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COVID-19 hit India hard, causing a shortage of beds
and medical equipment in many local hospitals in
infected areas. The people in India were exposed
to high risk of contacting the virus and were facing
enormous impacts on economy, daily life and mental
well-being. Therefore, YBAM launched a fundraising
campaign to help India to fight against the pandemic
starting on 3 May 2021.

In the evening of 16th May 2021, YBAM organised
a briefing on the Donation and Disbursement to
India for COVID-19 Relief, during which the founder
of Nagarjuna Training Institute (NTI) of India Dh.
Lokamitra reported to the public on the progress of
NTI’s disaster relief efforts in India. 马佛青捐献7000盒口罩予印度菩提迦耶德噶寺。
YBAM donated 7000 boxes of mask to Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya.
Dh. Lokamitra said that since India imposed the up Buddha Covid Care Centre, NTI also provided
national lockdown in March last year, economic psychological counselling and educational materials
activities came to a halt, turning local workers and stationery kits to students who were unable to
into refugees overnight and triggering a wave of attend school.
millions of migrant workers fleeing the country.
Unemployment increased dramatically among the The fundraising campaign was originally scheduled to
oppressed communities in the area, and there end on 10 June 2021, but due to the worsening of
had been occasional incidents of police brutality the pandemic in Malaysia during this period, YBAM
against people, which in turn caused social panic. ended the campaign earlier on 24 May 2021. At the
The precautionary measures taken by the Indian end of the campaign, YBAM raised a total of RM
government also led to a complete suspension of 403,704.31.
educational institutions and many students were
unable to continue to attend school. YBAM divided the money raised into two purposes.
The first was donation to two local charitable
Due to the aforementioned reasons, NTI took on the organisations for the purpose of fighting the
task of relief work on fighting the pandemic. They pandemic, namely NTI and the Manuski Trust, which
have a strong network of alumni covering even the received RM 41,890 and RM 87,670.56, respectively.
most remote tribes across India. Many NTI alumni The second was the purchase of medical and personal
had become volunteers in fighting the pandemic and protection supplies for donation to local groups or
set up the NTI Alumni Association to be on the front monasteries, benefiting the Palpung Munishasan
lines of actively fighting the pandemic and disaster Dharma Chakra Sangh, Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya,
relief. In addition to distributing supplies and setting and Tibetan Cancer Society.

马佛青安排运送口罩到印度八蚌智慧林，供内部使用和分派给当地社区。
YBAM shipped out face masks to Palpung Munishasan Dharma Chakra Sangh in India for the purpose of internal use and distribution to the local community.