The latest news from India regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating, and we have been very concerned about our partners there. After going well beyond their normal work to help the villagers and migrant workers during the first wave, the staff of the Voice of Children project are suffering themselves, but are fortunately on the mend. The situation is grim, though.
The Central Tibetan Administration CTA in Dharamsala made good plans from the beginning and was well prepared to face the first wave. This time there is no escaping the virus, though they are taking the best precautions they can. Our hearts go out to them all.
Here is a link to a message from Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the Sikyong (Prime Minister of the Tibetan government in exile), followed by an update on how the COVID virus is affecting some of our partners in India – the Tibetan Women’s Centre, the Chauntra Tibetan Settlement, Munsel-ling School and the Voice of Children
For more information on the Men- Tsee- Khang Medical and Astro-Science Institute visit their website at https://www.men-tsee-khang.org/index2.htm and an interesting YouTube video on the Sorig Immune Boosters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO3FIJefpLQ
Tibetan Women’s Centre in Rajpur
Dear TRAS
Regarding the second wave of COVID 19 in India. The double mutant virus is spreading at a fast pace in Dehradun, which has the highest number of affected cases among the Tibetan Communities in India. At present the Tibetan Women’s Centre has 14 positive cases and 27 test results are yet to be received. Meanwhile our centre is closed from 29 April 2021 to an uncertain date. Our main office is running smoothly in spite of all the challenges of the second wave.
I am really sorry to share that Tashi, our Sponsorship Secretary and her entire family is infected with COVID19 and are isolated at home. Our centre is doing its best to break the chain of positive tests by isolating the patients in our main hall and/or at their own homes (if they have their own toilet facilities). All are under the observation of nurses.
Our office facilitates meals for the full14 days and the Men-Tsee-Khang facilitates free Sorig Immune boosters. At the same time the Dehradun Dekyiling Tibetan Hospital, under the CTA Department of Health, is accommodating all serious patients, to a maximum of 18. These are patients for whom oxygen is mandatory under a doctor’s observation and the Settlement office is arranging the supply.
We pray for the families who have lost their dear ones and for the quick recovery from COVID 19 cases all over the world. I on the behalf of TWC would like to thank you for working so hard in this challenging phase. Please stay safe and wish you all good health.
Best regards,
Tsering Dolker (Mrs.)
General Manager
རཱཇ་སྤུར་བོད་ཀྱི་བེུད་མཉམ་ལས་བཟོ་གྲྭ།
Tibetan Women’s Centre
225 Rajpur Road, P.O. Rajpur-248 009
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, INDIA
http://tibetanwomenscentre.org/
Greetings from the Voice of Children
We are passing through very difficult times in our life. We have never seen a pandemic like this and it is affecting our everyday lives. It is very sad, frustrating, and devastating to hear one or another bad news every day.
Myself and my colleagues have all recovered from COVID after one long fight.
Kanchan and her family, in Nainital are also recovering fast, thanks to all our well-wishers.
I hope that all of you and your loved ones are safe in these distressing times.
With Regards
Raghu Tewari (Almora, India)
Note: Raghu and Kanchan were the key speakers at our Zoom event on April 7, 2021
Chauntra Tibetan Settlement
Dear TRAS
I have been very busy these days, working from home. My staff are all on leave and in quarantine and I am the only one in the office. The situation is becoming worse, with two or three new positive cases daily, creating extra work in providing medicine and quarantine supplies. To date we have more than 50 Tibetans testing positive in Chauntra and Bir
Good day! Take Care
Regards
Pema
Settlement Officer
Munsel-ling School update from Lama Tashi
I hope you are all well. We are doing fine while the 2nd stage of the pandemic shocks the world. In India the virus is spreading daily, especially in Delhi.
In Spiti, Himachal Pradesh State, we are in lockdown until May 16, 2021. The schools are not allowed to open yet and we are not sure when the government will allow them to open again. Here at Munsel-ling we have all the material, books and uniforms ready for when the school is allowed to open.
I hope and pray that the virus will dispel in the world soon,
Wishing you all to be safe and healthy
Regards
Lama Tashi