Red Letter Day! The Orphanage Opening: message from the Chair

November 4^th was indeed a red letter day. I was very proud, as Chair of Darjeeling Children’s Trust, to represent all those people who have supported the orphanage at the official opening ceremony of phase 1 of the orphanage redevelopment project. It was a day to celebrate the achievement of one part of a vision, that of providing safe and secure accommodation for the children of the Kripasaran Buddhist Mission.

 

The new orphanage looks resplendent in its new coat of paint

Five years ago we sat with Pema Bhante and heard of that vision, his vision. Achieving it seemed like an impossible hill to climb – but we had perhaps under-estimated how much can be achieved by people working together. This desire to help the children has brought together a project team of individuals from Darjeeling, Delhi and the UK and supporters around the world with a common purpose, that of fulfilling the vision. DCT is a willing and supportive partner in this process.

 

I had huge pleasure on behalf of Darjeeling Children’s Trust in simultaneously cutting the first ribbon together with Pema Bhante and helping declare the new boys’ dormitories open. Trustees Major Pasang Wangdi and Hugh Heron together with Treasurer Robert Adams also cut ribbons to help declare various rooms open and the event was attended by Mr. Tiwan Dilock, elected Member of the Local Assembly, as guest of honour. He commended the quality of the buildings which have been achieved on a tight budget. Speeches were made and the new buildings were explored.
 

Pema Bhante addressing the crowd

The opening delegation

Attendees enjoying the occasion 

We are aware that there is work still to do. Only part of the vision has been achieved and we must now turn our attention to providing the same standard of accommodation for the girls who continue to live in dark and cramped buildings. They were generous in their excitement on behalf of the boys but are nonetheless looking forward with some excitement and anticipation to the time when they too will have light airy bedrooms with room to play and run around.

 

Future residents watching from the one of the old buildings

Some of the orphanage girls looking forward to it being their turn!

The fixtures, fittings and furniture are now in place

 

An amazing day of song and dance

We gain so many things by taking part in song and dance.

Taking part helps us to learn to work together and be part of a wider community; it trains our memories as we learn words and dance routines; it helps us to develop and mature intellectually and emotionally as we experience the feelings that others have captured in the words they have written or routines they have designed and it gives us insight into our own and others’ cultural heritage.

 

It does not matter that we may not completely understand the words in each others’ songs or that we usually dance to different rhythms and beats. However diverse our beginnings, the sounds of the words and music we hear have the powerful but simple capacity to bring us together. Different countries, diverse beginnings, but one world.

Above all, singing and dancing can give us joy. When so many individual lives are hard and there are so many troubles world wide, the sense of well being that we gain from song and dance is enormous.

Joy cannot be under-rated.
 
On November 2^nd Darjeeling Children’s Trust held its own joyful occasion. Children and young people from the 14 schools which the Trust supports in one way or another, all the sponsored children and 25 young people from the Kripasaran Orphanages came together to celebrate in song and dance.

The hall at Southfield College was at capacity – and more – and support was both vocal and hugely enthusiastic. It was a wonderful occasion. Below are some pictures of the event, which show the colour, vibrancy and variety of the day.

 

 

A visit to the orphanage- a new symbol of peace

Although we glimpsed the new Phase 1 building at the orphanage through gaps in the buildings along Hill Cart Road last Saturday as we reached Darjeeling, we visited it today for the first time. It is wonderful. The outside of the buildings has been painted a deep bright yellow ochre, a colour which Pema Bante told me is symbolic of non-violence and peace. It absolutely glows.

Although some work is still going on – bathrooms are being finished and railings put in place around the balconies – the rooms are light and airy, and the quality of workmanship and finishes impressive. Two views of the building below show how work has progressed. 

Excitement at the orphanage is mounting and two days ago Nima, Major Wangdi’s wife, called all the boys together and instructed them in cleaning windows, floors and anything and everything else that needed it! They then unpacked the new cupboards and put the new bunk beds and tables in place. Apparently though she had trouble stopping them running around trying to decide which bed they would occupy and which cupboard and desk they would share! Hopefully all will be ready for the opening ceremony on November 4th.

If you have doubt that you are changing lives by your donations then think no more. Seeing this is a huge incentive to carry on fundraising for Phase 2. This will provide the staff and administrative accommodation but especially new dormitories for the girls which will ensure they too have a healthy and safe environment.

It is a steep hill to climb. We have about 10,000GBP left in the bank and the need to raise another 180,000 GBP. Pema Bhante is also fund raising hard - for Phase 1 he managed to raise a third of the total cost of 90,000GBP which is a significant achievement in India.

It is stunning that by working together we have been able to accomplish this. An enormous thank you on behalf of the children for your continuing support.

Trustee report from the town

Darjeeling is in festive spirit. The Dusseera puja has recently finished and Divali, the festival of lights, will be on us in two days’ time. Strings of lights hang from shop fronts and are strung across the main shopping street through town. Meanwhile in Chowrasta, the town’s main square where both tourists and locals like to sit in the sunshine and hang out, is festooned with flags. A large stage has been erected and every evening for about three hours the audience is treated to a special cultural festival of song and dance put on by local communities. It is noticeable how much pride and enjoyment all age groups take in both participating and supporting the various acts.

We were drawn into the event on our first evening here when we were spotted in the audience by one of the organizers, ushered to front row seats and our names taken and then a short time later taken onto the stage and honoured by the presentation of khata scarves around our necks – infamy indeed, especially as the event was filmed live on local tv!

But the main business of our visit concerns the children that DCT supports. Preparations are in full swing for the children’s festival on November 2^nd and we have provided an audience for a song and dance rehearsal of some of the sponsored children with Rajib, our music teacher. The children are excited about the festival and are working hard to make it a great day.

At Mahatma Gandhi School DCT has funded the replacement of the roof to the school hall which was previously leaking significantly. Students from that school are dancing two traditional dances and were practicing under the keen eye of Tshering, our travelling librarian. Below, a group of trustees views the roof repairs at the school along with staff and supporters.

Throughout all this the weather continues to clear after the monsoon and the days are fine and sunny. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain dominates the horizon and glistens with its white snows seemingly overseeing all our activities.

We are promised our first view of the new Phase 1 building on the boys’ orphanage site tomorrow; another post will follow soon!

The chance to dance for Darjeeling

The construction work continues in Darjeeling apace in order to get as much work done as possible before the cold weather of winter sets in. The photos below show the progress in the boy's accommodation block: wooden ceilings will help provide additional insulation (important in the mountains and during the monsoon), and the bathrooms have been tiled and plumbed in.

Excitingly, a group of trustees and supporters are heading off to Darjeeling at the end of the week to visit the site and see progress for themselves- more photos and updates will be on their way very soon!

There is exciting news in England too with the date for the second Bricks & Mortar Ball fast approaching. This black tie event is a fundraising ball to help raise the money to move forward with phase 2 of construction: it will be a night of great food, great atmosphere and great entertainment and will feature the opportunity to bid on some top quality prizes that you can't get anywhere else, as part of our live auction. It's being held in the V&A Museum of Childhood, a fantastic and appropriate venue for a top night out.

If you'd like to attend- and it will be a really great night!- please email events@darjeelingchildrenstrust.com and reserve your space. Hurry as tickets are selling out fast!

Here are a couple of photos from last year's event to whet the appetite:

Photos copyright of Arron Leppard

Kitting out the orphanage

DCT trustee Major Wangdi had a very busy time in August carrying out extensive research on the costs and quality of new bunk beds and all the extras now needed to complete the boys’ dormitories. After discussion with Pema Bhante, it was decided to employ a carpenter well known to the Trust to make the beds in situ as this was the best way to ensure provision of sturdy and durable beds which will last for a significant time.

The carpenter has now been employed and as the photos below show, he and his assistant are busy at work in the new building.

Shopping visits are also taking place to Siliguri, the town over 2000 metres below Darjeeling where the plains meet the mountains. This part of the operation is being organised by Nima, Major Wangdi’s wife who provides a huge amount of help to the Trust. She is organising purchase of new high density mattresses, bed sheets, pillows and covers as well as the other extra furniture required. This includes curtains, racks for shoes and umbrellas, plastic buckets, metal storage cabinets for storage of boys’ possessions, and wooden tables and plastic chairs to allow study to take place.

Amazingly the total cost for all these items for 60 boys is £8000 or on an individual basis, £135 per boy which is really good value. 

One of the completed beds, ready to be kitted out

Meet some of the orphanage children

Bathrooms are being tiled, electrics are being installed and all the other jobs associated with a final fitting out are currently in full swing in the new dormitories for the 60 orphanage boys. Excitement is mounting that they will soon be able to move in. When DCT Trustee, Hugh Heron, visited in the spring a few of the boys were away for various reasons. However, fifty three were “at home” and Hugh met and talked to all of them. The boys live there for a number of reasons, but many are there simply because their families cannot afford to support them at home and more especially, pay the small costs of sending them to school.

Two of the boys who are looking forward to moving into the building

In the dining room, anticipating the completion of construction

Some of the boys Hugh met are older and coming to the end of their stay at the orphanage. Uttam is 21 and is currently studying geography at the local municipal college. He acts as a live-in helper to Pema Bhante who seeks to offer shelter to the older boys as long as he can to enable them to continue their studies if that is what they want to do, even though technically the boys should leave when they are 18. It is a difficult matter of trying to make already sparse funding stretch even further to pay for the keep of these young people.

Others such as Anit who was waiting his exam results and who hopes to become a Police Superintendent will probably leave in the near future if he gets the results he wants and is successful in his job application. For boys such as these, the new buildings are too late to make their lives appreciably different as both will soon leave the shelter that the orphanage has given them.

Uttam (above) and Anit (below), two of the young people at the latter end of their time at the orphanage

For the younger boys though, the new buildings will make a huge difference to their lives. Santosh is nine and wants to join the army and Wangchen is ten and would like to become a police officer. Both boys will probably live at the orphanage for the rest of their school lives until they have completed their 10+2 exams when they are 18. Having a better living environment will inevitably be beneficial to their health and wellbeing during those years. There are many boys like Santosh and Wangchen and being in the orphanage offers them the chance to go to school and pass their exams – the first step in getting a better job than their families could ever have imagined and hopefully in starting to escape the cycle of poverty which many are in.

Santosh (above) and Wangchen (below), two of the boys who will benefit from the orphanage redevelopment for years to come

Waiting patiently for a new orphanage to appear