From The Abhayaratna Trust, FutureDharma Fund / India Dhamma Trust and The Karuna Trust

In this message, we’d like to clarify how the Abhayaratna Trust, Karuna Trust and FutureDharma / IDT are working together and in collaboration with our partners in India to coordinate relief to people and projects affected by the devastating second wave of COVID in India. 

Many of you are giving to the Abhayaratna Trust, Karuna and other appeals. It is a credit to our Order and Movement that we are responding so effectively to those on the front line – we cannot thank you enough! However, the work is far from over. Our brothers and sisters in India, and the communities they serve, will need our ongoing support. 

1. The Abhayaratna Trust
The Abhayaratna Trust makes direct grants to individual Order members experiencing financial hardship.

In response to the suffering arising from the coronavirus pandemic, the Trust quickly set up an Appeal for a Coronavirus Emergency Fund.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of Order members, mitras and friends from around the world, the Appeal has raised substantial amounts of money. 

The Abhayaratna Trust is working very closely with the Indian Order Office and Indian Order Convenors to get financial support to those individuals most in need of help for food, housing bills, medicines, oxygen, hospital fees for them and their families. 

Regular updates on the COVID situation in India, and the difference the donations are making will be posted on the Abhayaratna Trust website and associated social media channels. 

If you can support the Abhayaratna Trust India Emergency COVID Appeal, please donate securely here and visit www.abhayaratnatrust.org to learn more.

2. FutureDharma Fund / India Dhamma Trust
The FutureDharma Fund in partnership with the India Dhamma Trust (and in consultation with the Indian Public Preceptors Kula) funds a number of projects and teams in India, including the Ordination Teams, the Movement Coordinator, and the Indian Youth Teams. Many of these are actively involved in coordinating the distribution of food parcels and other emergency responses to the coronavirus.

Furthermore, the Indian Ordination teams are unable to raise their own funds at this time and members of the teams are facing serious financial hardship. The men’s and women's Ordination teams in India play a vital role in our community offering spiritual training, friendship and guidance. It is vital to our movement that they are able to continue these during the crisis.

FutureDharma / India Dharma Trust (IDT) are grateful for their supporters’ continuing and vital generosity and will continue to explore ways of supporting our Dharma brothers and sisters in India. www.futuredharma.org

3. Karuna Trust / Karuna Germany
The Karuna Trust makes grants to organisations working with marginalised communities in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Our programmes focus on Education, Livelihoods and Women’s Empowerment. 

In March 2020 Karuna launched its Coronavirus Crisis Appeal to respond rapidly and effectively to the emerging needs of those affected by the virus. We work in close collaboration with our partners especially the main Triratna Trusts in India.

So far we have been able to deliver emergency relief, including 29,820 food parcels and 22,580 medical kits, to 143,000 people from marginalised communities across 6 Indian States and 3 districts of Nepal. 

We urgently need to provide additional emergency relief to unemployed migrant workers, children out of school, women at risk of violence, and people suffering directly with virus infection.

Our first priority is to support those directly impacted by the crisis. This includes:

• Distributing emergency supplies, food kits and sanitation equipment
• Communicating accurate information on preventative healthcare, (including physical distancing, use of PPE and sanitizers, and vaccinations) for vulnerable communities 
• Working closely with local Governments to ensure emergency relief and welfare support reaches the most vulnerable
• Protecting women and girls vulnerable to increased risk of violence during lockdown
• Supporting a team of 200 medical doctors working with 900 covid patients and their families in the slums of Nagpur providing food, medical kits, oxygen supporting people in hospitals, at home or at the newly established Nagaloka Care Centre.  

We are doing everything we can to meet the rapidly escalating needs in India and Nepal. We urgently need donations.

What can you do to support Karuna? 

• Support the Karuna Trust Emergency COVID Appeal – please donate securely at www.karuna.org/coronavirus-crisis
   
• Come to the event: INDIA IN CRISIS on Thursday 6th May, to find out more about how Karuna is responding, participate in a Q+A and get the latest updates of the situation. Please register here. 
  
  US PST 11:00 | US EST 14:00 | IE & UK 19:00 | Europe CET 20:00 | India 23:30 | Australia AEDT 04:00 (next day) | New Zealand 06:00 (next day)  

The Abhayaratna Trust, Karuna Trust and FutureDharma / IDT are meeting on a regular basis and are constantly reviewing the situation. 

Amrutasiddhi, Karmavajra and Aryaketu are among the senior Indian Order Members helping to coordinate on the ground getting aid to those in urgent need.

Please only contribute through our secure websites/giving platforms given above. 

From all of us, thank you for supporting all of these appeals and for standing in solidarity with our movement and everyone in need in India during this crisis. 

Mahasraddha, Director: Abhayaratna Trust. Nandavajra, Director: FutureDharma / IDT. Padmadaka, CEO: Karuna Trust.