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.
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 agreed to support and raised $5,000 to support this effort. Thank you for your help!
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.
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 beautifulhandicrafts 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 theThree TRAS Projectsvideo that includes the story of Dekyiling Handicraft Centre and Crèche.
