Rainbow Over Yangthang

I am happy to announce that the Yangthang READ Centre was formally launched on May 27, 2015. This day shall be remembered as the beginning of a new era in my village and as the beginning of many good changes to come. Village elders came to me and placed their thumbs on my nose in appreciation.

They knew that the centre was funded and built by READ Bhutan and I had nothing significant to do with it but they were simply happy with me because they think I was one among very few who kept in touch with the roots back in the village and done something beyond mere annual visits.

With completion of Yangthang READ Centre, READ Bhutan has completed seven centres across Bhutan in their effort to improve quality of rural lives. On behalf of my village I have expressed our gratitude to READ Bhutan team, and I have asked Mr. Stevens, the READ Global’s Asia Regional Director, to convey the same to our sponsors, the students of Singapore American School (SAS), Singapore.

The centre in my village, like all other enters, has a Library, a Computer Lab, an Audiovisual Room, a Conference Room, a Women Section, a Child Section and an outdoor park. These seven services are like the colours of the rainbow that has finally fallen in my otherwise backward village.

The Rainbow

As believers of signs and symbolism, we were overjoyed when during the opening ceremony my village was haloed by a real rainbow. I personally took this as a very good omen.

Once Upon a Time

Then ....

and Finally now: The READ Centre

The Children in my village and villages nearby can visit the centre any time to use the service or just use the space for completing their assignments. Preschool children can come and play at the centre with educational manipulative while the parents are busy working in the field and forest. The elderly people can sit on the soft cushions in the AV room and watch TV all day (Most households don't have TV). And there will be regular training for women empowerment through skill training such as knitting, weaving and tailoring that will improve the quality of their lives. Health education for general public and creative sessions for children will happen from time to time. All good things are coming. 

The Library. Seen in pic are Mr. Stevens, Ms.Karma Lhazom and Mr. Nawang P.

Celebration

The Thee Builders telling their tales

Our Funders, the students of Singapore American School (SAS), Singapore. Pic: Ganesh, READ Bhutan

During their visit in Spring. Pic Ganesh, READ Bhutan

I was given to speak at the end of the opening program during which I spoke a bit about the kind of childhood I had in the village. Though we were connected with road even before I was born our lifestyle was very primitive, and the kind of childhood games we played could shock anybody today. When I left my village to study in Paro, I was already in grade two but I still struggled with alphabets. It took me many years to catch up with the rest of the children of my age.

Another worrying factor in my village was the number of school dropouts. It's every family's good dream to see their children do well and live a meaningful life but somehow most of our children find it hard to cope with the rest of the students in their schools and finally give up and return to the village. 

Now I am hopeful that the centre will provide all the opportunities and exposure the lucky children get to my village children and make the next generation of Yangtobs ready the any kind of future that awaits them beyond our village.

My Special gratitude to my dear friend Nawang Phuntsho, through whom I knew about READ Bhutan and its activities, and for helping me and my village right from the beginning; Mr. Ganesh Chhetri for being their on the ground and working with the villagers during the entire period, and for all the positive energy he has shared with my folks; Ms. Karma Lhazom, the country director for being very supportive of the projects from day one. In fact her first official visit after her appointment was to my village. May the blessings of my villages elders and the local deities be with you throughout your lives. 

Knights' Corner- A WAB Book Café, Bajothang

Following is a paragraph from an article I wrote in 2014, There are 100 Bars and No Bookstore in Bajothang

"I wish to celebrate Reading Year by putting together all my gut into opening the first bookstore in Bajothang. If there are 100 ways to get drunk, let me give them one way to remain sober. It will be a huge sacrifice and I don't know how I will do it. As I type this article my friend Dawa Knight and I have already visualized a vague but brave plan to get it started-something like Book Cafe. I will need long tax holiday, book donations from individuals and established businesses, and Dawa's living room,because he has decided to remain single for some more years, to being with."

If I were in Bajothang I would have lived this sober dream much bigger but I couldn't just let the sweetest dream die with my transfer. So I handed over all the books I had to my friend and partner in this Book Cafè dream, Dawa Knight.

That one Shelf we have

Last week, when I visited him our Book Cafè was ready, but in the most humblest way. It's just one shelf of books standing in the middle of one of Dawa's rooms. It's no where close to the type of Book Café we had in mind but it was the best we could do being a working person and now displaced across Dochula.

Dawa Knight has not only sacrificed a huge private space for this initiative but also put his entire collection of books on the public shelf. The only condition he had was to give a personal touch on the name of the place. It's part of a larger initiative Writers Association of Bhutan (WAB) is taking in creating Book Café in each Dzongkhag, and since he owns and runs that place he wants to call it Knights' Corner- A WAB Book Café. It's located on the first floor of Hotel New Town.

The Space that is big enough...

The books in Knights' Corner were donated by Au Gyembo Sithey and family, Au Ugyen Tenzin and Chador Wangmo on top of our own collections. The five cartoons of books Au Gyembo Sithey contributed were gifted to me personally, but since Au wanted the books to be shared and read, I thought it can be best done by putting on Café Shelf. Your kindness is inspiring and infectious.

A Similar initiative is planned in Thimphu. The Founder of WAB, Nawang Phuntsho himself wants to dare a bookstore in Babesa, Thimphu. Kindly support him by donating books, furnitures, and kind words. If successful the place can be used a WAB headquarters.

My own plans to open one in Paro is still incubating. For now I would like to seek help and offer help for Nawang's Book Café in Babesa. Lets do something in 2015, the National Reading Year, that we will remember forever.

To Help or Donate Books Call
Nawang, Thimphu @ 17641582
Dawa Knight, Bajothang, @17163878
PaSsu, Paro @17605030
Ugyen Gyeltshen, Trongsa @17693100

Gift for Reading Year in Yangthang

"You must read about everything around you- not just subjects that interest you. You must learn about current events, history, science, culture and people around the world- the pursuit of knowledge must be lifelong,"- His Majesty on the launch of National Reading Year 2015

World would envy the nation that commits to observe a whole year as National Reading Year, and for it to be graced by his majesty himself is truly something. About ten thousand students and teachers who gathered at the grand opening received book gifts from his majesty and not to mention the book was about life of Buddha. This gives us all the inspiration and reason to read.

I personally believe that at the end there are only two types of people; the ones who read and others who don't- all the other differences are therefore connected to this division. You can spot the difference in first few minutes of meeting, not just in the beauty of their language but also in the greatness of their soul. I realised it late in life because of where I came from and where I grew up. I wished I had so much inspiration and opportunity when I was in primary school. Today when I feel something missing in my being I know it's a certain book I missed in life.

However, this need not happen to the children who are growing up in my village, and therefore I approached READ Bhutan for the  construction of a library for children in my village, which is what READ Bhutan does across the country, especially in the rural parts. The amazing Nonprofit Organization made a few visits to my village and upon understanding the gravity of my request they instantly accepted to help. They have so far build 6 centres across Bhutan.

Village Committee 

They needed the assurance from the people of the village, and they also must find the way to bring people together in building the structure, and also in running it sustainably after the completion, which they call Sustaining enterprise. The agreement was signed and construction committee was formed. In April 2015 the library will be ready and over 60 children in the village will be using the facility. The library will have a computer lab, Play Room with audio visual devices, Woman Section with training equipments, and Conference Room on top of thousands of books.

READ Bhutan Team inspecting the work progress with he new Country Director

As the nation prepares for the National Reading Year I am smiling at the perfect coincidence- launching of village library in the same year by the organisation that advocates reading in Bhutan. It was never planned this way but the fact that it has turned out this way makes it the best gift for the children of my village from READ Bhutan.

It gives me so much satisfaction and pride in being the bridge between READ Bhutan and my village, and the village elders blessed me with their kindest words when I went home with READ Bhutan team to inspect on the work progress. If you feel like doing the same in your village, you know how to go about!

Yangthang Seen through the Library Window

There Are 100 Bars and No Bookstore in Bajothang

It's sad but the hard reality of doing business gave birth to about 100 bars offering 100 different ways to get drunk in Bajothang and not a single bookstore to offer a single book. Bajothang is not alone I am sure. Ironically we still expect our children to behave well and grow into good human beings. In the society where every other building has a bar and every other adult is drinking, what else can we expect from our children?
An African  proverb is a good reminder: "It takes a whole village to raise a child." And Bajothang is not a place that can raise a child, it can only spoil.

I have often wanted to start a bookstore here but all these years I was barely surviving. I haven't cleared my car loan after four long years. I couldn't hurt my own kitchen for a neighborhood dream because running a bookstore is not a smart business. To dare that dream was to become a guilty family man.

Having been a helpless eyewitness to too many social problem in the school and beyond, and having been a sad observer of worsening academic standards in our students it has increasingly dawn on me that the only total solution to all these problem could be in the magic of reading. Reading does magic to language and opens the floodgate of wisdom. It discovers the goodness of human soul and transform the total outlook on life. I have known many good readers to believe in it. I have known some brilliant kids who are not only academically admirable but also such nice souls to be around with. Their secret to excellence is their love for reading. It's so possible and I don't know why we are not so passionate about making reading a social pride. Everybody wants their child to be extraordinary, it's possible, make them read. 

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay believes in this and decided to make reading a national priority. If his idea of Reading Year (2015) is received warmly by the stakeholders Bhutan will never be the same again in few year. We will have the best generation of Bhutanese ever. I wish his excellency could take one more step and give Tax Holiday to all the bookstores because doing that business is an endless sacrifice.

Personally it as been a very book year for me. I have received numerous book gifts from various writers. It's a sign that I must understand. It's a sign to dream again, to champion the spirit of reading. One family friend personally came all the way to my place to gift me two cartoons of their finest collection. What they said then will always go with me: It's almost sin to let books collect dust on the shelf after they are read. The books they gave me will go a long way.

I have always been a moving bookstore in Bajothang. It began in 2009 when I helped a friend sell Bhutan Now Magazine. Then I sold three issues of Yeewong Magazine and later I established lifelong relationship with Students' Digest Magazine, from their third issue till now. Soon I was selling Bhutanese Novels like Dear Seday, Then I Saw Her Face, The Night Hunters. Let me blog my trumpet by saying that I have sold more copies of those books than any bookstore in Thimphu. Selling 300 copies of single issue of a magazine in few days is a serious matter in Bhutan.

I wish to celebrate Reading Year by putting together all my gut into opening the first bookstore in Bajothang. If there are 100 ways to get drunk, let me give them one way to remain sober. It will be a huge sacrifice and I don't know how I will do it. As I type this article my friend Dawa Knight and I have already visualized a vague but brave plan to get it started-something like Book Cafe. I will need long tax holiday, book donations from individuals and established businesses, and Dawa's living room,because he has decided to remain single for some more years, to being with.

Something like this

Sonam Choki- The Story of a Girl Who Reads "Dawa- The Story of a Stray Dog"

I met Sonam Choki on her first day in school. I am usually very forgetful but I still remember about that meeting because she left a lasting impression on me. She came to me to ask if she and her friends could go home because she had seen people leaving. The fineness of the language with which she asked me took by the pleasantest surprise. I couldn't believe a little class VII girl could own such beautiful language. I even asked her father if she had studied overseas but the secret to her amazing language was her habit of reading endlessly. Reading surely does magic, she proved it to me.

After a few weeks my school started forming clubs and I had to leave my old eLearning club to take up School Museum club but I had some unfinished dreams with the old club. So I called back all the old members of my former club to rebuilt the team and carry on. I then went looking for Sonam Choki. She was already into another club. I asked her if she would like to join my former club and read for audiobook recordings. She happily accepted.

I handed her over to a senior member, Chidananda who was the technical operator of the club and asked him to try some recordings with her. One day he came running to me to express his appreciation for her skill. He agreed that she is the best we have had. They have tried several poems, and short stories over time, and our ultimate goal is to record Kuenzang Choden's "Dawa- The Story of a Stray Dog".
Please listen to the following piece of recording they have done with minimal technology.


If forward looking companies like M-Studio would agree to help we are ready to record the book, so that the book, which is studied as textbook can be loaded onto mobile phones and any student can listen to it for free. Of course books are to be read but when it's a textbook you have to read it over and over, therefore listening alternative can be a great help.

If you like her reading, know that it's the magic of her reading habit therefore encourage, inspire and motivate children around you to read. Reading not only makes one a good reader but also shapes the soul and changes one into a cultured young fellow. Sonam is that.