Sponsoring at Tso Pema - by Chloe

Preparations for sponsorship at Tso Pema

Day 4 – Tso Pema, Himachal Pradesh, India.  We were dropping off a sponsorship to a Tibetan lama.  While there we met an older woman who was on the sponsorship list from last year and nobody had volunteered to sponsor her.  She started to cry and her desperation was palpable ... and it broke our hearts.  This was just one reminder to us of the value of this work.  That $200 can change someone’s life for a year; the cost of 4 weeks of cappuccinos in Australia!

Many recipients were in tears of gratitude when they received their sponsorship money, to think that there is someone on the other side of the world to care enough to give them money to survive. 

The honour and privilege our family felt to witness and be a part of this process which makes such a strong bond with the people, was immense.  As my daughter Mallory said, these people have so little, but gave us so much grace, gratitude, joy and love.  We went there thinking we were helping, but in fact received so very much.

There are so many stories, too many to share here.  But if anybody wants to know more and feels the desire to hear some first hand accounts, please feel free to contact any of us through Pantha.

It was such a wonderful, wonderful experience.  We would highly recommend  anyone to take the opportunity Pantha offers to journey with her to these beautiful settings and meet these astounding people.  We not only got to witness  the importance of these sponsorships to them, but also felt profoundly accepted, nurtured and humbled by them both as individuals, and as a community .

Mallory, Graeme & Chloe

Tso Pema School - by Mallory

Mallory & the kids

 Many thanks to Mallory for this special guest post

DAY TRIP TO SCHOOL

On Friday I was given the opportunity to spend a day at the Tibetan school.

I think the memory of that day will stay with me my whole life. It was one of the most amazing experiences that I have been able to take part of in my life. I wouldn’t trade the memory of the kind children for anything.

When I arrived at the school the kids were doing an exercise outside so sat down on a chair and watched. After that all of the younger students came up to me to shake my hand and say good morning. From that time I new the day was going to begin. The older students went to class to start work while the younger kids started to play with blocks. I was still sitting on a chair with two of the teachers while a hand full of young girls were cuddling the teachers. It was so lovely to see this because I saw how much the kids respected the teachers and the teachers respected the kids back. Then one little girl grabbed my hand and led me over to where all of the other children were playing. She sat me down on a cushion while a group of girls swarmed me with blocks and pretended it was make up. In a way I was glad they didn’t have real make up other wise my face would have had fifteen different lip sticks, eye shadow blush etc.

Then a little puppy decided to join us. I was consistently telling the children to be gentle with it and they were. The love all of the young kids had was just wonderful.

I then played a coupe of rounds of badminton with various children and teachers while two little kids were fighting over who got to give me the birdy after it had fallen onto the ground.

After that my parents cam to look at the school and all of the kids were in class. After my parents left I sat into one of the classes and watched the boys learn English. After that period everyone sat down and ate lunch.

After I finished my meal that was very tasty three girls lead me to a class room where there were a swarm of kids drawing on the black board.

At the end of the day all of the younger students and I were sitting in a circle while the kids were singing and two girls were hugging my arms and giving me kisses.

The whole day couldn’t of been better. I realised that all of the children didn’t have much yet they seemed like the happiest children I have ever met. They were happy to go to school and learn. Another thing that really made me smile was the love that the older children bestowed to the children younger then them. The older boys looked after the younger kids as if they were related. It was a reall small school with around 42 children and the really were just like one big family! I am so glad I was able to have the privilege to visit the school and I would visit again if I could in a heart beat!

Tso Pema Days 1-3 Feb 2010

Day 1 14^th Feb

Today begins as a blur. Off to Delhi airport at 4.30 am … luckily after all the check in & security cues there is still time for a very strong coffee before flying to Bhuntar.

Arrive in Tso Pema at lunchtime. The street is full of Losar (new year) pilgrims saying their prayers as they circle the lake. The sun is shining brightly.

Walk with Sonam to visit his wife who is sick in bed. Their landlady has installed a couple of other people in the bedroom & hallway so their once beautiful flat is now a minor hell realm. They and all their possessions are cramped in the lounge room which the new tenants walk through to use the bathroom or kitchen but they are stuck there til the peak season finishes & there are other flats available to rent…no wonder she is sick I can only stand it for half an hour.

Back at the lake I meet Dr Dorjee’s widow. The pain of her grief is so tangible … she comes back to my room to cry and tell me all the details of his passing. Feel so inadequate in the face of her suffering but comfort her as best as I can. She dreams of him every night & can’t believe he is gone, neither can I.

Phew, time for a kora (circumambulation) Most of the small Tibetan shops & street stalls are closed for their annual holiday & I don’t see any one familiar. Then a shriek as Lhakar sees me, she is so happy, her daughter is here for school holidays. I haven’t seen Tashi Lhamo since she started boarding school four years ago & its wonderful to see how much she has grown and how well & happy she is. Lhakar is so proud, she tells me Tashi Lhamo is the first girl in her family ever to go to school. They invite me for dinner, homemade noodle soup, made with love, yum.

Day 2 15^th Feb

Wake up at 3am shivering, already wearing my jumper so put on hat & coat & crawl back under the blankets. Breakfast at Kora Café inc very strong Indian coffee. Vijay & his staff are always so happy & friendly it’s a great way to start the day. Most of the day spent discussing the school & what to do now. Fortunately his wife is very keen to continue Dr Dorjee’s vision of providing nursery age kids with a valuable beginning to school life. She plans to open again after winter vacation on 2^nd March & then we will see how many students for 2010 (probably around 50). The young monks who also attending the school are ringing her regularly, keen to begin again.

Back to their house for dinner with Ngawang Phagpa, the monk who works tirelessly for the school. Dr Dorjee’s young son is surprisingly affectionate, he tells me how much he misses his father & even wants a cuddle! I’m quite surprised as he used to just poke his tongue out at me. His mum says he wakes up every morning crying & scared she has died in the night.

Day 3 16^th Feb

Even though I go to bed wearing a jumper, scarf, hat & coat I wake again at 3 shivering. I get up and make some tea to warm me.

Thakpa’s shop is open again & he comes to collect all the parcels Helen sent with me. I go to their house for lunch & his young son is having a great time playing with all the toy cars she sent him.

Meet the nurse from the Health Centre & hear all the sickness & accidents news. Nana has broken her hip, Gen Jinpa has been diagnosed with throat cancer, Tulku Choying Rangdrol has something wrong that the hospital in Mandi cant diagnose. They think it is from him suffering extended torture before his escape to India. Tenpa who taught monks at a gonpa here has severe liver damage & cant get out of bed. Thanks to sponsors kindness we arrange to buy some more basic medicine for the health centre.

Have dinner with the family from Pundah Café. So nice to be with a happy healthy family. They show me a video of last year losar celebration in Lhasa & tell me all the stories from their family. Their young daughter is also home for holidays, I haven’t seen her for years, she grows more & more beautiful & speaks very good English now. She was one of the first children here to be sponsored but last year her sponsor didn’t reply … I hope I can find her a new sponsor but she is 12 now & its always harder to find for the older children. She plans to become a doctor & I’m sure she is capable. They offer me orange wine, strange taste but warming!

Lhakar & Tashi Lhamo