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 Closing
Ceremony
The 30th of November 2003 will be remembered as a special day in the
history of Tashi Lumpo Monastery, situated in Shigatse, Central Tibet.
On this day, under the blinding winter sun, a ceremony took place to
mark what had been termed the “official closure” of the rehabilitation
and vocational training project for people with disabilities in Tibet.
The project that was initiated in 2002, the first of its kind in this
region of Tibet, brought together the Lama Gangchen World Peace
Foundation (LGWPF) with the Don Gnocchi Foundation and AISPO
(Association for solidarity among populations) and received funding from
the Italian Lombardy Regional Council. However the ceremony, that marked
in particular the end of the participation of the Don Gnocchi
Foundation, was in fact a celebration of the new responsibilities left
to Tashi Lumpo Monastery and Clinic as well as to the Lama Gangchen
World Peace Foundation – Help in Action. As the representatives and
staff of the Don Gnocchi Foundation planned their withdrawal and return
to Italy from the Land of Snow, meetings were underway between Monastery
management and volunteers from Help in Action to determine the best way
forward for the project that has undoubtedly changed the lives of a
number of people in Tibet.
In true Tibetan tradition the office of the new rehabilitation centre,
constructed to house the handicraft workshops, doctors living quarters
and dormitories, where the closing speeches were held was overflowing
with Tibetan hospitality. Flasks of hot salty butter tea, dried cheese,
fruit and other delicacies, usually only seen during the days
celebrating Losar (the Tibetan new year), were abundant as monks bustled
around the room making sure everyone had more than enough to drink and
eat. Present at the ceremony were foreign representatives from Lama
Gangchen World Peace Foundation and Don Gnocchi Foundation, monastery
management, doctors from the Tashi Lumpo Clinic as well as other local
representatives and volunteers of Lama Gangchen’s Foundation.
Venerable Phunla, the head of Tashi Lumpo Monastery, regardless of many
other pressing appointments returned specially to the Monastery from
Lhasa to be present at the ceremony. He began his speech by thanking
those present for the ceremony and went on to thank in particular
Gangchen Rinpoche, founder of the LGWPF, for making he said: “the
project possible at all”. Phunla then went on to address the two
physiotherapists who have passed long periods of time in Tibet working
for the project: “Renzo and Laura have had to overcome many difficulties
including those of altitude, weather and culture. What they have managed
to do here will be helpful in the future to those who work in the
hospital”. He then went on to offer the full support of the monastery to
the future of the project: “From our side we are doing our best not to
waste the opportunity that we have been given. This project gives us the
chance to benefit sentient beings and in particular to benefit those
people with disabilities. As monks this is our dedication. You have
given us a base to do this job, and now the Monastery must take upon
itself the full responsibility”.
Project manager Massimo Ferrario, in Tibet for his second visit, was the
next to speak. “I can now see the results of two years work – he began –
the 8000 km separating Italy and Tibet are very long, but here we are
trying to share our experiences”. He went on to offer words of
encouragement to the Monastery: “ You have a lot of experience in
Tibetan traditional medicine and we have some experience in treating
disabled people, the best thing is to join these to get the best result
for the people. The important thing is to share experiences and achieve
something positive”.
Trying to bridge the huge gap that exists between attitudes and services
for people with disabilities in the two countries he went on to explain:
“In our country we usually see disabled people living a normal life.
They have a good quality of life. In Tashi Lumpo Clinic I have seen
people with different disabilities trying to benefit from physiotherapy.
This is not just about physiotherapy, but a connecting point between
traditional medicine and new ideas. By joining these two we can help to
achieve a better quality of life for disabled people. This concept is
important. We have very different cultures and realities that need to
connect. We do not want to cancel your tradition but supplement it.” He
closed his speech by saying: “ Every project has a start and an end. Now
we are celebrating the end of this project but it is very important for
Tashi Lumpo Monastery to find a way to continue”.
Sharon Dawson, representative of Lama Gangchen and his Foundation and a
Help in Action volunteer took the chance to assure Venerable Phunla and
the monastery that help and support, both practical and financial, would
as usual be offered through Lama Gangchen’s Foundation. The Foundation
since many years has valued and supported the charitable work of Tashi
Lumpo Monastery and Clinic, that offer medical care and treatment to the
poorest in the area for a symbolic cost, by making significant donations
to the Monastery. Lama Gangchen was also responsible for the recent
building of shower blocks and providing hot running water to the
Monastery that desperately needed to improve the level of hygiene. Lama
Gangchen has stressed since the beginning of the project the need for
the Monastery, already famous for its social work, to expand the
facilities provided from the Clinic to include help for disabled and
elderly people who are often left alone and forgotten in extremely
difficult conditions.
Venerable Phunla closed the ceremony by presenting the representatives
from the Don Gnocchi Foundation and Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation
with katags (white ceremonial scarves) and gifts.
A plaque carrying a special inscription in Tibetan, English and Italian
to commemorate the project was placed at the entrance of the centre.
 Party
at Tashi Lumpo Clinic
Following the official ceremony, held at the new rehabilitation and
vocational training centre, a much more relaxed and informal gathering
took place on the roof of Tashi Lumpo Clinic. The monk-doctors of the
clinic, eager to show their appreciation of the project had prepared an
elaborate tea party.
Doctor Tsepun, the head of the Clinic expressed, on behalf of all the
staff, his gratitude for the new ideas and skills introduced into the
everyday working practice of the Clinic. He explained how they had seen
great improvements in all the patients treated over the two years, and
that they had come to understand that there was in fact a great deal
that could be done for people with disabilities. During staff
discussions all the doctors working in the Clinic had agreed that the
knowledge and techniques passed to them by Laura Negri and Renzo
Pezzini, staff of the Don Gnocchi Foundation, during the duration of
their stay in Tibet were extremely valuable and that from their point of
view the project had been a great success.
Dr Tsepun presented the western representatives of the
Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation and Don Gnocchi Foundation with
katags (ceremonial scarves) and gifts of traditional Tibetan
handicrafts. According to monastic tradition, and upon the request of
Lama Gangchen, a small
gift and donation was given to each monk working in the clinic as well
as to those who had worked for the project by Help in Action. Massimo
Ferrario presented on behalf of the Don Gnocchi Foundation commemorative
medals to Dr Tsepun and Kachen Wangchuk, the project secretary. He also
presented notebooks and pens to the monks who had followed the
physiotherapy training.
Later Doctor Tsepun and the clinic staff took the opportunity to make
the most of modern technology by recording on video a message to Lama
Gangchen in which they thanked him for bringing this important project
to Tashi Lumpo and requested him to continue his support of the clinic.
 Young
Patients
“Rehabilitation and vocational training for people with disabilities in
Tibet” was the grand aim and title bestowed upon this project proposed
by the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, Don Gnocchi Foundation and
Aispo. However, we must remember that it is far too easy to get caught
up in words, plans, budgets and bureaucracy and forget that humanitarian
aid projects of this nature are created and exist because of real
people. People who have lives and problems that we cannot possibly
imagine and hopefully never have to experience. Projects of this kind
have the power to relieve suffering and improve the quality of life of
numbers of people. This project, for example, has changed the life of
Nyma Puti, Tse Lhamo, Jamyang Chonzo and his family, Lobsang Tenzin…
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Nyma Puti is just 13 years old but is
already a key player in the care of her 10-year-old cousin Tse
Lhamo. Before Tse Lhamo received the gift of a wheelchair Nyma Puti
would carry her cousin on her back… Now, Nyma, in a short time, has
learnt how to manoeuvre expertly the wheelchair confidently
negotiating steps and corners.
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Jamyang Chonzo is small for his 9
years, but what he misses in size he makes up with enthusiasm and
speed. There is no stopping Jamyang now that Renzo has made for him
a special walking frame. Jamyang got the hang of how to use the
frame in minutes and confidently takes a rest every now and again by
sitting on the crossbar.
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Lobsang Tenzin, one of the children
chosen for physiotherapy treatment at the beginning of the project
has made amazing progress. Initially unsteady on his feet and unable
or unwilling to move by himself Lobsang, who has cerebral palsy, is
now much more confident in his movement and is walking unaided.
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Tenzin Shelock has multiple problems
but is blessed by a family that love him deeply. Coming from a
remote village area Tenzin’s mother decided to remain in Shigatse,
after receiving the possibility to attend physiotherapy at Tashi
Lumpo Clinic, in an attempt to improve Tenzin’s condition. Laura has
concentrated on including the mother of Tenzin in the therapeutic
sessions so that she can continue the exercises even if she is
unable to attend the clinic.
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Tenzin Chontze has a smile that can
light up a room; he is a good student and likes nothing better than
to get his hands on the computer! Another recipient of a wheelchair
he initially refused to use it, preferring a family member carry
him. However, as he has slowly got used to seeing other children in
the clinic using their wheelchairs his confidence has grown and his
embarrassment lessened and hopefully he will begin to make the most
of his newfound mobility.
 Tashi
Lumpo Clinic
Tashi Lumpo Monastery is today considered to be one of the largest and
most important monasteries in Tibet. Constructed in the 15th Century by
the first Panchen Lama, who unable to finish the work left his close
disciple Panchen Zangpo Tashi the commitment of completing the project,
the monastery is now home to approximately 800 monks and is the
traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas (the second highest religious
authority in Tibet). It is in this monastery, thanks to the dedication
and commitment of the monks, that many of the oldest and most sacred
religious traditions were saved from destruction and preserved for the
future generations.
However, it is not only the religious teachings that are preserved
intact and kept alive in this monastery, the unique traditional medical
and healing systems of the Himalayas have also survived and are thriving
under the guardianship of the medical centre created within the walls of
the monastery.
It is within the monastic structure that the poorest and most needy of
Shigatse, and the surrounding villages in Central Tibet, find some
repose from both their mental and physical suffering. Along with the
first pilgrims of the day also arrive the weak and sick, knowing that
here they will find for a symbolic cost the care, understanding and
treatment that is unaffordable to them in other establishments. In fact,
the monk-doctors in this clinic receive on average 150 patients a day.
Trained principally in traditional Tibetan medicine the monk-doctors
have also received basic training in allopathic diagnosis, treatment and
medicine. Here, these two systems that may seem opposite to us work
together, complementing and supporting each other. As well as pulse
diagnosis the doctors have on hand equipment to measure blood pressure
and an electro-cardiograph machine. Antibiotics are as much a regular
feature in the pharmacy as acupuncture needles and the traditional
compositions of herbs, flowers and minerals. Referrals to specialists
are as common as referrals to lamas and monks who carry out spiritual
and healing practices that a person may require. In Tashi Lumpo Clinic
the body and mind of the patient is treated as one, and both are given
equal importance.
It was in fact after visiting all the other available medical
establishments in Shigatse that a representative from the Don Gnocchi
Foundation, understanding the true value of the Clinic, requested that
Tashi Lhumpo Monastery act as a base for the proposed project for people
with disabilities. Thanks to the long and sincere relationships that
Lama Gangchen has developed over years of humanitarian aid work in
Tibet, he was able to quickly gain the support not only of Tashi Lumpo
Monastery but also of the local and regional government officials.
Regardless of their many other commitments, to both the local community
and spiritual life of the Monastery, Doctor Tsepun (head of Tashi Lumpo
Clinic) and all the other monk-doctors staffing the clinic, accepted
whole heartedly to participate in the project. At the very beginning of
the project, as well as offering a piece of land to house the new
vocational training facilities, the Monastery also released space in the
clinic to create a gymnasium, for physiotherapy treatment, an office and
workshop. Monk-doctors were also nominated to follow the training, in
the art of physiotherapy, carried out by a member of staff from the Don
Gnocchi Foundation.
Now, two years later, when the Clinic closes its doors to the general
public it opens its arms to welcome a number of disabled children who
are fortunate enough to receive physiotherapy treatment from dedicated
people who have seen the benefits and accepted new techniques in order
to offer the best possible solution to their small patients.
 Vocational
Training Centre
The harsh climatic conditions of Tibet have taken their toll on the
construction housing the handicraft workshops and doctors living
quarters. Sub zero temperatures, harsh winds and a scorching sun are
just some of the elemental challenges that have added to the necessity
to make a few repairs to the building that is already passing its second
winter. During the repairs, the opportunity was also taken to clean and
prepare the building for the ceremony.
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Views from the outside of the
building.
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Views from inside the protective wall.
Special features have ensured that the building is accessible to
those with mobility difficulties.
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Luxury bathroom facilities, with
running water, have created quite a stir amongst the people using
the centre.
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Monks from the monastery and local
people lending a helping hand to make sure the building is spick and
span for the ceremony.
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New prayer flags and curtains hung to
replace the old ones, created a feeling of festivity.
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Doctor Tsepun confers with the
secretary of Tashi Lumpo Monastery to finalise the arrangements for
the ceremony.
 Handicraft
Workshops
Tibet has an ancient and precious handicraft heritage: carpet and cloth
weaving, woodcarving, the painting on canvas of sacred images,
sculpture, embroidery and metalwork.
Art is often closely related to the profound spirituality of Tibet, and
over the centuries the monasteries have been the most important
custodians.
During the years of the cultural revolution this rich artistic patrimony
was also at risk of being lost: His Holiness the Xth Panchen Lama in the
80’s therefore initiated at the Monastery of Tashi Lumpo various
handicraft workshops, creating an important reference point for the
preservation of this fundamental aspect of the Tibetan tradition.
Around this original central point, today the activities of the new
centre for people with disabilities, annexed to the monastery, are
developing. Looms of differing sizes for the realisation of carpets, as
well as the traditional cloths and aprons, sewing machines, equipment
and tools for woodcarving and for the sacred painting of religious
images on canvas are all used under the able guidance of teachers and
experts and are adapted to the specific needs of each person.
People with disabilities, coming from villages outside of Shigatse, have
the possibility of staying at the Centre with a companion or family
member and are also offered the possibility of attending therapeutic
rehabilitation in Tashi Lumpo Clinic.
In just a few months of school it is possible to learn how to spin and
weave wool or to make the traditional colourful hand-woven apron, that
all married Tibetan women wear; it is also possible to learn how to make
small carpets from Tibetan wool, an indispensable fixture in the village
houses where people sit and sleep on the cold pavement or beaten earth.
With a sewing machine it is possible to make a “chuba”, the traditional
dress worn by both women and men of Tibet, covers and decorations in
multi-coloured brocade or cloth picture frames for the sacred paintings,
clothes for monks or the shoulder bags they commonly use.
Other people might be more adapted to painting the colourful ornaments
that are used to decorate the walls, the doors and the window of the
houses in Tibetan villages, where otherwise due to the arid climate the
only other colours would be the blue of the sky and the burnt brown
colour of the earth; or even realise the designs used for the carpets
and cloth, or simply carve from wood everyday objects such as bowls,
spoons, looms, butter churns.
All the activities are chosen according to the inclination of the
individual person, as well as upon their specific difficulty.
At the end of the course, held at the Centre, the disabled person
receives as a gift the working tools that have been adapted to their
needs. In this way they can return to their home or village of origin to
continue the activity and if needed there is always the possibility to
return to the Centre to improve their knowledge.
Thanks to this precious gift a life, marked by dependency, feelings of
uselessness and frustration can ultimately be transformed into a
dignified life, full of meaning and autonomy. In this way both the
physical and mental weight forced upon the disabled person and their
family can be lifted.
 Village
Life
The inhabitants of the isolated villages scattered throughout the
Shigatse region in Central Tibet have a simple but extremely hard life.
Here, people survive from subsistence farming on mountainous terrain and
tending livestock. People are often constrained to look for jobs on road
construction or collecting and breaking the stones used for construction
to supplement their income and enable the survival of themselves and
their children. In this kind of life, for these families, every pair of
hands count. In villages that have remained the same for centuries,
modern technology has had little or no effect on everyday life: clean
water for drinking and cooking needs to be carried from the nearest
water source, fuel for heating and cooking needs to be collected daily
and stored for the winter, the commonest (and often only) form of
transport is by foot… There is no electricity or heating, no drains or
running water, no roads or shops, no doctor’s surgery, no hospital and
no social services. The elderly and disabled are often excluded from the
day to day life and chores due to the heavy physical nature of the work.
In this context, people with disabilities become a silent and hidden
population, relying fully upon their families and community.
The Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Project at Tashi Lumpo
Monastery intends to offer new hope to these very people. Training
people with disabilities in a handicraft skill, which they can later
carry out within their own home, will not only offer them independence
but also allow them to play an active role in the economic and social
life of their families and wider community.
However, due to the travelling distances and lack of transport to and
from the villages it would be impossible for people to attend vocational
training classes on a daily basis. For this reason we need to provide
Tashi Lumpo Monastery with the resources to help the people who would
benefit the most from the handicraft training programmes.
If you would like to participate in covering the expenses, essentially
room and board, of a person with disabilities from a village to enable
them to following a course of training or help to provide a person with
disabilities with the necessary equipment and materials to become
independent in their own village, donations can be sent to:
Lama Gangchen Kiurok Tsochun – Help in Action
Banca Popolare di Sondrio – Agency 13
Account Number: 7770/67
Bank codes: Cab: 1612 Abi: 5696
IT58 D056 9601 6120 0000 2877 X24 SWIFTPOSOIT22.
Please specify Rehabilitation and Vocational Training Project on any
bank transactions.
 New
services bringing hope
article from Peace Times 19 - March 2003
Tashi Lumpo Monastery in Tibet providing a
base for rehabilitation and vocational training facilities that offer
better chances for people with disabilities
Organising a trip to Tibet can be a daunting and complicated task, even
for experienced travellers: ticket, visa, guide, translator... Numerous
preparations, preoccupations and unanswered questions about the weather,
equipment, altitude sickness and of course the necessary travel
documents and permits. It was only when my aeroplane landed at Lhasa
Airport last October that I was able to utter a sigh of relief, relax
and delight in the sight of the brilliant blue sky and the snow capped
mountains. I had finally made it.
With only two weeks to make the most of this golden opportunity on the
roof of the world I headed from the airport directly to Shigatse, the
second largest city in Tibet. Four hours of swerving mountain roads to
enjoy the spectacular scenery and watch the dramatic changes in the
landscape.
The abundance of ripe corn in mid-harvest I saw at the beginning of my
journey near Lhasa slowly dwindled as we approached the much drier and
rockier terrain of the Shigatse area. Despite the breathtaking beauty of
the view, the sight of entire families scratching away at stony rubble
in a desperate and backbreaking attempt to cultivate at least some crops
to get them through the long winter made tears of sadness come to my
eyes. The problems of organising the trip quickly dissolved from my mind
as I saw the frustrating task that some people face everyday of their
life to provide themselves and their families with enough food to live.
As I stepped out of the car outside the hotel in Shigatse I was welcomed
by representatives from Tashi Lumpo Monastery (one of the largest
monasteries in Tibet) who presented me with ceremonial scarves and
offered me fruit and drink. An official welcome because I was not in
Tibet just as a simple tourist but I was in Tibet as a representative of
Lama Gangchen and his Foundation.
In recent years Lama Gangchen Kiurok Tsochun - Help in Action, the
humanitarian aid association of the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation
(LGWPF), has completed many important works in Tibet. The Foundation has
dedicated itself to providing some of the poorest and most needy people
in Tibet with primary healthcare, educational and sanitary
infrastructures with the aim of raising the standard of living for
people who, in an environment where everything from the altitude to
severe climatic conditions go against them, have a difficult and arduous
enough life. But this year, 2002, saw the start of yet another important
project for the Foundation. The first of its kind in this region of
Tibet, the project, a collaboration between LGWPF-Help in Action, Don
Gnocchi Foundation and the Association for Solidarity Amongst
Populations AISPO, unites the diverse knowledge and skills of three
important organisations in order to create rehabilitation and vocational
training facilities for people with disabilities. Work on this project,
which was granted part funding by the Italian Lombardy Regional Council,
had already been underway for three months when I arrived in Tibet. As a
volunteer of LGWPF I was in Shigatse to help, if possible, and view the
progress of this new project.
Until you have visited the villages in this area of Tibet it is
impossible to imagine the poverty and desperate living conditions of the
people. The houses, generally made from mud bricks, have no supply of
electricity or running water, no bathrooms or even windows; people and
animals live together in the same spaces, sleeping in rooms blackened by
soot from the smoky stoves. Yak dung is often plastered on the walls of
the house and left to dry as it will become an important source of fuel
in the winter. Little furniture, no wardrobes and old sacks are the only
blankets available to protect the inhabitants against the bitter cold of
the winter months.
The only forms of livelihood for these villagers are those of
subsistence farming on the dry and rocky terrain or caring for
livestock. There are no shops, no roads, no drains, no telephones, no
hospitals... A harsh reality for most people.
Now try to imagine how it would be if you had a disability. The very
nature of the living conditions in these villages excludes many people
with disabilities from having independent and valuable roles within
their families and the wider community. This project was created to
offer solutions to some of the problems faced by people with
disabilities, and has the aims of providing rehabilitation facilities
and vocational training.
The first visit I made was to the Clinic of Tashi Lumpo Monastery. Built
in the 16th Century and the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the
golden roofs of this Monastery dominate the skyline of the city of
Shigatse. The Monastery is home to approximately 800 monks and other
than observing spiritual and cultural traditions it provides a sanctuary
for the poorest people of the region in need of medical care. The
monk-doctors staffing the Clinic, situated in the grounds of the
Monastery, visit an average of 150 patients a day for a token fee. It is
here in this Monastery that the poorest of the local community find
relief from their physical and mental suffering. However, these
dedicated doctors, trained principally in traditional medical systems,
often find themselves impotent when confronted with cases of handicap.
It was in this Clinic that I could see the first signs of the project at
work. The two therapists, Renzo Pezzini and Laura Negri, sent by Don
Gnocchi Foundation (one of the most important Italian organisations
working in aid of people with disabilities) have been present in Tashi
Lumpo Clinic since August. The Clinic has provided the project with
office, consultation and workshop spaces and with the full support of
the management of Tashi Lumpo Monastery, a number of monk-doctors have
been given the possibility to learn the art of physiotherapy according
to the western medical system.
The consultation room has already been transformed into a physiotherapy
gym, under the guidance of the Italian experts, with treatment beds,
mirrors, supportive cushions and other simple but important pieces of
materials and aids.
Laura, in the past months, has gone to great efforts to prepare teaching
materials and has patiently covered some basic theory of physiotherapy
and, through the use of practical demonstrations, has already enabled
the doctors to begin treating their first patients under her
supervision. The four patients currently receiving treatment, chosen
from the results of an initial screening made by Dr. Fabio Cimorelli
during his 2 week stay in August, are all young people who previously
would have had no hope of improving their conditions. Now, even after
this relatively short time, the first benefits can already be seen, an
encouraging sign for the therapists, doctors and patients alike. In the
future, it is planned that this facility will be made available to as
many people as possible from the local area.
Nearby, in the small workshop, Renzo has been hard at work searching for
suitable materials and methods to make crutches to replace the often
ingenious but badly made ones that are commonly in use and that can
aggravate physical problems. A person’s mobility and posture can
immediately be improved through the use of a well designed aid. Several
pairs of crutches have already been made and distributed to people in
need.
On another site, to the left hand side of the main entrance of the
Monastery, another more ambitious part of the project is underway. A
valuable piece of land (804 square metres) belonging to the monastery,
considered a cultural heritage site by the china tourist board, has been
offered to house a new construction dedicated to the project. Since work
on the foundations was started on the 5th of October, more than 50
people have been working around the clock to finish the construction in
the shortest possible time. With temperatures dropping daily, the
completion of these building works is of major importance and the
priority of the project, before the severe weather conditions completely
halt the work.
The building, destined to be the nerve-centre of the vocational training
facility, is comprised of three segments. The first segment, made in the
traditional Tibetan style, consists of five rooms to be used as
dormitories and kitchen; the second segment, made from cement blocks,
consists of workshop space, a storeroom and an office; the third and
last segment consists of two bedrooms with attached bathrooms and two
rooms to be used as kitchen and living areas for visiting doctors and
therapists. Toilet facilities, complete with running water, have also
been provided for the dormitory and workshop areas and will be a luxury
for those fortunate enough to attend the centre.
When completed, the rooms of the centre will open up onto a terrace and
small garden, and a wall will enclose and protect the whole
construction. Opposite the building is situated the monastery orchard
and the plans include gates which will allow access to this haven of
peace and tranquillity. The centre will be accessible from the main
entrance of the monastery by car. Renzo, in particular, has been
following these building works with interest as one of his particular
areas of expertise is in reducing and avoiding as much as possible
architectural barriers, that in themselves can disable even further a
person with a handicap. Following his advice, door frames have been
widened, windows lowered and ramps and hand railing have been planned.
The building however has been made respecting traditional building
techniques and forms, and facilities - sensitive to those available to
these people in their everyday life - are planned as the aim of the
project is to teach people how to live independently within their own
environments. When completed, this building will host and train people
with disabilities in basic life skills and a range of traditional
handicrafts, some of which are in danger of disappearing. It is hoped
that in the future sales of these handicrafts from the workshop - to the
many tourists who visit Tashi Lumpo Monastery - will provide an income
that will allow the project to become self-sustaining.
To get some idea of these handicrafts and to judge the level of skill,
physical dexterity and equipment needed, so we could begin buying
materials and preparing for the next stage of the project, it was
necessary to investigate some of the nearby workshops. Within walking
distance of the Monastery, we found everything we were looking for and
thanks to the good name of Tashi Lumpo Monastery, doors opened and we
were allowed to move freely among the many workshops. It was fascinating
to watch the craftsmen hard at work making beautiful clay statues of
Buddhist divinities, to see the concentration and skill of the artists
painting intricate designs on canvas, and the women bent for hours over
sewing machines to produce amazingly colourful quilted door covers...
As I watched the building taking shape, saw the doctors treating
patients, visited nearby villages and listened to local people, I began
to understand just how important a project of this kind will be for the
local community. Doctor Tsepun, a mine of information with his many
years of experience in Tashi Lumpo Clinic and a well known character in
the local community, explained with great clarity the problems and
difficulties that he felt people with disabilities faced. In fact, his
particular concern is for those people living in the villages that he
describes as being deprived of any form of care and assistance. People
deprived hope. The training centre he says will address some of the
problems faced not only by people with disabilities themselves but also
those of their families.
Teaching people basic self care and living skills will allow people not
only to have a higher degree of independence but will also enable them
to take on chores in the home, alleviating other family members from
what can be time consuming burdens. This, he continues, in the villages,
will be considered just as important as having a skill or trade and on
the same note reminds that the help has to be extended beyond the
physical boundaries of the new centre. People chosen to attend the
centre will need handicraft equipment, such as their individually
adapted loom or sewing machine, and materials so they can continue their
chosen work back at home.
I was also very fortunate during my visit to attend meetings with
Venerable Punla, the Head of Tashi Lumpo Monastery. In these meetings
Punla praised the efforts of the Italian therapists for their work and
thanked Lama Gangchen and the project organisation for helping to
develop the activities of the Clinic. He pledged the full support of the
Monastery to the project and has actively demonstrated this support by
arranging all the essential background preparations. Appointed at the
beginning of the project the administrative secretary, Kachen
Wangchuk-la (a Tashi Lumpo monk and close collaborator and friend since
many years of Help in Action), has organised and carried out the
complicated job of attaining planning and building permission for the
construction, making the necessary documents from the local authorities
for the running of the project, keeping accounts and so on. Already
famous in Tibet for the medical support they give to the poor of the
area, the monks of Tashi Lumpo, motivated by a profound sense of
compassion, are dedicated to expanding their activities so as to help as
many people as possible, and are devoted to the prospect of meeting the
needs of some of the most forgotten people of their land.
I visited Tibet as a volunteer. I am not a doctor and not a therapist. I
am not able to put names to the diseases or handicaps that I have seen.
I am not capable to judge if a therapy has been successful or if a
condition can be improved or not. I am, like so many others, just an
able bodied person living in a world that has been created for me to
live in and so I have remained ignorant to the problems that people with
disabilities might meet in their daily life. Problems that,
unfortunately, are only too real. I did however, during my visit to
Tibet see the faces of children light up with smiles and expressions of
eagerness when about to start painful and sometimes uncomfortable
therapy. Smiles that communicate to me, without the need for words or
translation, the happiness and hope those children now feel for a better
future.
Projects, such as this one, have many different functions. They are not
only about building and enabling people with disabilities to live
independent and dignified lives but they also serve to open the eyes and
hearts of people like you and me to the plights that many other people
have to suffer in silence. Please, help us to support this project and
change the life of someone in need...
Sharon Dawson
View of Tashi Lumpo Clinic where
therapist from Don Gnocchi Foundation are training monks in
physiotherapy
Part of the new construction that will
house the handicraft workshops
A monk-doctor of Tashi Lhumpo Clinic
treating a young patient
Official welcoming of project staff by
Tashi Lumpo Monastery in August 2002
Group photo of Tashi Lumpo Clinic
doctors
Handmade crutches
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