Planting Seeds of Transformation: Tzu Chi’s Presence in India
Bringing Health Care to Their Doorstep
Written by Ida Eva Zielinska
Published #77 | Summer 2025 Issue
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In 2023, Tzu Chi launched medical outreach in Gaya District. In July, with the permission of Village Chief Dinesh Kumar, volunteers brought the program to Jagdishpur. The multi-day effort began with poverty assessments and evolved into comprehensive check-ups aimed at establishing health records for over 200 households. The outreach also extended to local schools, where screenings revealed common issues such as high blood pressure among middle-aged staff, likely due to lifestyle factors.
Recognizing the importance of sustainability, the team trained local residents, referred to as Seed Volunteers, to measure blood pressure, height, and weight, and to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Retired Singaporean nurse and Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) member Chinyen Lin led these sessions, emphasizing hands-on learning and peer-to-peer instruction.
At 71, Lin exemplified unwavering commitment to the mission. “Age is not an issue; it’s all about the mindset,” she said. “Instead of watching TV sitting at home, I prefer to be out here, giving back with my expertise.”
When the program reached Rahul Nagar – home to around 300 households and the ninth village to receive these services – the assessment process was well established. Volunteers continued conducting door-to-door health checks. “I prefer to go house-to-house because it allows me to get a better understanding of their living conditions and family situations,” explained Lin, who had been involved in the mission for a year by then.
When abnormalities were detected during assessments, villagers were given medical referral forms for treatment at a community health center in Bodh Gaya. Additionally, if a resident’s BMI fell below 16, the team provided beans or milk to help improve their nutrition.
By 2024, in addition to door-to-door outreach, Tzu Chi volunteers and TIMA doctors had begun organizing open-air clinics in villages across Gaya District, offering free medical consultations and basic health services in a more centralized setting.
In October 2024, the medical team holds the first free clinic in Jagdishpur, drawing over 2,600 villagers from the community and nearby Rahul Nagar. Photos/Juifen Huang
Encouraging a Healthy Lifestyle
Beginning in 2023, Tzu Chi volunteers launched health education campaigns in villages across Gaya District. The initiative emerged from findings during medical outreach, which revealed three prevalent health challenges: alcoholism, betel nut chewing, and low BMI. While charity food distributions could help address malnutrition, the other two issues required a different approach.
In June of that year, a Tzu Chi team arrived in Bakraur, a village near Bodh Gaya, to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol and betel nut consumption. For the marginalized Dalit community living here, confined to low-paying manual labor due to their status in the caste system and often struggling to survive, alcohol was a common escape, while betel nut chewing helped them stay alert through long work hours. Both habits jeopardized their health.
At the lively outdoor event attended by over 100 adults and children, the village chief gave a speech urging residents to abandon alcohol, warning of the vicious cycle it creates within families. He encouraged them instead to invest that money in their children’s education, offering a brighter path forward.
The principal of Bakraur’s Senari Samaj Seva Ball Jagrup School also spoke with conviction. “I have been telling you for many years, ‘Don’t drink, don’t drink, don’t drink,’ but none of you paid attention,” he said. “Now, people from other countries and distant places have come to tell you not to drink. This means that not drinking is not just my opinion, but a view shared by people all over the world.”
In October 2024, as a complement to health seminars, Tzu Chi launched its Tea Instead of Alcohol campaign in Bihar’s Gaya District. Volunteers distributed masala tea, a local favorite, while educating residents about the dangers of alcohol.
In Silaunja, the impact of Tzu Chi’s health education efforts became evident through Surendra Manjhi’s story. After attending a health talk on July 16, 2023, Manjhi was inspired to quit drinking, becoming the first in his village to do so. His decision led to significant improvements in his health, financial stability, and family life. Deeply moved by the support he received, Manjhi eventually became a Tzu Chi volunteer himself, encouraging others to give up alcohol and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
By the end of 2024, thanks to the Tea Instead of Alcohol campaign, 105 villagers across Gaya District had overcome alcoholism. To achieve this, Chinyen Lin, who led the initiative, relied on creativity and empathy, tailoring her counseling to each family’s circumstances. In some situations, she emphasized health; in others, she focused on children’s education, family responsibilities, or the financial toll of drinking.
Lin also made monthly visits to follow up on each case, offering continued encouragement – and tea. Reflecting on the journey, the retired nurse told Master Cheng Yen, “It has all been worth it!” Indeed, the compassion and persistence of the entire team helped many in Gaya District embrace a more wholesome way of life.
Paying Attention to Individual Cases
Throughout Tzu Chi’s medical outreach in Bihar, the team aimed to ensure that those facing serious medical challenges received personalized and comprehensive support. As seen in the case of Sandeep Kumar in 2022 – the young boy with a severely distended abdomen caused by a urological condition – Tzu Chi’s aid often begins with attentive observation and evolves into life-changing interventions. That same spirit of compassion continued to guide volunteers in 2023 and 2024 as they responded to others in need of timely and focused health care.
One such case was that of two-and-a-half-year-old Raushani Kumari from Bakraur. At the age of one, she suffered severe burns after falling into a fire, resulting in significant scarring on her face and right hand. Her family, unable to afford the necessary medical treatment, had little hope for her recovery.
This changed when Tzu Chi Malaysia volunteer Lomei Hua encountered Kumari during a visit in May 2023. Moved by her condition, Hua took immediate action, arranging consultations with plastic surgeons and appealing to Tzu Chi Headquarters in Taiwan for financial assistance. Thanks to these efforts, Kumari underwent successful reconstructive surgery, with plans for additional procedures to restore function to her right hand.
In another instance, 65-year-old Ramvriksh Manjhi from Silaunja faced a dire situation after fracturing his hip in January 2025. Lacking the means for proper medical care, he endured significant pain, relying only on over-the-counter painkillers for relief. Upon learning of his condition, Tzu Chi volunteers promptly visited him, discussed treatment options with his family, and facilitated medical consultations. With the collective effort of volunteers and his family, Manjhi underwent successful hip replacement surgery in February 2025.
