I'm quoting without permission on this, but i'm betting that the parties involved won't mind.
Message from Angie Monksfield:
Dear Members
Last year, the 113 pilgrims I led to India visited Lama Zopa's Root Institute (Ven Sangye Khadro was also at retreat there) in Bodhgaya. Besides being a meditation centre, they also offer free clinic services and classes for the poor in the area. We met the spiritual coordinator - New Zelander volunteer, Bernice McCombie, who gave us a guided tour of the institute. We donated biscuits and 30 boxes of clothes, toys and medicine to them.
She just wrote to me, highlighting their situation and therefore seek our assistance to sponsor their clinic services. Please read an extract of her message below:
"I hope you don't mind my writing but some things have been happening here that have impelled me to write to people as quickly as possible. I write to ask your help in the hope that you may be able to help or may know people who might be able to help. The visitors that visited the centre last year were so generous I wanted to let them know about our need in the hope that they may be able to help us once again.
Our clinic is having a funding crisis and we have had to cut back on our inpatients, no. of doctors, mobile clinic runs and other services we were providing to local people. I've personally heard of several cases since I returned to Bodhgaya a month ago where we have had to turn away people who had no where else to turn. Basically we need funding for our basic services, doctors and other staff wages, medicines, and the expenses that go with this and if it helped I could send some information for you.
I have to tell you about what I heard a couple of days ago when I was in the clinic talking to Dr Sanjay. It made me want to run from the hospital calling "please for pity sake can somebody help us". Well there is no help to be had here so I'm making my call for help by email in the hope that it generates same sense of urgency in you when you hear it. I tell you, so you can tell people so that they understand the desperation of some of the people here.
This man had been burned some time ago and had part of his fingers on one hand are missing. His other arm was bent but it was hidden under a piece of material. I asked Dr Sajay about him and he told me this man had come in a few weeks ago. They examined him and he needed surgery because the scar tissue had caused contractures in the arm. Because of situation we're in we couldn't offer surgery to him and of course he didn't have any money and because of his injuries is unable to work. You know what that means for him and his family. In his desperation and ignorance he decided to take matters into his own hands and went home and arranged for the local barber to cut through the arm so it could straighten - no anasthetic, no sterilisation,nothing and obviously not knowing about muscles and nerves. Now his position is even worse and we are treating him for the massive infection that resulted and who knows what will be his situation now. Just writing about it makes me want to weep.
He's just one and there's more and worse caes but I can't bring myself to write about them. Something has to happen quickly so we can help these people. If we can't help them there isn't anyone else. The Government hospitals and clinics and the standard of care offered is appalling.It would be one of my worst nightmares to ever have to go to one. Just today we took in a man who's knee was shattered some days ago.
Although in much pain he'd been turned away from the clinics here because he didn't have any money. A local priest and nuns from that community brought him to us.
Even though our clinic is small, the standard of care far exceeds that offered by these other places due to the training of foreign volunteers and the quality of the staff that we have here. We've been the difference between life and death for hundreds and hundreds of people. At the moment we're seeing up to 150 people a day. Can you imagine.
Last year alone we saw 53,000 people.
I don't know if it's been in the news there but the rains haven't come here this year which means the crops are failing so to add to the normal misery seems we may be looking at famine later in the year. No social welfare system here that's for sure.
So , from my heart, I write to ask please can you take this appeal for help to your friends, companies or whoever you think might be moved to help.
Please can you see what you can do for us. Thanks so much. I know you're so busy but I would be so grateful. It's not so often in our lives we have an opportunity to so direcly impact on people's lives and wellbeing.
I hope all is well with you Angie. Perhaps we will meet again this year. All the best and thank you.
Bernice McCombie
Spiritual Programme Coordinator
Root Institute for Wisdom Culture
email: riwisdom@sancharnet.in
Ph: 631 2200714
www.rootinstitute.com
You can either contact her directly or please send your donations to Buddhist Fellowship(No 9 Lorong 29 Geylang, #04-02, Singapore 388065). If you are issuing a cheque, please issue to DOLLAR EXCHANGE PTE LTD and mail it to us to purchase a USD draft.
Thanks
Angie Monksfield
Vice President - Public Affairs
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