I came across Karuna many years ago when I started going to classes in the Cambridge Buddhist Centre. As a Buddhist charity, I felt it put into practice the values that I was trying to cultivate, such as compassion and integrity, while also trying to be wise and effective. Even though I cannot call myself …
Karuna’s Guide to the Essential Buddhist Principles with top tips!
Buddhism can be a complex and daunting faith to navigate, with countless teachings and principles to explore. As a charity rooted in Buddhist principles, Karuna is here to provide a clear and concise guide to the core values of Buddhism. At the heart of Buddhism lies the four noble truths, discovered by the Buddha after …
Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in India
In India, over 26.8 million people experience some form of disability. Of those, 7.8 million are children. The link between poverty and disability The communities we serve are largely in poverty-affected areas. Poverty is not only linked to higher levels of disability in general, but presents financial barriers, limits education opportunities and decreases accessible travel …
“We fear going hungry more than we fear the virus. How can we survive without money?” – Shamina’s Story
The COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent school closures has meant millions of girls living in India and Nepal, like Shamina (pictured above), are blocked from receiving the education they fought so hard to access, putting them at risk of child marriage, trafficking and abuse. Despite huge progress in gender equality and education, the historic challenges …
Her Education is Life-Saving – Donations still being matched!
Thank you for the already overwhelming response to our Christmas Appeal: Her Education is Life-Saving. This appeal is extra special because anything you give can be doubled. Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved so far. Donations are still being matched, so we’ve taken to the phones – if you’re a regular supporter, you might still …
£500,000 REACHED!
I am delighted to announce that, thanks to all our supporters, we have beaten our Coronavirus Crisis Appeal target of £500,000! Thank you to everyone who got involved. To see the very real impact donations have already had, please watch the short video below: These are just a few of the thousands of people we’ve already reached with emergency supplies and …
Coronavirus Crisis Appeal Update
In March, we asked for help to provide emergency relief to those on the front line of the crisis in India and Nepal, in the form of food, sanitation equipment, masks and more. The response was amazing – £200,000 was donated and, over the past two months, my team and I have been doing everything we …
DFID merger with FCO
At Karuna, we share the concern expressed by many in the Overseas Aid community about yesterday’s announcement of the planned merger of DFID with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Since DFID was founded in May 1997, it has supported many wonderful projects which address the needs of people from marginalised communities in different parts of …
Coronavirus Crisis Appeal
As coronavirus cases continue to rise and restrictions to slow its spread are being put in place, we are launching our biggest ever appeal – and we are asking for your help. On 11th March 2020, The World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The impact of this global outbreak will have a catastrophic effect …
ITBCI school update – Education in the foothills of the Himalayas
– Akashamitra, Karuna Programme Manager I’ve just come back from visiting projects in India, and the last visit I made was to Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute (ITBCI school) in Kalimpong, India. While I was there I spent time with the head teacher and with many students and staff. Having worked with the school for the …