About Sudip Chakma
Sudip Chakma was born on 15/11/1977 at Nunsury Village. . His parents was migrated to another village, Tuichawng, due to the transfer of his father as a Government Primary School Teacher in 1986.
Education up to grade 7, then went to Shillong for further studies, but couldn't continue study due to financial problem.
Afterwards, he came back from Shillong in 1994 and served as a Volunteer Teacher in Government Primary School at Diblibagh, where his father was serving as a Headmaster.
In 1997, his father was unable to serve as Headmaster due to his old age, so he decided to apply for the job of Primary School Teacher in place of his father on COMPASSIONATE GROUND.
Fortunately, he was appointed as Primary School Teacher in Government Primary School in Diblibagh.
He has been a social and religious minded person since childhood, and he was always involved in activities of going to the Temple, helping others, spending time with the older generations, listening to the many different
stories from them, which is all his passion and interests.
As he socialized he has seen that his people were behind the years in Education and modern life. He knew with his education and teaching skills, he may be able to help them. Many young and older individuals have a strong desire to learn but have no
resources to learn from. In 1996, he joined and help register an organization with the name 'THE ULTIMATE TRUTH PREACHING MISSION'. He joined as primary member only.
After he joined this organization, he saw that no one was working with the outside world to develop the organization, for the members had no such idea how to start it, promote it, nor knew how to raise funds, nor know or had access to internet, nor how to use the internet for such purposes. Finally in 1997, an internet provider came and set up a small internet system in the village. At that time, there were no cell phone companies and people in the village were still learning about telephones. Internet and cell phone is still new here to those days.
Though there's government school, but there's no school to get education for Buddhism Education.
His dream was to establish a Buddhist Mission School to give Dhamma Teaching to the Chakma Buddhist children, for there is so much to teach them about they're ancestors and traditions.
So, he decided to buy a small Nokia phone, and began to utilize the internet and reach out to people.
After working for 3 years day and night with a small phone, he had gained the oppurtunity to get to know and meet so many wonderful people.
He reached out to Mr. Sachi G. Dastidar, a distinguished Professor, State University of New York and President of Probini Foundation, New York, USA. Mr Sudip shared with him the issues and problems effecting the Chakma people of Mizoram. He agreed to help and visited our village in 2012, he saw the lack of a school, and granted us funding to construct a Primary School.
Later in the year, Mr Sudip went to attend a conference in 2012 Kolkata, India, organized by Probini Foundation, where he met a good friend. Mr. Arindam Bannerji, he introduced him to a generous friend, Mr. Arun Kanti Bannerji, a retired
mechanical engineer and Professor in New York, USA. Mr. Arun Kanti Bannerji agreed to sponsor the school monthly of INR 15,000 [$214 USD] and is still helping till today.
Mr Sudip Chakma also got an oppportunity to meet Mr. Mahendra Sagar, President of India Charitable Foundation, Massachusetts, USA., visit us in 2013. He helped us financially to keep building the school.
Mr Chakma wrote to Mahabodhi Society,Bangalore, India, for financial support for construction of the school building. After 3 years they have finally helped us with INR 24 lacks to help the school project.
After getting financial help from the India Charitable Foundation and The Probini Foundation, Mr Sudip along with Mr. Rajesh Kumar Chakma, president of the Ultimate Truth Preaching decided to build Ahimsa School behind the Shanti Niketan Buddhist Temple and accordingly it has been built.
As the building was started in 2011 and the new school was finally established in 2016 as MAHABODHI RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL with the help of Venerable Ananda Bhante of Mahabodhi Society, Bangalore, India. We offer classes to children grades 1-10. Today, the school is up and running.
Mr Sudip felt the children will need to learn English in order to communicate with other children across the world on the internet so he has created a Volunteer profile on the internet, many great people from USA, France, Belgium and others in European countries have volunteered personally by visiting the school and giving English lessons and teaching other skills to our children.
Luckily, two volunteers from USA, Ms. Dana Lee and Mr. Anthony Hugh, came to volunteer at our school. After seeing the problems the children face, they have decided to form a US based Organization to help the Mahabodhi Residential School. They have named their nonprofit 'The Seeds of Love Worldwide'. Ms Dana aside helping others poor Asian children on her own, was inspired and touched by what I was trying to achieve for the children of my village. As much as we need funds, I told her it would be difficult for her to help us after her own charity work, and suggested she form an organization as I did. She agreed and formed an organization and are also sponsoring our children.
Besides all the above efforts to build a school for poor children, through the same methods Mr Sudip have also helped build the Shanti Niketan Buddhist Temple.
He helped building the Mahabodhi Buddhist Temple at Tuichawng with the helped of Mr. Clifford Carter of USA and has visited us in 2017. This Buddhist Temple was built to provide Buddhist Teachings and Meditation to over 165 students and 65 different Buddhist families living in the Village.
Today, he is seeking financial help in building a housing area for over 100 ordained Buddhist monks and novices at the Temple. Mr Sudip Chakma is 43 years old, and he will continue to serve his community until his last days on Earth.
Above all, He is happy with his accomplishments and he is grateful to all.
Without the support and encouragement of generous people, it would not have been possible to achieve his goals.
