Great News!

A ceremonial breaking of the ground for Phase 1 of the orphanage redevelopment took place on Thursday 1^st November. In attendance were Pema Bhante, the head monk who looks after the children at both orphanages, DCT Trustee Hugh Heron, and members of the Kripasaran Management Board.

It is an exciting time after the last few months which have been quiet ones in Darjeeling. Everyone has been waiting for the monsoon to (mostly) disappear and the air to clear. As November starts the finer weather should gradually take hold and it becomes increasingly possible to carry out building works.

The letter of appointment has been issued by the Orphanage Management Board to the project management consultant, and plans are now in place for purchase of materials and employment of labourers. The materials must all be purchased some four hours’ drive away in Siliguri and then brought by lorry about 2150metres (about 7000 ft) up twisting mountain roads to the town. They will be unloaded on the main road near the orphanage site and then, because the orphanage has no vehicular access, they will need to be carried by porters about 100m steeply downhill to the site. It is backbreaking work but this is how things have to be done in Darjeeling. Much of the early work will also involve clearance of the site and the breaking up of the rocks which project from its surface to allow construction of the new retaining walls and the level concrete floor slabs. A view looking up the site on which the new buildings are to sit is attached.

All has not been quiet in the UK however and the Trust has been successful in obtaining a grant of £5000 towards the costs of professional project management fees for Phase 1 and the purchase of new bunk beds for all the 60 boys who will inhabit the new dormitories. This sum represents just under 50% of the total cost of these two items and is a great fillip to fund raising. Work is now well under way to identify other charitable foundations from the 12-1300 which exist in the UK to whom further grant applications may be made to support the development proposals.

We can also start the task of fund raising for Phase 2. The architect employed by Darjeeling Children’s Trust to design the new buildings is currently finalising the detailed drawings for this second phase which will allow more accurate estimates to be produced. The original figures were produced over 2 years ago and totalled about £120,000 but India, as all other countries, has suffered from inflation and this figure is now likely to be higher. All this information is needed to allow grant applications to be made and to provide reassurance to potential funders that the proposals are well grounded and well thought through.

More photos to follow!