Waiting for building to start

It’s sometimes easy to get impatient waiting for the redevelopment plans to commence as some of the work has been low profile although it is hugely important. Over the last few months one of the big issues has been resolved - that of clarifying site ownership and confirming it with the land registry in Darjeeling. This has taken many visits to the large ledger filled municipal offices by Pema Bhante the monk in charge of the orphanages but he now has the confirmation certificate which will give us all confidence that this is a viable project in which to put money. 

The Trust has also employed a lawyer to draw up a legal agreement between the Management Board based in Darjeeling and the Darjeeling Children's Trust which seeks to ensure that monies raised for the redevelopment are only used for that purpose once they have been sent from the UK by the Trust. A small blip has arisen in this process though, the Trust's lawyer has fallen and broken her shoulder so the final version of the document is currently awaited and it is hoped it will arrive in the next few days. It is planned that Pema Bhante will call together a meeting of the Management Board when all will sign.

Work has been going on by the Structural Engineer who has provided half the information required to allow the final cost of Phase 1 to be established and a programme of construction to be identified. The outstanding figures should be with the Trust within the week.

Chairperson of the Trust, Marilyn Adams, is currently in Darjeeling and hopes to take enough footage of both the girls' and boys' existing accommodation to allow a short film to be made about the project.