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A year ago I’d never heard of the Spiti Valley in northern India.   For the similarly uninitiated, it is wedged between two major tourist regions: the Garhwal Himalaya to the south and the Ladakh ranges to the north.  Despite being so close to these areas however, Spiti is a really difficult place to get to.  There is no airport and only one unsealed road in and out.  Snow closes the road from November to May and it is challenging and at times impassable the rest of the year.  The trip from Keylong to Kaza, the main town in the Spiti valley, is only 160 km, but it took us a full 12 hours on the worst road I have ever been on.  Not surprising then that Spiti has remained remote and isolated from the modern world for so long.

We knew of the Munsel-Ling school from a friend who sponsors a student there. Battling extremely limited internet connectivity in Kaza, I found the school’s page on Facebook and was able to get a message out about a possible visit.  Lama Tashi replied right away and let us know we were welcome the next day.

We arrived at Munsel-Ling school not knowing quite what to expect.  There is a small building for “Admin”, and there we found Lama Tashi and his team waiting for us, extremely welcoming and brimming with enthusiasm.  His English is excellent and he has a modest, humble presence that belies his stature in the Buddhist community.  It was immediately clear that we were going to be treated as honoured guests, with tea and refreshments, a full lunch and student performances.  It was amazing.

We started with a tour of the main campus, which is much larger than I expected.  The classrooms are small, with about 25 students per class.  Teachers are local Spitians as well as some Indians from outside.  Everyone speaks English and the quality of education is evident.  In fact several graduates from Munsel-Ling have gone on to university in India and, significantly, some have returned to Spiti as doctors and other professionals to serve their community.  It is inspirational and it highlights the impact of this remarkable school on Spiti.

Most students at Munsel-Ling live at the school for much of the year, and we visited a number of their boarding houses and rooms.  Accomodation is basic, dorm style, with outside toilets.  Each student has a small trunk or suitcase for their clothes and  personal possessions, all stacked in a storage area outside each dorm. Winter heat is provided by wood stoves, and we saw lots of wood around the campus being prepared and stored for the coming cold.

The kitchens and dining rooms were also interesting.  Feeding so many students is a major undertaking and there are huge pots for cooking, a massive rice cooker, and lots of food and fresh fruit.  All cooking is done on propane and kerosene, but there is a wood-fire backup system as well. The diet appears to be as nutritious as possible.

There is a special area on campus for the very young children (4 -6 years old) with play areas, small classrooms, full-time staff and separate dining rooms.  The teachers we saw were incredibly hands-on and caring, doing everything they could to help the little ones get through the day without parents.  It was both heartening and heartbreaking to witness the lengths to which some families will go to ensure the best possible futures for their children.

The library and computer rooms are a central part of the school.  The library / learning centre in particular is lovely, with many books, local art, and comfortable chairs.  It relies on donations and we were told that new books, especially classroom sets, are always welcome.

We visited the medical center next where concrete efforts to improve  student health, student nutrition, and dental hygiene were evident.  This is facilitated in part through an ongoing collaboration with the University of British Columbia Global Health Initiative.  They keep detailed student health records, and an analysis of the school’s meal program was underway to determine if any changes needed to be made.  We were impressed.

There is much evidence of foreign aid at Munsel-Ling.  The new TRAS-funded laundry facility, although basic, is clean and efficient and great for students to learn self-sufficiency.  Likewise, a new dual-season toilet block is almost completed, with flush toilets for the summer and pit toilets for the winter.  Huge new cisterns are part of this project as well, benefiting the whole campus.  There is also a large diesel generator for dealing with power outages, water filtration systems, and a computer network.  Lama Tashi is full of plans and ambitions for future projects as well as being committed to completing the ones that are in progress.  New schools, hostels and other programs are already underway in other parts of Spiti.

We left Munsel-Ling with great enthusiasm for Lama Tashi and his organisation and amazement at his ability to leverage the resources and goodwill around him.  He has had a profound impact on Spiti and we can only assume there is much to come.

(2018/10/28)

The Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement was founded by the government of India and the Tibetan government in exile to provide homes for Tibetan refugees from Bhutan.  In 1980, the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) purchased 33 acres of land on the outskirts of Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Soon thereafter, a tent city sponsored by the Swedish Organisation for Individual Relief (SOIR-IM) appeared. These newcomers began to settle in, and build their new homes.

With a new home, came the need to build a new livelihood. In 1984, the Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Cum Training and Charitable Society began employing and training carpet weavers. TRAS paid for training facilities and several weaving and tailoring trainings over the ensuing years. In the 1990s, they began producing more handwoven cloths and Tibetan aprons. Through this society, many Tibetans have been able to preserve their culture and traditional weaving techniques, all while earning enough money to support themselves and their families.

TRAS’ involvement with the Dekyiling Tibetan Settlement includes the purchasing and reselling of Tibetan crafts here in Canada. We aim to support the hardworking families, as well as offer our members the opportunity to own one of these magnificent creations!

TRAS also took over supporting the Handicraft Creche from 2004, after the local government ceased its funding. This day care centre was built for the women working in the centre. This allowed them to work full-time while two ayas (care-givers) provided education, attention, nutrition, and love to their children. This service was especially appreciated by those without older relatives who could help with childcare. With far fewer new arrivals from Tibet, there are no young women with toddlers coming to learn how to weave, so TRAS’ support for the creche is currently not needed.

In addition to the above contributions, Dekyiling is a partner with the TRAS Scholarship Fund, as well as the child sponsorship program. These are ongoing projects that are funded yearly, and have yielded great results! We are grateful to the Dekyiling settlement for helping us assist these children and bright pupils. We look forward to what the next years will bring!

Dear TRAS members, 

What a boost for the Humla Delights Café in Simikot, the little capital of Humla District in Nepal! This article appeared in the main daily national newspaper in Kathmandu.  All profits from the goodies sold at the café go to the READI Nepal hostel for the TRAS education project there.

A year has gone by since the devastating earthquakes in Nepal – and Nepal’s people have shown their incredible resilience and determination.

True, there are reports of promised aid not getting through, and a lack of comprehensive planning – but the PEOPLE have just pulled together and made the best of it. TRAS members who have visited recently talk of cheerful, smiling people going about their daily lives -it’s almost as though the disaster has drawn them closer to support each other and do what they can themselves to make life bearable.

These photos, from the Times of India, show that many buildings have not been rebuilt, but they have cleared away the rubble,  tidied up, repaved damaged streets and it’s almost business as usual!

The world has suffered new calamities recently and  many people have moved on to help in other places – but those of us who love the beauty of Nepal and its people know that much still needs to be done to bring lasting improvements. Several aid agencies and charities are still working hard to support the local efforts, TRAS among them.  Strong, sanitary toilets are being rebuilt in the Dolakha villages with the funds TRAS members have sent.