bodhgaya and we will be looking at what else we can do there
in the future.
All work done for the BDA is
voluntary with adminstrative costs being donated by people on
the managment committee in Australia. Because of this, all money
donated goes to the projects themselves.
The BDA manages to keep up its
yearly support for the projects from the generosity of people
in the West. If you would like to contribute or to find out more,
please contact us.