| From This....... | |
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........To This |
June 2000
The dining room is nearing completion (photos).
It will have running water. Another school, The
Tsechen Tharpling Institute has now opened. This is a school open to
all irrespective of gender, caste or religion. It will complement the monastic
school. They require sponsorship so please click here
for contact details.
The Monastic school now has another 11 students (24% increase). This is very good news indeed as it demonstrates the importance attached to education by the population. The efforts by all concerned are starting to pay off.
April 2000
The school has now re-opened in Lo Manthang, following a successful
winter programme (click
for report). Preparations are now under way for the Tenchi
Festival. The pupils are preparing illustrations for the Round
Hill sponsored walk. certificates.
February 2000
The winter school closed on 11 February and the pupils commenced their long walk home. They will re-convene in Mustang towards the end of March.
Roundhill School in Beeston, Nottingham, U.K. is to stage a mass sponsored walk. The proceeds are to be split 50-50 between the schools.
December 1999
Januki is now on study leave and is studying in London UK. He came to visit Nottingham and we presented a very successful slideshow to the Wives group at Queens Road Methodist Church. He tells us that the dining room shell is now complete and the building is weathertight. The pupils are expected to arrive in Kathmandu any day and the school will re-convene under the direction of Mr Arjun Dahal
If any group wants a talk entitled "The Unpackaged Himalaya" for a donation plus travelling expenses then please contact me (I am in Nottingham and Januki in London) (Steve Barber)
August 1999
Lo Manthangs Chhoedle Monks completed their 45 days summer retreat and ceremoniously came out from the monastery on 12 August.
The annual horse riding festival took place on 22 August. Immediately after this the harvest commenced. Once the harvest is complete and the weather deteriorates the winter migration takes place.
July 1999
The King of Mustang, Rana Jigme Palvar Bista, having read the Nottingham Evening Post and Long Eaton Trader sends thanks to the people of Broxtowe for their efforts in raising the finance to construct a dining room at the monastic school. As dining conditions for the pupils are very bad it was decided to start construction now. The supreme head of Sakya, H.H. Sakya Thrichhen is visiting the kingdom next year and it is hoped to have the works complete by then. Money is currently being borrowed to fund the construction work.
The king has received a letter of friendship from Cllr Rodney Todd, mayor of Broxtowe.
There has been unusually high rainfall in Mustang this year. This has meant better crops and more greenery, but unfortunately a 33 metre portion of the 700 year old fort collapsed on 27 June due to the wet conditions.
May 1999
The biggest religious cultural event of Mustang, Tenchi falls in this month, which is attained by a big mass of locals and some foreigners. Students were curious that if there are any people from UK in the group of westerners.
There are very few fields and trees (where scarce irrigation is possible) which turn in to green at the end of this month and cold is gone. All the winter migrants are returned completed planting the crops in fields and festivals are started. Summer in Mustang is the most pleasant and happy season for its people.
Westerners come in trekking and sometimes helicopters fly there for rescue and People curiously gather there to see this strange object. Trekking in Mustang is quite different than other trekking routes. Trekkers are not allowed to stay in houses there and use local fuel. They have to take all their necessities along with them e.g. tents, foods, medicines, fuel and all what they would need. On top of that, trekking permits fees are expensive- 70 US$ per day per person and minimum 10 days permit is needed. Limited number of tourists is allowed in a year (maximum 1000 persons).
April 1999
It was a great experience for our students in last winter because most of them attained winter classes in Kathmandu organized by school and returned to their homeland with autumn. They saw roads, motor cars, buses, telephones, televisions, aeroplanes etc. and many shops in a crowded city with greenery around for the first time in their life.
Mustang (upper) is situated 8000 to above 21000 feet from sea level, which is an arid desert in Himalayan rain shadow and 200 miles away from nearest motor able road. Winter in Mustang is long (November March) and around 60% locals migrate in winter to the southern low lands each year for their winter trades in order to protect themselves from cold and because of insufficient food they must have to earn money in winter to buy foodstuffs. Children and old people have to struggle in Mustang against (minus 20 degree Celsius) cold without heating and with very scarse fuel (cow dung and small bushes). Sometimes snows up to 7 feet and stays for whole winter. For drinking water, either they have to melt the ice or have to carry on their back each time from far away where it is not frozen fully because it is not possible to stock water at home (it freezes). Life is very hard in this situation for children. Luckily our school could arrange winter classes for last winter which gave them new experiences.
School hired a house for three months in Kathmandu in last December. Then, children walked for ten days, rode a bus for ten hours for the first time in their life and finally arrived in their winter school.
When they return Mustang in April, were able to feel the differences between their world and others. In this state of climate, they heard news about England and Round hill Primary School from their principal and saw photographs, which increased their curiosity about outside world especially England-Round hill School and its students in Nottingham.
Descriptions of England are like story about another planet for them. They read the cutting of the newspaper "Evening Post,Tuesday, March 16-, 1999" and enlightened that Mr. Steve Barber, Ms. Zoe Fletcher and other people in Nottingham are working to collect money to construct a dining room for them. Students felt grateful to them and send thanks for their kind efforts.
The kind efforts to support dining hall construction is admired and highly appreciated by Mustang King Jigme Palvar Bista, Spiritual head of Mustang Khenpo Tashi Tenzin Rinpochhe (abbot of Lo-Manthang Chhoedhe Monastery) and all other concerned people.