Description of Manjushree
LAMA THUPTEN PHUNTSOK
A Buddhist monk founded Manjushree Vidyapith School and Orphanage in 1998. Lama Thupten Phuntsok was born of a peasant family in Darmkang, a small village near Tawang. From an early age he had a passion for service to the helpless and downtrodden. As a young monk he excelled in his education and was sponsored to further his studies at university. He was then appointed as lecturer in Tibetan language and Buddhist studies. On visits home to Tawang, he was reminded of the struggle for survival of the people of the mountain villages and he made the decision to return home and do what he could to help the people of his homeland. He taught in the Tawang Public School for six years during which time he gained respect and recognition and mobilized support from many quarters. With the support of the Army, the District Administration and individual benefactors at home and abroad he was able to found the school and orphanage.
THE FAMILY
There are now 146 children under Lama Thupten's care, with boys and girls in almost equal numbers. Most of these children are orphans, some were destitute, and there are a dozen children with physical disablities who really would not have stood a chance in the villages. 4 senior children, 2 boys and 2 girls have now moved on to college or university but return to Manjushree, their home, for the holidays. A further 5 boys and 1 girl attend boarding school, sponsored by the Indian Army. 3 of the Manjushree boys have chosen to become monks and are studying at Mysore Monastery in South India. They too return for the holidays.
As well as the children for whom Manjushree is home, there are 36 children from the villages attending the school as day pupils. They are provided with uniform and hot meals. Life is hard in the remote mountain villages. Many adults (and children) die from accident or disease. TB and other lung diseases are rife and there is minimal medical care. Sadly Lama Thupten cannot take all those children whose extended families come to him for help. The dormitories are already overcrowded and the classrooms inadequate but each application is carefully considered and children in dire need are taken in.
The teachers and the domestic staff are very much a part of the family. There are 9 teachers; most of them were born in the Tawang region, went away for training, and then returned to work with Lama Thupten at Manjushree. They are there because they care; they work for less than half the usual government salary. The domestic staff also play an important role; as well as cooking, cleaning and washing, they are friends, house mothers, and aunties and uncles to the children.
THE ACCOMMODATION
When FMVSO Trustees David Brown, James Crowden and Di Gallagher first visited Manjushree in October 2005, the buildings were in a bad state of repair, overcrowded and inadequate. The academic block, built in 1998, originally provided classrooms and living accommodation for 17 orphans and 3 members of staff. When FMVSO was founded in 2006, Lama Thupten gave this description of the dormitory situation: “The girls live in a dormitory. The boys live in two classrooms, as there is no separate dormitory for boys in particular. The two classrooms are too small to be utilized as boy hostel but having no other options they are still living there. One of the main problems we encounter due to lack of boys hostel is that the children become more prone to unhygienic related diseases, which create a massive health problem in the orphanage.”
FMVSO pledged to help fund improvements to the living conditions of the children at Manjushree and by March 2007 the boys had moved into their new dormitory. Some renovation was done to the girls’ dormitory but sadly a lot of the girls still have to share a bed. In the boys’ dorm there are enough beds for all the boys and all the children now have indoor bathroom facilities. By the end of 2007 a further storey had been added to the dormitory block, providing a clinic, prayer room and extra staff/visitor rooms. The outside toilets have also been rebuilt. FMVSO fully funded the dormitory block project. Tibetan Living Community, a US charity, funded the solar water heating system.
Classroom accommodation is still inadequate and many classes are still held out of doors. However, Nursery and kindergarten now have their own designated space with teddies, toys and colour to stimulate young minds. Plans have been drawn up by John Ullman (of Architecture for Tibet) for a new academic centre and we are all optimistic that in the next few years it will become a reality.
In October 2007 the foundations were laid for the new dining hall and recreation centre. The old single-storey building was in a sorry state of repair and was totally inadequate for its many functions. The new two-storey building was inaugurated in March 2009 and now provides, on the ground floor, a large dining hall and kitchen, staff quarters and an office. On the upper floor is a fine hall used for morning prayers, entertainments and recreation. This project was funded by the US charity, Tibetan Living Communities, and by Umang Charitable Society in Delhi.
There have been great developments over the last few years, but there still remains much to be done. There is a waiting list of orphans and needy children. The dormitories are overcrowded and infectious diseases spread rapidly. Children from the age of 3 to young adults of 18 all share one space. The senior children need more privacy and space to study. With this in mind, there is a proposal to construct a separate 100 bed boys hostel with provision also for 3 teachers rooms, 2 caretakers room, 2 store rooms and toilet-bath blocks. The current dormitory block would then be reserved for girls only. Once completed, the proposed hostel will largely solve the accommodation problem of the students as well as for the teachers and other supporting staff. A group of Australian supporters, of the charity Yoga Aid, have pledged to fund this project and plans have already been drawn up.
HEALTH CARE
In 2006, when Di Gallagher and her son Rory spent 3 weeks at Manjushree, there were serious health concerns due mainly to the overcrowding in the dormitories and to the lack of space to isolate children with infectious diseases. At that time, there was no medical facility within the orphanage. The need for an infirmary was identified and, as a temporary measure, FMVSO equipped a large first aid box and gave some basic first aid training.
In November 2007, the US charity, Amrit Davaa World Health Corp., embarked on a major medical mission to address health issues at Manjushree, in Tawang and the surrounding villages. As well as carrying out examinations and giving treatment, they also sent a large quantity of medical supplies and equipment and set up the clinic in the top floor of the dormitory block. Their aim is to provide sustainable medical support. Members of the mission returned to Tawang in May 2008 and in March 2009 when they carried out a TB and MMR immunisation programme for the orphanage, the monastery and people from the villages. The Amrit Davaa team have drawn up plans for an infirmary; this will be located within Manjushree’s grounds, but will also provide a free medical service to the people of the surrounding villages and the monks from the Tawang monastery.
THE SUPPORTERS
Manjushree receives support for both running costs and capital projects from many individuals and organisations from within India and around the world.
His Holiness Dalai Lama has visited Manjushree and gives his financial and moral support.
The Indian army continue to give their support through donations of material goods (e.g. rice and diesel) as well as sponsoring senior children at the army school at Tezpur.
The Local Administration acknowledge the work that Lama Thupten does to benefit the community and accordingly give their support in whatever way they can (e.g. technical help with the computers, professional help with surveys etc.)
Local organisations, and businesses such as the Tawang branch of The State Bank of India, and friends in Tawang and the villages give their support and have made donations of material goods such as blankets, jackets, children’s clothing, rice and vegetables.
Word is spreading around the world about Lama Thupten and his vision to help the orphans, the destitutes and handicapped children of this remote, impoverished mountain region of Arunachal Pradesh. In March 2009, the inauguration of the new hall provided a valuable opportunity for visiting supporters from US, UK and Australia to interchange ideas and information about their particular funding priorities and discuss with Lama Thupten his plans and hopes for the future of Manjushree.
FMVSO has pledged to continue with regular support, providing a consistent level of income for the day-to-day needs of the orphanage and for the support of the children going on to higher education.
