CTA Nurses Vocational Training Project

Project #293 – on-going project

From the time His Holiness the Dalai Lama first met with TRAS members in 1979 and spoke to them about the importance of health as well as education, TRAS has been involved in many health-related projects.  From 1988 to 1998 TRAS supported community health workers training at Delek Hospital in Dharamsala, helping to staff a small clinic in each of the Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan.  As the standard of education for Tibetan children in India improved, the Tibetans realised the importance of upgrading the health services by training registered nurses to staff the clinics, some of which were enlarged into small hospitals. The Tibetan community in India, Nepal and Bhutan currently has 7 hospitals, 4 primary health centres and 43 small clinics, run by the Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which is situated in Dharamsala.

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Under the auspices of the Department of Education (CTA), scholarships are given annually to Tibetan students to pursue a variety of careers.

TRAS has provided the scholarships for nursing students since 1995, helping many young women fulfil their ambition to succeed at a useful career and, at the same time, achieve independence for themselves with the ability to help support their own families.

The CTA is able to enrol qualifying students in excellent teaching hospitals in India, and the majority of the graduates immediately find employment, either in the small clinics and hospitals of the Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan or in Indian hospitals.

2014 Pema - nurseTRAS considers this a worthwhile project to continue, and has just approved a further three years of support. For 2019, TRAS will be supporting eight students, each taking a three-year general nursing course. Funds needed for 2019: $6,949.

Of the last 13 students, 9 are working in Tibetan or Indian hospitals, one just completed her BSc Nursing and is looking for work, one is going on to do her BSc Nursing, one has moved to the US, and one married and moved to Ladakh.

Recent graduates have written to TRAS:

“Hope you are in good health. I am always thankful to you for supporting me so far till here to achieve what I have dreamed for. With your support, I have completed my degree course and because of you, now, I am a confident lady to serve as a professional nurse.

 I graduated my college in Jan 2014 from Dr. M.V. Shetty college of Nursing, Mangalore. And currently, I am serving as a Surgical ICU staff nurse in Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dehradun. And, it’s been half a year now. I am having a good time with my profession and I love what I am doing now.

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This is the recent news from my side: In our hospital, there held poster competition for Nurses Day. I participated on behalf of my department and secured 1st position and the poster I have prepared I am here presenting to you.

With this, I extremely want to thank you for gifting me my profession! You will be always in my heart and prayers.

With thanks and regards,

Namgyal Dolma ”

Dolkar Tsering

“A very warm Tashi Delek! My name is Dolkar Tsering and I am a former scholarship awardee from TRAS. I studied nursing in Mangalore, India. And I am very glad that I have completed my nursing course with less difficulty which was only possible with your kind help. I completed my study in month of October and presently I am working as a staff nurse in Neuro Operation Theatre in Max hospital, Dheradun India.

At last, I would like to thank you all for your help and making me succeed in myself. Thank you once again. 

Yours sincerely

Dolkar Tsering”

 

 

 

 

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.

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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!

 

 

 

Flooding and Landslides in Uttarakhand

The flash flooding in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand is devastating the region with deadly landslides. Our partner NGO, AMAN, from Voice of Children, is mobilizing relief efforts (see letter below).  The villagers are desperate. TRAS is sending emergency funds to AMAN who are working hard to get relief supplies to the villagers. To help with this work, you can donate online (select Donate Now, and then under Fund/Designation, select “Uttarakhand Disaster Relief”). For more information, please contact the TRAS office at 1-604-224-5133 or info@tras.ca.

Dear friends,

The people of Uttarakhand still have to overcome the trauma of disaster in 2010. The recent flash floods have badly affected human lives and many people have lost their lives.  Some areas are completely washed away in massive landslides and floods.  The livestocks and their properties are washed away.

Thousands of people are displaced and thousands of people are marooned and trapped in the higher reaches though the army and Para- military are doing their best but the scale and magnitude of the disaster is beyond the preparation and imagination. If we could timely generate some resources such as shelter, food, etc, many vulnerable lives can be saved.

The most pathetic part is the marginalized people who are basically labourers; most underprivileged sections of the society have become most vulnerable.

As you all are aware, being a Himalayan state Uttarakhand has always been prone to natural disasters, such as earthquake, landslide, flood, cloud burst, forest fire etc. The state has witnessed flash floods since last few days and has been at the receiving end for the last week, but the incessant rain between 15 June to till now has wreaked havoc.

Approximately, 1000 people have lost their lives in various incidents since the onset of the monsoon.  The heavy rainfall has resulted in all the rivers and rivulet getting over flooded causing serious and widespread destruction of lives and property in the state. There were several incidents of landslides and cloud bursts in the whole state compounding the problems and sufferings of people, particularly the Rudraprayag, Chomoli, Utaarkashi, Pithoragarh, Alomra & Bageshwar districts witnessed the worst ever loss  of lives and property because of landslide, flood caused by cloud bursts at different places.

All the roads got washed out due to the landslides, causing whole mountain region isolation and unapproachable which hampered the relief work. As per media reports more than 1000 persons lost their lives in various incidents of cloudburst, house collapse and floods as incessant rains continued to lash Uttarakhand.

A large number of people living in Mandakini, Bhagirathi, Ramganga, kali, Saryu, Pindar and Saryu valleys are affected and endangered to life and their properties.

Kedarnath valley of RudraPrayag, Badrinath and Pindar valley of chamoli, Jyosada of Uttarkashi , Dharchula of Pithoragarh , BesiyaChhana block of Almora, Rishikesh of Dehradun has been facing the worst cases of deaths and devastation, nearly 160 villages have been totally devastated. More than 70,000 pilgrims are stuck in different locations and have no food and shelter.  So far in accessible places the rescue team recovered 150 bodies and there are no confirm news from inaccessible places in higher reaches where thousands of thousands people are still trapped and marooned and the administration is fearing the worst death tolls.

It can cross the figure of thousand as during the pilgrimage season the people travel in flock and they use to take shelter in the tents, cave and open space. There is no mechanism to register the travellers. According to the media and government sources more than 70,000 people are missing.

Rambara town is washed away and 30 houses are collapsed in Augustmuni and Tilwara. In Dharchula-Pithoragarhs villages, 41 houses had turned into debris and at Tijam , Bheti, Shobhna, Gothi. Nine people and 105 cattle lost their lives. In the month of June the villagers of Pithoragad district who live near by the greater Himalaya, they used to go to collect local Himalayan herbs. They used to pitch the tent in the forest nearby Tejam the villagers have pitched 60 tents on the fearful night of the flash flood, as the report says more than 60 tents from Upper Himalaya of Tejam Villages in which only 7 tents are remained.

Media reports says only 9 deaths but other herbs collector are missing. 5 deaths are reported in district Almora. Landslides are reported in Buradhar and Khairkhet villages in Almora.  Villagers are forced to live in schools to save their lives.  In Pinder valley, near about 35 houses had collapsed in Narayan bagad, Tharali, Govind-Ghat villages.

People are in trauma and fear in whole states and thousands of peoples spending nights under the open sky.  Authorities fear the toll may go up as relief workers are busy removing debris and trying to reach out to people trapped in far-off villages.  Indian Army and Para military forces are deployed for rescue operation.  Near about 10000 people are rescued by the forces. In Kedarnath, the helipad is destroyed, so rescue operation continued through rope support by helicopter. There is also danger of epidemic.

Due to the massive landslides all the basic infrastructure roads, water and electric supply is severely damaged. It will take time to get restored. Due to the blockage of the road most of the parts are completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Garhwal and Kumoun, both the region of the Uttarakhand are badly affected. People have taken shelter in panchayati Bhawans, school buildings and makeshift arrangements such as tents and temporary shelters. People are facing an acute crisis of food, drinking water, doctors and medicines, shelter and communication.  Sanitation and hygiene is another problem. There is large no. of children and old age people badly affected and have special need. Child protection and gender centric rehabilitation program is also required as a felt need.
 
There is an urgent need to provide relief to the affected people. We are trying to mobilize relief materials such as medicines, food grain, kerosene oil, drinking water, temporary shelters, light etc for affected area. Beside this urgent need, rehabilitation and risk reduction program are also important needs for people. 

This cannot be done alone. AMAN appeals to all its friends for providing relief support.

In Uttarakhand,
Raghu Tewari
AMAN,
West Pokharkhali,
Ranidhara Road, Almora