The children continue to keep in touch by e-mail - the seniors have been on holiday and have now had their exam results - as far I know they will all be moving up next term.  Last month the kids were playing football and cricket but most days the pitch is too muddy now. 

 The monsoon season has started - as one of the girls said in an e-mail: "It rains always, the weather is always cloudy".  For the next three or four months there wil be rain nearly every day.  The road workers will struggle to maintain the mountain road from Assam to Tawang.  There will be landslides, washing away the road in places, and huge stretches of deep mud to navigate.

The vegetable patch at Manjushree has been doing well and two local women have been helping with the gardening.  Sadly now the vegetables are finished – mostly destroyed or washed away by the rain.

News has been filtering through of troubling events in Tawang

SAFETY OF HELICOPTER TRAVEL IN QUESTION

In  recent years helicopters have provided a lifeline for the mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh.  Two accidents in the last month have raised serious questions.  Over the years, as far back as World War II, many lives have been lost when helicopters and aircraft have crashed in the  Himalayan mountains in Arunachal Pradesh, often as a result of poor weather conditions and bad visibility.  Investigations into the causes of the recent accidents are under way and the passenger helicopter service has been suspended.  In the meantime travellers to Tawang will have to make the challenging and often dangerous 3-day journey by road over the Sela Pass

 

ARUNACHAL PRADESH CHEIF MINISTER DIES IN HELICOPTER CRASH

 

 

At 10am on April 30th the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu left Tawang in a small single engine helicopter for the short trip to Itanagar, the state capital.  He was due to land at 11.30 - Itanagar is about 200km from Tawang.  The last communication from the chopper was at 1020 as it flew over the 14000 foot Sela Pass.

At 1230 two search and rescue helicopters were launched from Tezpur; they started searching the route from Tawang to Itanager but had to return to base due to bad weather.

During the afternoon there were reports that the helicopter had made an emergency landing in Bhutan and the Chief Minister and the 4 others on board were safe.  Later in the afternoon it became clear that, sadly, this was not the case. 

Due to the difficult terrain and bad weather conditions, the only way to continue searching was on foot.  Thousands of people, including army personnel and Monpa people from the remote villages, joined in the search of the snow-covered mountainous area of Tawang district bordering Tibet.  Lama Thupten Phuntsok, the founder and principal of the Manjushree Vidyapith School and Orphanage, was amongst the searchers who set out on foot.

The search continued for five days and finally a team of locals, who had trekked over the mountains for 2 days, found the wreckage of the helicopter and the bodies near Luguthang village, some 60km from Tawang town.  At 15,000 feet, Luguthang is one of the world’s highest villages and India’s remotest polling station.  Villagers carried the bodies from the crash site for nearly two hours to Luguthang, after which they were taken to Tawang by road for post mortem, then airlifted to Itanagar.

Amongst those who travelled to Itanagar on May 6^th to pay their last respects to Chief Minister Khandu were Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The Tibetan spiritual leader his Holiness Dalai Lama (who was touring the US) expressed his sorrow and extended condolences to the families of Khandu and others who died in the crash.  The Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh in 2009 on the invitation of Khandu.  The Tibetan government-in-exile remembered Khandu's contribution to improving the lives of the exiles settled in the state.

On May 10^th the last rites of the Chief Minister were performed in his native village, Gyangkhar, in Tawang district as per Monpa Buddhist traditions.  More than 7,000 people thronged the cremation ground to pay their last respects to their beloved Khandu.

 

PASSENGER HELICOPTER CRASH AT TAWANG

On April 19^th seventeen people, including two children and three crew members, were killed when a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed on landing at Tawang.   There were 23 people on board.  Another passenger died in hospital a week later.

For the last 3 years Pawan Hans have operated a regular service between Guwahati and Tawang using a 16 year old Mi72 Russian helicopter.  This is the first serious incident.

According to local residents, the tragedy could probably have been mitigated had there been a fire tender at the helipad, 7km from Tawang.  “The fire brigade is located at Tawang and by the time the fire tenders arrived, it was too late,” a resident was quoted as saying.

The helicopter service on the Guwahati/Tawang route has been suspended.

 

The recent events only go to highlight how remote and inaccessible Tawang is and how difficult life is for our Manjushree family.  Lama Thupten was involved in the search and now in helping the bereaved families.  The children understand – they respect their Lama Sir and have deep sympathy and compassion for all those affected by the crashes.

A huge thank-you to all those who help to make life a little easier for the children of Tawang.

Di Gallagher

Trustee FMVSO 

 

At the end of January the FMVSO Trustees met for their year-end meeting.  One of the main subjects for discussion was the rapidly escalating food and transport costs in India and in particular in the remoter areas like Arunachal Pradesh. 

The monthly food bill for Manjushree has doubled in the last 2 years – rising to £3,000 per month.  Up to now FMVSO has pretty well been able to cover the cost of the food – now we will need to seek further funding to support Lama Thupten in providing for the Manjushree family.  We are always looking for new donors but also ask our current supporters if they can help by increasing their contribution.

It has been a long cold winter in Tawang and in recent weeks there has been plenty of snow.  I am sure it all looks very pretty and the little ones love playing in the snow.  However, as the school and dormitories have no heating, it’s a job to keep the children warm. 

In the winter months building work is extremely difficult; 

In a recent mail, Lama Thupten told us:

The boys hostel will look very beautiful but it will take time to complete due to shortage of workers and at same time cold weather gives a lots of disturbance.  Therefore we are trying to complete the boys’ hostel by the month of July 2011. The guest house above the prayer hall is completed and we are planning to inaugurate next month.

In January, Lama Thupten Phuntsok, representing the Tawang Monpas, travelled with other senior monks to Varanasi to meet with His Holiness Dalai Lama.  At the end of February Lama Thupten and 18 of the children went to Rishikesh for the International Yoga Festival.  This is the third time the Manjushree children will present a cultural programme of dance and song at the annual Festival.

In early February the children attending school at Manjushree (up to class VI) were taking their annual examinations and it is now holiday time for them.  All juniors who have an auntie or a grandparent to go to in their own villages go home for a month.  Those with no-one to care for them stay at Manjushree for the holiday.  It is a special time for the Monpa people; their New Year – LOSAR – falls on March 5^th and there will be big celebrations in the villages, in Tawang town and the Monastery, and of course at Manjushree.

The senior students have been studying hard for their annual examinations, which take place this month – they will have a holiday after their exams.   Several of the class VIII and IX senior boys are awaiting interviews for the AASRA army boarding school.  There are currently 5 boys at AASRA sponsored by the Indian army.   The university students too have been sitting exams and are awaiting their results.

So life goes on at Manjushree– we receive news regularly via e-mail and the children are well – they are happy.   

Thank you for your interest and support.

Di Gallagher 

At 11,000 feet up in the Himalayas and a 3-day jeep run from the nearest airport, Tawang is a ‘far’ place.    It’s a rough road to Manjushree.  When Grainne and I travelled that road again in early October the havoc wreaked by the monsoon rains was frighteningly evident – and it was still raining!

Across the sub-tropical plains of Assam, our jeep made slow progress as we ploughed through mile after mile of deep mud and water, trying to avoid hidden potholes. Climbing northwards and skywards, our way was often blocked by mud and boulders left by recent landslides.  The one road from Assam to Tawang is the supply route for the army border posts.  China continues to lay claim to this part of NE India and the Chinese border is only 30 miles from Tawang.  Special permits and an escort are required to travel this road; there is high risk of malaria and altitude sickness; the journey is exhausting, terrifying and exciting but, to Grainne and to me, it is a humbling reminder.  In this remote, inaccessible and breathtakingly beautiful corner of the world, life is tough.  Our Monpa friends in the villages, the monks and soldiers, and Lama Thupten and his children at Manjushree are faced with new challenges every day.

The instability of the world economy is having a direct effect on Tawang District, including Manjushree. Construction materials, kerosene, food, clothing etc,  have to be transported up from Assam.  Diesel prices have risen drastically so the people have to pay more for everything they buy.  To feed the Manjushree family Lama Thupten now has to pay 12.75 rupees for a kg of rice; last year it cost 9 rupees per kg.  Sugar has doubled in price from 20 to 40 rupees per kg. Basic commodities can sometimes be obtained from the local government co-operative at a reduced rate. Manjushree is entitled to local government Food Ration Coupons for both sugar and rice but they never receive their full entitlement due to local corruption.  

It was a long monsoon this year, from May until mid October.  There was great celebration when  the clouds broke and gave way to a bright blue sky and hot sunshine.  Harvest began in earnest and we watched the villagers labouring together in the fields to bring in the millet, the soya beans and barley, the pumpkins, gourds and cucumbers.

The excessive rains not only caused chaos on the roads but also led to pollution of the water sources. During our visit there was a potentially serious outbreak of dysentery at the orphanage (and at local monasteries) and immediate measures were instigated to take control of the outbreak. All the children and the staff took part in a ‘big clean’ and a strict routine of personal hygiene was established.  However the lack of septic drains, a continuous supply of clean drinking water and running hot water for the establishment, continue to cause concern.

Despite the difficulties, the children are thriving.  Of the 155 children living at Manjushree, 132 are orphans or were destitute; 23 are physically challenged.  A further 21 are in secondary or tertiary education elsewhere and they come home for the holidays. 52 children of very poor families come in daily from the villages to attend school.

It was 18 months since our last visit to Manjushree but the children all remembered us so well and we were welcomed back into the family with warmth, emotion and enthusiasm.  We were quickly absorbed into the daily life of home and school; every day from dawn to dusk we were with the children – praying with them, teaching, just chatting and playing, cuddling and laughing.

There has been huge progress in terms of improvement and expansion of the establishment over the last 5 years.  FMVSO’s first priority in 2006 was to fund the completion of the hostel block.  This provided adequate dormitory space for girls (on the ground floor) and boys (on the first floor) from 2007 until recently.  There are more children now, and, as time goes on, the number of senior children is increasing.  The need for a separate boys’ hostel was clear and supporters from Australia quickly raised the funds – the building is near completion – the roof went on this week!  The new hall is magnificent; on the ground floor is the dining hall and kitchen; the first floor hall is used for prayers, recreation and performances.  There is now a third floor, funded by a US   supporter, which will next year provide 6 guest rooms and these will bring revenue to Manjushree.

Whilst other supporters are helping to improve the buildings, FMVSO’s first priority is to  provide Lama Thupten with the security of regular funding for day to day expenses.  Our quarterly transfers almost cover the cost of feeding the children.  We also help with other revenue expenses – teachers’ salaries, clothes, fuel etc.  On this trip we were able to purchase warm winter underclothing for all the children, thanks to some new friends in Ireland.  A generous donation from Rotary International paid for new blackboards, and wall maps plus large quantities of textbooks and copybooks. 

All donations to FMVSO go direct to Manjushree.  No expenses are deducted and our trips are self-funded

Our month long trip revealed how progressive Lama Thupten continues to be in promoting and developing his vision for M.V.  We have no doubt at all about our mission to help Lama Thupten.  What he has done, what he is doing and what he aims to achieve is awe-inspiring.  On a moral and spiritual level, through his leadership and example, the children learn about humanity, about caring for their brothers and sisters – and they learn to act with good heart and be grateful for all that they are given.  They have so little but they appreciate how Manjushree has opened doors of opportunity for them as well as giving them a loving home and family.

The Further Education program was launched in March 2009 and the FEF bank account set up.  PETROWELL LTD and a handful of private individual sponsors are currently covering the costs of 8 of the Manjushree students at University in Delhi, Tezpur and Bomdila. These students are keen to show support for their younger brothers and sisters.  It is their intention to set up a system that would allow working graduates (both academic and vocational) to pay an affordable percentage of their wages into the Further Education Fund.   Some may also choose to return to Manjushree to work in teaching, administration etc.  This student initiative would feed into the overall plan developing at Manjushree Vidyapith to become self sustaining in the future.

8 more students will be completing their secondary education in the next 2 years – if at all possible we want to be able to give every one of them the opportunity of further studies. Lama Thupten is also seeking funding from central government and looking at the possibility of scholarships for the more academically able pupils

Lama Thupten and the Manjushree family send greetings and good wishes for the New Year to all the good folks in UK who support the orphanage through FMVSO.

 Di Gallagher.  Trustee FMVSO

Summer in Tawang is warm and wet.  The rains started in May and will go on until September.  This month temperatures will be between 25 and 30 degrees C during the day and around 10 degrees C at night.  There is rain at Manjushree most days, usually very heavy and often with thunder and lightning. 

For the last couple of months everyone at Manjushree has been busy preparing the ground and planting vegetables in the field and in the greenhouse.   In recent e-mail’s Lama Thupten said “…the older students are in holidays for two months.  They are helping with uncle in kitchen and growing vegetables in green house and garden…we are growing vegetables and this time we have planted lots of different kind of flowers and some roses are blooming beautifully in front of our school building”

The school and orphanage continue to grow and flourish.  15 new students have recently joined and there are now a total of 153 children under Lama Thupten’s care.  The school year finished in April and four more students have completed their secondary education and await their results.  We hope that at least a couple of them will soon be joining the other students at university in Delhi.

 In April, the Tibetan people were in the news and our friends in Tawang were very much in our thoughts. The Guardian reported

“A series of earthquakes hit Yushu County, Qinghai province on the Tibetan plateau.  More than 600 people were reported dead, 9,000 injured and 300 missing.  Rescue teams had to cope with gusting winds and altitude sickness, while on the road from the provincial capital, Xining, more than 500 miles away, bulldozers and other heavy moving equipment were being transported into the worst-affected areas of Yushu to accelerate the rescue and rebuilding operation. further hampered disaster relief efforts. Rescue workers had to move rubble with their hands searching for children trapped or buried under collapsed school buildings.  The Yushu No 3 primary school, with more than 3,000 pupils, was badly hit.  Many of the classrooms were fragile structures made from mud rather than brick and cement.” 

At Manjushree the original buildings were flimsily built due to lack of funds, but Lama Thupten is very conscious of the risk of earthquake and the old buildings are gradually being replaced.  Both the dormitory block and the new hall were strongly built with deep foundations. 

Earlier this year supporters from Australia were at Manjushree to help dig the foundations for a new 100 bed boys’ hostel.  It is being fully funded by an Australian charity and it is hoped that the hostel will be ready for occupation by December this year.

John Ullman (of Architecture for Tibet) is currently at Manjushree.  His fund raising for the new academic centre is progressing well and the initial preparations will begin soon.  The old education  block will be demolished and temporary classrooms built.

The Amrit Davaa doctors from the US have been back to Tawang to further the immunisation programme and give medical treatment to the children and the people of the villages and the monastery.

With the support of our many friends in the UK, FMVSO continue to provide for the day-to-day needs of the children (food, fuel and clothing, books and other educational materials, sports and recreational equipment). This continues to be our first funding priority 

The children are happy; they are well fed and healthy. They study hard and achieve excellent results.  They are well motivated and keen to learn new skills.

At Manjushree the children are taught through English from age 4.  They move on to the local secondary school when they reach 11 or 12.  It is a ten minute walk across country to the village of Bumba

Both the boys and the girls love their sport.  They play cricket and badminton, often with improvised equipment.  They play a lot of football – they compete, and win, against local teams. The football strip was provided by a UK sponsor.

FMVSO’s second funding priority is Further Education. 

The Further Education Fund covers the costs of those currently at college and university.  We aim to maintain a consistent level of support to give future school leavers the opportunity to go on to further education – whether academic or vocational. There are 5 Manjushree students at university in Delhi.  3 of the senior boys completed their secondary education in April and await results of their application for further education places.    There are now 9 boys who have chosen to study to be monks at the Gyudmed Tantric University near Bangalore 

In October this year I will be going back to India   with my fellow trustee, Grainne. We will stop in Delhi to spend time with the Manjushree students attending university there.  We then make the 3 day journey to Tawang, stopping in Guwahati and Tezpur before the challenging jeep run up into the Himalayas.  The children e-mail us from time to time and are excited about our visit – as we are!

Lama Thupten and the Manjushree family send their love and prayers to all you kind folks who support the orphanage through FMVSO.

Thank you from me, and from  FMVSO,  for your kindness and your generosity

Di Gallagher 30 June 2010

Last week, I received exciting news from Lama Thupten Phuntsok:

"On 12th Nov 09, His Holiness the Dalai  Lama visited for one and half hour to Manjushree and he blessed all children and staff."

His Holiness spent a week in Tawang, and the BBC world news reported:

"The freezing temperatures in Tawang did not deter thousands of villagers taking to the streets to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama.   Tibetan prayer flags fluttered and monks struck cymbals and played horns as the Dalai Lama headed to the Tibetan monastery, the second largest of its kind in India, to hold a prayer session.

"We are very pleased and blessed to have his holiness here," one monk, Sarwang Lama, told AFP news agency.

Some pilgrims had walked for as long as five days to be there. "

After the Dalai Lama's visit, Lama Thupten travelled to Delhi to spend time with the Manjushree seniors who are now students at university.  He then went on to Dharamsala for further conversations with His Holiness, who takes a keen interest in all that goes on at Manjushree.  

Its getting very cold in Tawang now and soon the snows will make communications very difficult.  The power, telephone and internet are often 'out' and the army struggles to keep open the one road south.  Although the children know about Christmas, its business as usual at Manjushree with exams looming. 

FMVSO continues to receive wonderful support from individuals, schools and organisations in the UK.  Huge thanks from the Trustees to all those who have made it possible for us to send regular contributions to Manjushree, helping Lama Thupten to continue to give the poor children of Tawang district a better life.

Love and good wishes to all our supporters from me and all the Manjushree family.

Di Gallagher.   10th December 2009

In early April Grainne and Di returned from a 3 week visit to Manjushree. 

It was a great trip, challenging as ever, but extremely rewarding.  The orphanage and school continue to flourish and there are exciting plans for the future.

The website has been updated with all the latest information, in particular the 'Description' and 'Objectives' sections.  New photos will be added soon.  A newsletter has been sent out to all our supporters. 

Now that there is a satellite link actually at Manjushree, the seniors have the opportunity to use the internet.  Grainne and I, as well as some sponsors, receive regular e-mails from the children. The older children have been on holiday from school for the last month so have been playing lots of football and cricket.  An Indian Army officer from the local army base visits regularly to teach singing and guitar.  The children are all naturally musical and pick up a new instrument very quickly.  The weather is warm now but the rainy season has started.  They will have a lot of rain over the next few months and the roads will become treacherous with mud slides and rock falls - not a good time to travel to Tawang!

In a recent e-mail, Lama Thupten says:

"Last week I have gone to Dharamsala and I had an opportunity to meet H.H.The Dalai Lama and I have requested him for blessing to all our children and well-wishers for their better life. You know H.H.The Dalai Lama is going to visit Tawang in the month November, 09."

It was hoped that His Holiness would be visiting Tawang in March this year to attend the inauguration of the new hall.  However, the visit had to be postponed.  HH Dalai Lama takes a great interest in the progress of the orphanage and school and continues to give financial and spiritual support.

Di Gallagher 25.5.09

 

 

January 2009, Latest News

It is very cold in Tawang and there is lots of snow, but all's well with the Manjushree family.  I receive regular e-mails from Lama Thupten.  At Christmas the children were doing their annual examinations; everyone was in good heart despite the weather.

The dining hall block is now complete and in use.  The official inauguration will take place in March and Grainne and I feel very honoured that we are invited to attend.  We will spend three weeks at the orphanage, working with the children and gathering information and pictures to relay back to our many friends in the UK - so watch this space!   Di Gallagher 25.1.09

 

 

FMVSO Newsletter Number 3.  July 2008

FMVSO is now well into its third year of operation and I am happy to report that, thanks to the support to a lot of good people in UK, we continue to grow and flourish.

In its first year the charity raised over £18,000

In the second year income increased to £22,000

ALL income goes direct to Manjushree

NO expenses are deducted.

In 2006 the Trustees identified an urgent funding priority: to help fund improvements to the living conditions of the  children at Majushree                                                  

By February 2007 the boys’ dormitory was complete. The boys moved into their new dorm in March.  All the children now have indoor bathroom facilities.  The girls’ dormitory has a new wooden floor and each child now has his or her very own bed.  FMVSO fully funded the dormitory project.  By the end of 2007, a further storey had been built on the dormitory block; this will provide badly needed accommodation for Lama Thupten and other staff  who have been sharing in small cramped rooms. The outside toilets have also been rebuilt.  FMVSO have funded this project. .  A charity in the US funded the solar water heating system.

In January 2008, £8,500 was sent to help fund the building of a new education block. This will provide, downstairs, a special room for Nursery and KG, plus a hobbies room. Upstairs will be a large library/study hall for seniors plus a smaller library for juniors. A local philanthropist has already donated £12,500 specifically for the education block project.  

As well as supporting building projects, the charity sends regular amounts for general expenses, e.g. food and clothing, heating etc.  Regular amounts are allotted for education purposes, e.g. teachers’ salaries, books and education equipment.  Funds are also being specifically allotted for further education.

Lama Thupten Phuntsok, the founder and principal, continues his magnificent work giving a home, education and love to his growing family.  He sends me e-mails whenever he can to keep us all in touch with what’s going on at Manjushree.

It has been a long hard winter in Tawang and communications have been extremely difficult. In a Christmas message, Lama Thupten said:

“Everyone is fine and the children are very happy to be celebrating Christmas like every year.  At the same time, they are having their English exams tomorrow so they cannot enjoy the bliss and fun of Christmas. However, they prayed for the world peace and harmony in this world in the morning of today’s sacred day of Christmas.”  

Although most of the children have been born of Buddhist families and the orphanage is run on Buddhist principles, the children are taught tolerance and understanding of other religions.

We had no news during January but in February I managed to get a call through to Manjushree and spoke with Lama Thupten.

January had been a tough month with extremely cold weather and no power during the day.  The internet in Tawang was down so the only means of communication was by telephone and that intermittently.  His telephone service (land line) does not permit him to call outside Arunachal Pradesh, so this makes communications extremely difficult.

More than half of the children returned to their home villages and extended families for Jan and Feb. The children who remain at Manjushree have no classes – they play games and read – and try to keep warm.

Construction on the new dining hall came to a halt until March because of cold weather.  Concrete won't set properly in the cold and many of the workers are Assamese, for whom the winter is simply too cold.  Meanwhile, local workers continued to prepare the building materials ready to get going again in March 

Foundations for the new dining hall block were started in November. Earthquakes are a possibility so foundations are major.  

I have recently heard that the ground floor is almost complete and will be in use very soon.  The construction of the news education block will not start until the dining hall block is complete.

 

In March Lama Thupten and several of the older children went to Uttrakhand to attend a yoga festival.  The children performed traditional dances and songs.  The trip provided a much-needed break for Lama Thupten and a great experience for the children.  

They stayed in Delhi for a couple of days and spent some time with Mani and Tsultim, the first two children to leave Manjushree, who are now at University. 

I met up with the 2 students in Delhi last autumn and Mani e-mails us regularly; he is currently awaiting his end of second year exam results.

This year, just one student has completed his secondary education.  Nima passed out of XIIth standard with an excellent 87% and he hopes to gain admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi.

FMVSO is now sending specific funding for further education.  A Scottish company, PETROWELL, (See Links page) are making this possible with a substantial monthly donation for bursaries.  In the next 4 years, 12 children will have completed their secondary education.  FMVSO should be able to fund all these 12 children through higher education

5 more children have joined the Manjushree family.  There are 3 new teachers.  The president of  Tibetan children’s village, Mr. Tsewang Yeshi la, and the Education director, Mr. Tenzin Sangpo la, visited the orphanage in May and they are helping to recruit a good English teacher.  Earlier this year, five of the teachers underwent 2 weeks of teacher training, provided by the Tibetan Children’s Village and the sister of HH Dalai Lama.

In May Lama Thupten had the opportunity to meet with HH Dalai Lama in his residence in Dharmsala.  His Holiness continues to take an interest in the work of Lama Thupten at Manjushree and gives his blessing and financial support.

 

Manjushree now has limited internet facility.  A friend from the US arranged the installation of the satellite dish.  As time goes on this will make a huge difference to the administration of the School and Orphanage as well as giving the children the opportunity to gain computer and internet skills necessary to compete in the modern world.

 

Health Matters

The US charity, Amrit Davaa World Health Corp. recently reported in their website:

“We are currently working with Architects for Tibet on the design for the new free clinic/infirmary to be constructed at Manjushree Vidyapith Orphanage. The clinic will offer free service to the local people and the children at Manjushree. We are currently raising funds for this building project, and plan to break ground in the spring of 2009.”

Great news!

Some of you will remember Lobsang.  He came to Manjushree 2 years ago after a terrible burning accident.  His lower arms had been amputated and he had severe burns to his neck and legs.  He has grown in to a strong, confident and capable young man but his scars were becoming a problem as he grew. Through the generosity of an Indian doctor he has had major surgery to correct the problem.

Lobsang is just one of the 130 children under Lama Thupten’s care.  With the generous support of our many friends in UK, FMVSO is able to send regular funding to help provide a home and education for these children.

The rainy season has now set in; Lama Thupten said in a recent e-mail: “We have very bad weather here, everyday it’s raining and the day becomes cloudy. Because of that it is very difficult to dry the clothes of children 

Everyone will be looking forward to the sunny months of the autumn before facing another harsh mountain winter.

In March 09 I will be returning to Manjushree to work with the children and to see for myself how FMVSO funding is making a difference. 

The Manjushree family send their love, and thanks to the many supporters in UK for their kindness and generosity.

Di Gallagher    FMVSO Trustee

 

 

Newsletter Number 2, November 2007

In the last six months there have been exciting developments at the school and orphanage.  Di has just returned from a 3-week visit, working with the children and gathering information to relay back to our supporters in UK.   Funds sent from UK have helped to improve and expand the accommodation, sustain living conditions and support the excellent education provided by the school.

Lama Thupten Phuntsok, the founder and principal, continues to guide and care for his growing family with wisdom and a sure and loving hand.HH Dalai Lama takes a keen interest in the progress of the School and Orphanage. He has contributed towards various projects and pays an honorarium towards teachers’ salaries.

The Lama’s dedication to improving the lot of the deprived children of Tawang district received national recognition in April 2007. The president of India bestowed on him the prestigious Padma Shree Award, one of the highest honours in the country.

Lama Thupten’s integrity and hugely valuable contribution to the Tawang community is widely recognised by individual Indian Government ministers, senior army officers and people from all walks of life, in India and abroad. Manjushree receives no financial aid from the Indian government.  The School and Orphanage continues to flourish through the generosity of the local community and organisations, friends from all over India and charities and individuals from abroad.

FMVSO has already transferred £10,000 this year, shared between construction projects, education and general funds.  We hope to send a further £8,500 in January specifically for the building of the new education block. 

This was Di's third visit to Manjushree and she is convinced more than ever of the worth and validity of the organisation.  Staying at the orphanage and being involved in everyday life gave the opportunity to witness first hand what an amazing place it is.  The children are secure and happy.  They are well fed, warmly clothed and now have comfortable dormitories. 

Education up to 5th grade within Manjushree is of a high standard compared with government schools.  At 6th grade the children go on to Bumba Secondary School, just a 15-minute walk away.  The Manjushree kids are all more forthcoming than their peers, their English is better and they are more interactive with their teachers.  They are generally in the top 3 in the class.  Everyone loves the Manjushree children.

125 children are living at Manjushree under Lama Thupten’s care. The majority are orphans or destitutes; 9 are physically handicapped. 11 more of the family are studying elsewhere: 2 students are attending university in Delhi.  Mani (who lost both forearms in an electrical fire) is in his second year, reading economics, and is being sponsored by FMVSO. Tsultim is in her first year, with some funding from Holland. One of the senior girls is attending High School in Guwahati, under sponsorship.  6 senior boys are boarding at the army school in Tezpur, Assam (funded by the army).  3 more boys, of their own volition, are studying to become monks at a monastery in south India.

There are also 36 day students attending school free of charge; these children’s parents cannot afford the uniform and books required to attend the government school.  There are many more children in the area who have never been to school.

PROGRESS

It was thrilling to see the boys happily settled into their new dormitory. They now have the luxury of indoor bathrooms and hot water from the solar water heating system.  Friends of Manjushree have made this possible.

A further storey has been added to the dormitory block; this will provide badly needed accommodation for Lama Thupten and other staff.  They have currently been sharing in small cramped rooms. The outside toilets are also being rebuilt.  FMVSO are funding this project.

Thanks to TLC (the US charity who funded the solar water heating) the old dining hall block is being replaced with a much larger, better built, two-storey structure.  Downstairs there will be a new dining hall, kitchen, office and domestic staff quarters; upstairs the study hall will also be used for entertainments and cultural programmes.  Foundations have been laid and the project should be complete by March.

FUTURE PLANS

Since Di's last visit in 2006, FMVSO has been focussing its attention on the hostel block.  Now that this is fully paid for we can look to other priorities.

Classroom space is still a problem.  Nursery & KG have classes on the dorm. floor or outside.  Class 1 are taught on an open veranda.

School Building was built in 1998 when the orphanage was founded. Of the 8 rooms in school building, 4 are currently being used as classrooms; they are poorly equipped, ill-lit and in a bad state of repair.   2 further rooms have been dry lined and have wooden floors. One is now the computer room, with 6 working computers donated by an Indian TV station. The other serves as the library and staff room. The final rooms are the office and Lama Thupten’s bedroom (which doubles as the school’s prayer room).

FMVSO have pledged to contribute the £8,500 balance required to build and equip a new education block. This will provide, downstairs, a special room for Nursery and KG, plus a hobbies room. Upstairs will be a large library/study hall for seniors plus a smaller library for juniors.  A local philanthropist has already donated £12,500 specifically for the education block project. It is hoped that this small education block will be the starting point for a much larger building to be added later when funds allow.

Other Projects

A piece of land has already been allotted for a 2- storey guesthouse.  This will comprise 6 twin bed rooms with bathrooms and balcony.  Downstairs will be a dining hall, kitchen and office.  The rationale behind this plan is to provide:

• A source of revenue
• Opportunity for vocational training and jobs in hospitality/tourism/traditional crafts
• Accommodation for visitors/volunteers

FMVSO will be supporting this project

A meditation/retreat centre is also planned. This would tie in nicely with the guesthouse, catering to local visitors as well as those from overseas.

Still badly needed are:

An Infirmary/Clinic with basic medical care as well as accommodation for sick children.  A US charity is currently researching medical facilities at the orphanage and in the Tawang region.  If required FMVSO will raise funds to support their efforts.

A separate hostel for the boys would help provide more space,  privacy and personal identity for both the boys and the girls.

EDUCATION

In the next 4 years, 12 children will be completing senior education and looking to their futures.  FMVSO aims to help fund them through higher education, whether academic or vocational.

There are 3 new teachers. There is help for slow learners and the seniors now have computing, debating and public speaking as extra curricular subjects. Extra tuition in Maths, English and Science is being given to the seniors to encourage more students to aim for the science stream in Grade XI and XII.  FMVSO contributes towards general expenditure, which includes teachers’ salaries, books and uniforms. 

Thanks to the continued interest and support of our many friends in the UK, we are helping to make a difference.