– The new beds are much better than the old ones, and the pillows are really soft, says Tsering Dolma when I ask her what she thinks of her new bedkit. She is a ninth grade student at the Munsel-Ling and is sitting outside the school with three of her friends. They are all very happy with each and one of them just receiving one of the 380 bedkits distributed at the school during the last couple of days. A few days after our arrival we meet three volunteers, Clarence, Laura and Milton from the Canadian organisation “Sleeping Children Around the World”, SCAW. They are visiting the school for a few hectic days when they are distributing 380 beds complete with mattresses, bed linen and pillows. While the kids were busy listening to the Dalai Lama the old beds were carried away and truckload after truckload arrived with new beds and accessories.
– Earlier this year, in Kenya, we distributed our one millionth bedkit. Because of this are we now making a couple of extra celebratory journeys, not least this one to Spiti valley because our founder visited this area on one of his trips in the 1970’s, Clarence tells me. Almost everything we distribute is produced locally, preferably by smaller enterprises. That way we do away with unnecessary transportation and contribute to local business, he adds.
Even though there are many beds and bedkits being put in place in a short time, this is a small project in comparison. Often times the organisation distributes about 4,000 bedkits per project. After seeing all the people involved just at the school with the distribution one realises the amount of work behind it all.
- Lama Tashi has been our main contact at the school and we first got in touch almost a year ago, Clarence tells me. He and Principal Tsering Dorje have been most helpful with the work on location, Clarence finishes.
That the new beds are welcome is perfectly clear when talking to the students and Lama Tashi is also very happy when we meet him. He underlines the importance of getting these new beds and bed linen for the kids. Something we volunteers can agree with after visiting the sleeping quarters and seeing their old beds.
- Now we will see to it that we be finished with our new student dormitory in September, before snowfall, Lama Tashi tells us and smiles when we ask him what the next important project at the school is.
Filip Nilsson
