Progress Report: Dec. 2007

From now onwards, we will try to provide updated progress reports of the different projects on the sites of our nunneries.

DRUK AMITABHA MOUNTAIN, KATHMANDU

BEDS for nuns

Thanks mainly to the donation from Lena Tan, Jigme Phende's sister, and also partly to His Holiness's financial support, 150 beds were being made. Many of us have had health problems, due to sleeping on cement floors with very thin layer of floor coverings. But now, this problem is resolved. We are still thinking of making another 100 beds, so that the remaining nuns and the new nuns will also be spared from health problems.

NUNS' QUARTER

The new quarter for the nuns will be ready before Losar. 30 nuns have already moved to the partially completed residential block. About 70 nuns will move to the new blocks, leaving 100 behind in the guesthouse. We still need 2 residential blocks for the remaining 100 nuns and also for the new nuns who will be joining us after Losar.

Once we are able to get funding for the construction of the 2 residential blocks, then visitors, guests and students of His Holiness will be able to stay at the guesthouse. The income generated from room rental at the guesthouse will be used for the maintenance of DGK.

 

Bathrooms and kitchen are also under construction. These should be ready by Losar. We are now using the bathrooms and kitchen at the guesthouse.

CLINIC

The three-storied clinic, sponsored by a Swiss Trust and kind individuals from Switzerland, will be completed by middle of 2008, offering medical facilities to the local villagers and also to the monastic communities on Druk Amitabha Mountain and the neighboring area, such as the monastery of H.E. Trulshik Rinpoche, guru of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa.

 

WATER TANK

The first water tank, sponsored by Drukpa Humanitarian in Europe, will be completed in March 2008. By which time, the tank will be able to begin storing rain water for our daily consumption. Right now, we are using the truck sponsored by the Thong family in Malaysia, to bring water bought in town up to the mountain. This is very costly and time-consuming, but very urgently needed and very practical for us for the time being. Once the water tank is ready, the truck can be used to buy water whenever it is insufficient and during drought periods, and it can also be used to carry food supplies and construction materials up to Druk Amitabha Mountain.

 

COFFEE SHOP

This is a small project sponsored by His Holiness, who is trying his best to find income-generating solutions for DGK. His hope for DGK's future is for us to be self-supportive financially. This coffee shop will hopefully be functional by Losar. 

DRUK GAWAKHIL PADMEDHAN, KORTSA

SOLAR SYSTEM
reported by Dechen Tsogyal, office of Pel Drukpa Charitable Trust

We are delighted to report that we have successfully installed solar water heating system and a submersible pump at Druk Gawakhil Padmedhan nunnery in Kortsa, Ladakh.

PROJECT: 2000LPD Solar water heating system design for Extreme winter at site.

System: Designed supplied & Installed by TATA BP SOLAR INDIA LIMITED

Distance from Leh: 180 Km

Project Specialty: The system has been deigned for through out year use & in extreme and harsh climatic condition. All piping for cold and hot water running pipes has been insulated by using PUFF insulation and rubber Nitral insulation. The cold water and hot water tank mounted on the roof top has been completely insulated to avoid freezing and heat loss.  Not only the hot water system, the bath rooms has been designed for use at extreme climatic condition, the temperature in the bath rooms never goes down to below zero degree, The source of water in the tank comes from Solar water submersible pump, all piping from the pump to the top of the cold water tank has been insulated.

The system has proved successful in the month of October  to December ending , which is the most horrible season in this areas, the temperature goes down to below -30degree, this has already been experienced by the nuns at Gawakhil  Padmedhan Kortsa.

It is very much true as because of  remote location and harsh climatic condition, it is very difficult to get  Laborers’, mason and carpenter, as they are not willing to go there, simply they refused saying, "Even if you pay double, we don’t want to go", as the lay people normally like hustle and bustle.

Anyway, by the blessings of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, everything went very well and  according to His Holiness wishes, the nuns are enjoying hot shower in this freezing winter of minus 35 degree Celsius. Gen Rigzin Fogi  and the nuns helped a lot to make it successful.

These days all the nuns of Gawakhil Padmedhan nunnery Kortsa and Tia Nunnery are in long retreat.

Solar water heating system project Cost: Indian Rs 9,95,000

Solar Pump Cost: Indian Rs 4,35,000

The above costs were sponsored by Drukpa Trust, United Kingdom. The bathrooms were also sponsored by many kind individuals from Europe, Asia and America.

The nuns at Kortsa make their own bathrooms/toilets. They also know how to make bricks. This has saved the labor cost considerably. The savings are used for other purposes.