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Optimistic
by nature, Gangchen villagers now see their dreams come true |
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Village children
The courtyard of a
A house in Gangchen:
A house in Gangchen: the kitchen |
Entering
into the actual village of Gangchen, situated within easy walking
distance from the new Monastery, is like stepping back in time. As we
walked through the small lanes that divided the houses, constructed from
wood, clay bricks and mud, the poverty of the estimated 450 inhabitants
of this village was evident wherever we looked. In
every corner of the village children, dressed in torn and dirty clothes,
were laughing and playing. Adults smiling and welcoming shepherded us
proudly into their homes... The
extremely simple structures, that house people and animals alike, are
obviously completely deprived of electricity and water but, are also
often without windows or any form of lighting, adding to the overall
atmosphere of squalor and gloom. Many of the homes we visited also
appeared to be without furniture, but we soon discovered that the sacks
piled on the floor covered with rags and clothes were actually beds, the
strings nailed and stretched across walls were improvised wardrobes for
hanging the few clothes possessed by the whole family, pieces of wood
nailed haphazardly together offered the luxury of a table, with upturned
barrels and plastic containers easily on hand to double as chairs. In
other homes wood burning stoves took the pride of place - surrounded by
pots and pans blackened by years of use and soot from the fire. Most
of the houses can be entered only through yards - the nerve centre of
the family - encircled by walls and accessible only through locked
gates, where people were busy tending animals, preparing food, mending
clothes, knitting and so on. However,
the situation in this village has changed drastically over the past year
- for the better. To aid the economic situation of Gangchen and the
surrounding villages, only local people have been employed to work on
the «Gangchen Village Project». The
villagers who previously lived in desperately miserable conditions have
received inconceivable benefits from their employment by the project.
Usually forced to travel to Shigatse and other towns in search of work
to ensure day to day survival, their lives have been completed changed
by this golden opportunity. Some people have been enabled to improve and
strengthen their houses against the harsh weather conditions, whilst
others have bought livestock, some have even invested in small tractors
to make farming this rocky terrain and transporting water easier. The
children have also been given new hope and the rare opportunity to
attend school. Through the work of the Association «Help in Action»
almost three hundred children from the villages in this area have now
found sponsors through the adoptions at a distance programme. The
children, who for the moment have to walk long distances to reach the
nearest school, have also received gifts of clothes and school
materials.
Sharon Dawson |
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