By Ding Bi-hui
Edited and translated by Wu Hsiao-ting
Photo by Beh Chun How
Tzu Chi volunteers have been conducting home visits to impoverished households in Bodh Gaya, India, since April 2023. Regular visits are made to those in dire need, with daily necessities distributed on the monthly Charity Day, easing concerns about sustenance for destitute families.
Currently, 26 households receive long-term support. The provisions on Charity Day, including rice, whole wheat flour, chickpeas, pigeon peas, potatoes, cooking oil, and other foods, are tailored to family size. A few villagers receive additional assistance for rent and milk expenses. Alongside volunteers from Singapore and Malaysia, local schoolteachers, sewing class participants, and other residents form teams to distribute the goods. They first obtain fresh supplies from wholesalers before commencing their visits.
Puniya Devi, a 75-year-old resident of Bakraur, is one of the milk recipients. Abandoned by her children, she resides in a dim hut, her only company being her granddaughter, who is still in school. On one Charity Day, since her granddaughter hadn’t returned home from school, volunteers directly collected milk from the supplier to deliver to Puniya. The supplier assured the volunteers that the granddaughter collected the milk every day at the usual time, asking them not to worry.
Sudha Kumari, a volunteer who joined the charity team in November 2023, expressed her fondness for charity work. She grew up in a family with comfortable means, with her father working in a government agency, so she had little exposure to extreme poverty until her home visits with Tzu Chi. Witnessing the hardships of others, she is eager to contribute her efforts. She said that she not only aids her fellow compatriots but also learns how to help others by volunteering with Tzu Chi.
Conducting home visits to the needy can be challenging for volunteers, as many beneficiary families don’t have phones. Volunteers must sometimes make multiple trips before reaching the family. However, due to their prolonged presence in the villages, locals warmly greet them, with some even joining in efforts to care for their neighbors.
