APSAA 亞太永續行動獎(Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards )-Sustainability Action Award SDG6:Bronze
Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
Silaunja Great Love Village: A Hopeful Home for Sustainable Coexistence
Silaunja Great Love Village, near Bodh Gaya in Bihar, India—the sacred site where the Buddha practiced before enlightenment—is home to a Dalit (the most disadvantaged group in India’s caste system) farming community. In 2021, about 90% of rural households in India still practiced open defecation, making villages like Silaunja vulnerable to water contamination and disease during monsoons.
In 2023, the Tzu Chi Foundation, guided by its humanitarian mission to give back to the Buddha’s homeland, launched a cross-border initiative in collaboration with local residents, builders, and government agencies. The project supports housing reconstruction, sanitation improvement, education, and women’s empowerment. A total of 36 safe Great Love Houses have been built as demonstration units, with plans for further expansion. Over 50 health education and vocational training sessions have been conducted, with expected participation exceeding 60,000.
Villagers have become builders and self-helper, shaping a culturally appropriate and sustainable community. The project demonstrates co-creation and replicable impact, offering a model that lifts rural communities from suffering to dignity.