Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
July 13, 2023

For impoverished children, education is like a dawn and the cornerstone of changing their destiny. Only education can help them escape poverty and bring hope to their lives. In 2018, Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) established the "Village of Hope" in India, and on July 9th 2023, under the guidance of Venerable Jue Cheng, the BLIA World Headquarters Vice Secretary General (Southeast Asia), the first "Village of Hope Teacher Training" event was held, with 20 teachers from 9 villages in attendance.

Venerable Jue Cheng led the participants in singing the "Ode to the Triple Gem" and explained the importance of education in changing the destiny of impoverished children. Venerable Jue Cheng also expressed gratitude to the teachers for their dedication and care for the children.

The "Village of Hope Work Report" was hosted by Geetha Kumari, president of BLIA Chennai. The teachers from each "Village of Hope" presented their teaching content, materials, teaching conditions, children's conditions, as well as the difficulties and needs they face. After carefully listening to the reports, Venerable Jue Cheng discussed solutions with the teachers. The lack of convenient transportation in impoverished areas is a barrier for children to attend school. Venerable Jue Cheng hopes to communicate with parents, schools, and the government to assist children in accessing education smoothly.

The "Village of Hope Work Report" was hosted by Geetha Kumari, president of BLIA Chennai. photo／The Life News Agency

"The Teaching Demonstration" featured teachers from each "Village of Hope" sharing their teaching materials and showcasing their teaching methods, including drama, games, and lectures, each with its own unique characteristics.

In the "Utilization of Teaching Materials in the Village of Hope" activity, Venerable Jue Cheng led the teachers in demonstrations of meditation, Zentangle, Buddhist stories, songs, and other activities, guiding the teachers in the use of various teaching materials. The "Planning of Curriculum Content" session showed the teachers how to incorporate sports, drawing, physical education, drama, storytelling, and the Three Acts of Goodness into their curriculum, and encouraged the organization of outdoor classes, life camps, and various award-giving activities.

Venerable Jue Cheng led the teachers in demonstrations of meditation, Zentangle, Buddhist stories, songs, and other activities. photo／The Life News Agency

In order to make the operation of the "Village of Hope" more systematic, the teachers discussed the issue of uniforms and formulated teaching guidelines. In the future, monthly teacher meetings will also be held to discuss the curriculum for the following month.

The training program helped the teachers gain a better understanding of the teaching direction and become more familiar with lesson plans. They were also willing to embrace a systematic approach to teaching and operation. These teachers are dedicated to helping impoverished children, and Venerable Jue Cheng expressed that Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, once said, "Hope in India lies in education," emphasizing that only education can change the destiny of children.

Teachers presented their teaching content, materials, teaching conditions, children's conditions, as well as the difficulties and needs they face. photo／The Life News Agency