Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

AMDA has been offering free meals to people in Bodhgaya, India, where it runs AMDA Peace Clinic (APC).
 
The program, titled “AMDA Blue-Sky Canteen,” was launched in January 2023 to serve local communities by providing: 1) drinks for heatstroke prevention during a hotter season, and 2) lunches during a cooler season.
 
Approximately 100 people use this weekly service, which has proven to be very popular among residents of the locality and its neighboring areas.
 
Instead of rice that usually accompanies a set meal, once every month, the service offers puri, a type of deep-fried bread which is commonly served during weddings and other special occasions in Bodhgaya. In fact, more people come to appreciate the generous offering that day.
 
The meal distribution was held 16 times during four months between December 2024 and March 2025, providing 1,325 meals in total.
 
Regarding this year’s climate, it became cold and foggy in early January. After it warmed up later that month, in February, the temperatures surged to the point where wearing half-sleeves was just about right to spend the daytime hours.
 
Fewer people showed up for the meal distribution during February and March, presumably because these months coincided with students’ exam season.
 
During the meal distribution, the scene that stood out was where a little girl was feeding her baby brother and sister with her share of the meal. It was a sight rarely seen in Japan nowadays.
 

 
Because households in India often consist of large families, it is not unusual for even small children to take care of their younger siblings. They also help their parents with house chores daily.
 
After savoring their food with smiles, they thanked AMDA for the delicious meals they received.
 
AMDA will continue the meal distribution for now.