Kerstin Liebchen
Kerstin Liebchen is a founding member of the BDA. She has been Chairperson since 2016 and travels annually to Bodhgaya (except during Covid) where she has developed a rich understanding of the community and gained many cherished friendships. Kerstin has interests in teacher training, intercultural connections and in a letter writing project, which she instigated in 2007. Australian students from various schools, in and around Brisbane, have intermittently participated in writing letters to students at the PVS. The PVS students send letters in response. Social change and social justice issues prompted Kerstin to complete a Master of Development Practice (Community Development) in 2012. Her post-graduate studies have provided the theoretical knowledge that help her to understand the interconnectedness of literacy, empowerment, and community building projects. Kerstin has been a long term member of Zonta.
Kim Lewis
Kim has given his skills to the BDA since the mid 90's. A creative at heart, he has crafted posters, newsletters, fliers and all tools that help the BDA achieve its goal of creating opportunity in the Bodhgaya region. All this whilst having a busy corporate career and active family life.Kim has worked actively in supporting our local care givers as well. Having been an active committee member for six years with the Brisbane Youth Service, a not for profit organisation, providing support services for homeless youth in the Brisbane inner city. He believes caring for others enriches us all. The BDA gives this opportunity to the extended network of supporters in Australia to experience.
Suzi Robertson
Suzi is a woman of action and has a history of volunteering that spans two decards. It is always her aim to get what needs to be done, done, in the most efficient way possible. Suzi has spent many years working on various school committees and as well as being our current treasurer, she is also treasurer for the local Scout group. Outside of volunteering, Suzi is very busy as CFO for an international Universtiy.
Crissi Schmidt
India has been in Crissi’s heart since the 70s when she first travelled there on her spiritual search. She was fortunate to go to Bodhgaya in 1989 and has been part of the BDA committee since the beginning. In 2009 and 2016 she visited the PV School and other local projects, and is continually inspired by seeing the wonderful children grow and flourish in all areas with this chance of education, which is somewhat taken for granted in the West.Crissi's also has a great love of voice with music, and dance.
John Ransley
John is a philanthropist through and through. His introduction to India was many years ago via his wife who had spent 12 years running Yoga retreats throughout the country, one of which was in Monghyr. B in Bihar, near to Bodhgaya. John’s generous contributions have educated hundreds of disadvantaged children in India. He is a voice of reason and authenticity that can always be relied upon.
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Loris Neff
Loris was treasurer of the BDA from 2015-2022. She has been also a member of Zonta International for the past ten years which is a professional women’s’ organization advancing the status of women. Loris is a results-oriented manager with thirty years of business experience in both Australia and Canada. She has been responsible for all areas of management including financial, human resources and administration. Her main interest is improving the status of women and children through education and training.
Deb Winfield
Deb Winfield first experienced India on her honeymoon in an old Land Rover driven from the UK with her husband. Several years later, she lived with her three young children in Gujarat state. Deb feels her happiest in the chaos and serenity that is Mother India. She first visited Bodhgaya in 2015 and fell in love with the children of PV School and the people of the township and its surrounds. Now she sponsors the BDA through her business, The Layout Place, creating our promotional materials and advertising flyers. She also designed our fabulous must-have recipe book, “Pukkha Curry Cook Book”.
Past Committee Members
Eoin Meades
Eoin Meades is a founding member of the BDA. He was inspired by the PV school founder, Rick Peterson and started a group in Brisbane to help fund the school. Eoin started travelling to India over 30 years ago, and has since visited the country over 20 times. His relationship with Buddhism goes back even further. Eoin was an original founder of the Buddhist Chenrezig Institute at Eudlo in Queensland. He was the first joint resident with Nin Anila and Anne McNeil forming the foundation of his passion that is spirituality in all its forms. Being a traditional Chinese practitioner of 34 years, he retired in 2017. He sees the BDA as a great project and it is an ongoing pleasure for him to see it flourish.
Karen Longland
Karen has been a member of the BDA committee since 2001 after returning from her first trip to India. Her exposure to the PV school and various other projects supported by the BDA at that time, provided the impetus for Karen to volunteer in varying capacity. Experiencing the great work of the BDA Karen was pleased to accept a role on the committee. She brings to the BDA a wealth of administrative good practice and management expertice. Karen continues to be inspired with the opportunities possible through this small but effective organisation. Karen has worked tirelessly to complete our incorporation journey.
Victor von de Heyde
Victor von der Heyde was a founding member of the BDA and on the BDA management committee for 20 years. He is a secular Buddhist teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition, and he worked for years as a TAFE and university student and staff counsellor. He has had a long term interest in environmental ethics and been active in the movement to limit climate change.
What guides our activities?
Objectives1. To support education, health, literacy and life-skills programs in low caste communities in theBodhgaya region of Bihar State, India.2. To raise funds and use these funds to support only schools or other programs which have IndianGovernment approval for receiving funds from overseas through the Foreign Contribution RegulationAct. To also provide teacher training and management support for these programs when required.3. To support those programs which respect the diversity of religious views in Bodhgaya and whichencourage self-reliance.4. To ensure that over 95% of funds donated will be used by programs in Bodhgaya.5. To help adults and school students in Australia understand the culture, circumstances anddifficulties of life in Bodhgaya. To foster communication between school students in Australia andschool students in Bodhgaya. To help Australians travelling in India meet community members, staffand students of the supported programs.6. To co-operate with and offer non-financial support to donors and other aid organisations involvedin the same or similar programs in Bodhgaya.Guiding PrinciplesWhile attending to the above objectives, the Association will be guided by the following principles.1. The Association will function as a secular not-for-profit body and members will offer their servicesto the Association on a totally voluntary basis. The Association will make no payments to members fortravel expenses.2. The Association will conduct its activities with a respect for and sensitivity to the socialenvironment in Bodhgaya. The Association will also conduct its activities with a sense of care for thenatural environment.3. The Association will not discriminate on the basis of gender, race or religion.4. The Association will endeavour to develop understanding in Australia for the culture andcircumstances in Bodhgaya. It will also endeavour to develop, where possible, understanding inBodhgaya for the culture and circumstances in Australia.5. The Association will ensure that wherever possible funds raised are distributed in line with theassociation's objects.