Archived Projects

Sikkim School Lunch Program

Project #312 – 2013-2016

Update December 2015 : The latest news from Lama Paljor is that the children are much healthier now that they are enjoying a nutritious lunch. For many who come from extremely poor families, this lunch is the most substantial meal of the day. The children are not falling asleep during the afternoon classes, and are better able to concentrate.  Almost all the mothers are now able to work in their fields, and work on the roads – but this work is intermittent; they may get work perhaps for a month, and then none for a couple of months. Lama Paljor feels, therefore, that he cannot ask the parents to pay for the lunch.

Lunch program 2015
He had hoped to have the greenhouse up and running this past summer, but heavy rains and landslides (caused perhaps by  the massive Himalayan earthquakes this year) have prevented the construction.  The land has been levelled, and the supplies are purchased, so we hope he is soon able to build the greenhouse and start growing vegetables.

TRAS has agreed to fund the lunch program for a further three months.

Project Overview: Sikkim is in the remote northern reaches of India, against the border with Tibet. Lama Paljor has taken up the cause of educating the children of Tibetan refugees who live in tiny villages on the Indian side of the border. The men and many women work at road building for the Indian Army – backbreaking work, done by hand.  Lama Paljor has built a hostel in the nearest little town (TRAS paid for half the third floor and the retaining wall) and now has opened a school to give a decent education to the village and local children. The children from the villages live in the hostel and are given a nourishing lunch, but the local children had to walk home for lunch. He asked if TRAS would provide a school lunch program.

Why, if they could get lunch at home, was this necessary?

Here’s the story behind the request: the lunch the mothers could provide was meagre in the extreme; the children were not getting enough nutrition to be able to concentrate; they were often late back to school because of the distances and missed part of the afternoon classes; their mothers could not work because they had to be at home to feed their children. TRAS agreed to a one-year pilot project, and with a mere $3,014 the children are better fed, the school results are better, the children are healthier and the mothers are able to do other work.  Lama Paljor has asked TRAS to provide lunches for 90 children for one more year and will continue to work on plans for a long-term solution, possibly building a greenhouse so that fresh veggies will be available year round.

Funds needed by March 2016 – $5,950

 

VOC Disaster Preparedness in Uttarakhand

Project #315 – 2013

Uttarakhand is a fragile Himalayan state and during the monsoon season prone to and slides and flash floods. The frequency of the natural disasters has been increasing in the past several years with 2013 being one of the worst in history.

Torrential rains started the second week of June and continued through all of July. Flash flooding and landslides caused serious and widespread destruction of lives and property in the state.  Many of the roads were washed out isolating mountain villages.  It is estimated that 160 villages were completely wiped out.  Evacuation efforts were difficult as it is difficult to reach this area even on foot.

DSC04063

TRAS’ partner there, Voice of Children has undertaken to provide winter clothing for 340 children in the worst affected villages.  As well, VOC will be conducting search and rescue training for local youth and holding public education sessions on disaster management.  TRAS has agreed to support this effort and needs to raise $5,000 to support this effort.  You can help by donating today to the VOC Disaster Preparedness Project.  Please DONATE NOW online or contact the TRAS office at (604)224-5133 or info@tras.ca.

Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

Sambhota Tibetan Schools Publishing Project, Dharamsala, India

Project #302 – 2020

The publication of Tibetan classical literature in a simplified format and written in the simpler Tibetan script (called umed) will help and encourage Tibetan children to improve their reading skills and learn more about their Buddhist culture. It will have an impact on preserving the Tibetan language and its rich literary heritage, and the books will be available to Tibetan children worldwide.

All Tibetan children in India follow the Indian curriculum and sit the Indian state examinations. The Tibetan schools in India are able to teach in Tibetan up to Grade 5, but after that, the children are taught in English and Hindi.

TRAS-funded books in umed script at the library at the Dekyiling Sambhota School

The Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society was established by the Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in India in 1999 to look after a group of Tibetan schools in India and Bhutan. In India, the schools were set up independently from the Indian government school system in order to be able to teach Tibetan children in the Tibetan language throughout their school years, and to teach in depth the history and culture of Tibet. These schools also teach modern subjects, English and Hindi, and the children sit the state examinations. But the independence of these schools gives them the freedom to teach more Tibetan subjects.

Tibetan script comes in two forms, a simple script called umed, which children learn first, and then the more complicated script called uchen. Unfortunately, few children’s books are published in umed.

The Sambhota Schools Society wants to rectify this and publish in umed a series of 20 stories of classical Tibetan literature based on the Tokjyoe Paksam Trishin. These stories have been chosen by a panel of teachers and parents. The simplified umed version will familiarize children with the Tibetan classical literature during their primary school years in order to pave the way for higher learning in Tibetan at the secondary and college levels.

One thousand copies of each story will be printed and distributed to all the Tibetan schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan.  Tibetan children worldwide will be able to access the stories online as a free service.

TRAS-funded books in umed script at the library at the Chauntra Sambhota School

TRAS has agreed to publish as many of the series as possible by matching dollar for dollar on member donations. The printing of 1000 copies of one book in the series costs $730. A bequest to TRAS from a long-time donor has paid for five of the books, a TRAS member has paid for the sixth book in honour of her father and another member has honoured her children by paying for a book. We are grateful for their support.

December 2012: TRAS is happy to announce that the 20 books have now been published and distributed to all the Tibetan schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan.  Teachers and students alike are enjoying them. They will serve a very useful purpose. The Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society is working on creating an online version so that children in the Tibetan diaspora worldwide may also benefit.

 

Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre Crèche

Project #284 – 2009-2016

While their parents work, babies, toddlers and young children are well cared for in the Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre Crèche, fully funded by TRAS.

History of the Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement

The Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement was created in 1980 for the Tibetan refugees from Bhutan. The Government of India and the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) of the Dalai Lama’s Government-in-Exile together set up a small settlement outside Dehra Dun, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The CTRC purchased 33 acres of land, and within days, the typical tent city of a refugee camp started changing into a permanent little town. One of the objectives from the start was to preserve the traditional Tibetan art of weaving their vibrant carpets and sturdy fabrics.
Dekyiling 1980s

Handicraft Centre

A workshop was built, paid for by TRAS, where skilled artisans could work and train newly arrived refugees. Today TRAS sells beautiful handicrafts made at Dekyiling. These can be purchased at our office or at one of our events. 

Weavers at the handicraft centre

Crèche

At the same time, a crèche (or day care centre) was built for the babies and toddlers of the young women in training. Today, their weaving and tailoring continue to be the main source of income in the community. The crèche allows the women to work full-time, while two ayas (care-givers) provide the toddlers with an early education, loving care, and good nutrition. Kindergarten children come to the crèche after school.  Boiled milk, fruit and vitamin supplements give these children the extras needed for good health.
Crèche children with their two ayas

At present there are 30 children in the crèche: babies, toddlers and kindergarten-aged children. Although the weavers are paid for what they produce, their incomes are not sufficient to pay for costs of the crèche. Very few of these young parents from Bhutan and Tibet have older family members to care for their children, so TRAS has stepped in to help.

Supporting the crèche gives a good start to the children, training and self-respect to their mothers, and an income for their families.

Watch the Three TRAS Projects video that includes the story of Dekyiling Handicraft Centre and Crèche.