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.
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.
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.
TRAS has embarked on an exciting initiative. The TRAS Scholarship Fund [TSF] is now in its third year of its pilot program.
Our partners overseas had expressed a need to provide post-secondary education, especially for girls in remote isolated villages in the Himalayas. In response to this request, TRAS initiated a pilot program with our longstanding partner, Rinchen Zangpo Society for Spiti Development which operates Munsel-ling School in the Spiti Valley, India. Each year two worthy students have been selected to have their university studies supported by TRAS. Each student receives $1000CN per year for 3 years.
Tsering Dolker
Currently, we have two female students completing their B.A. degree and four students enrolled in a B.Sc. program. These six girls are bright, determined students from poor rural homes with no hope of continuing their education without TRAS support. Not only are they role models for other students in their isolated villages but they wish to return as educators themselves to Spiti.
Tashi Angmo
To quote Tashi Angmo, the most recent candidate selected, ”To be a good teacher and serve my younger brothers and sisters of Spiti Valley would be my life’s greatest achievement.”
Due to the success of the pilot project we have invited 2 trusted TRAS partners from other regions of India to submit applications to the TSF.
The Dekyiling Handicraft Centre is a Tibetan community in Dehradun, India, long supported by TRAS through projects and sponsorship. In response to the TSF opportunity Kesang Wangdu replied, ”I am extremely grateful to TRAS for supporting children for post-secondary education. Earlier we have had children needing sponsorship but we failed to get new sponsors after class X. I therefore have no words to thank TRAS for supporting this genuine problem faced by many students after class XII.”
The Voice of Children project, run by two Indian NGOs in Nainital and Almora, will also be selecting two students. Raghu, the co-ordinator, writes: “Especially for girls it will be great opportunity to become independent because after 12th standard generally their parents do not allow them to continue their studies and they go to their marriage ceremony. Generally their husbands work in very low paid work and poor working conditions in Metro cities of India and after marriage the girls face more challenges in their life. This Fund can change their life.”
A very generous TRAS donor has offered to match Scholarship fund donations up to $10,000. Therefore, $500 will be doubled to fund a deserving student for one year [$1000] of university education. Please donate today!!
Give the gift of education to bright girls like Tashi Angmo and help them to lift their communities out of poverty.
Raj, the chairman of READI, has sent a wonderful report. The young man, Mr. Shiva, who went to Kathmandu for training, learnt well (thanks to the helpful manager of the Himalayan Java Coffee shop) how to make a variety of drinks and to bake many delicious breads and treats. He then bought, with their advice, a coffee machine, a bread making machine, glasses, cups and saucers, 3 tables and 12 chairs, a carpet – and set off back to Simikot.
The lovely sign was carved in Kathmandu and represents the old and the new (English words in traditional Tibetan script) and the local culture of yak travel (the yak is trotting along holding a steaming cup of coffee on its back!). A grand opening was held on April 14, with 200 invited guests (government officials, teachers, tour operators) who were asked for their honest opinion.
It was all going so well – then the earthquake struck on April 25 and although it was distant, people were fearful to go inside buildings. So the food and drink went out to the people, with Mr. Shiva supplying coffee and food to office staff.
He is also baking breads for the children’s tiffin (lunch) and they are loving the taste of their local grains used in new ways. He is getting requests for Tibetan momos and other local favourites – so it seems like a success! Time will tell, but we applaud READI for an innovative way to raise funds for the children’s hostel and education.
