Showing Compassion Opening The Door Creating Beautiful Mandalas! 1|Page
Yeru Bön Center has been working with Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche to help support the children at the Bön Children’s Home in Dolanji, India, next to the sMenri Monastery. As many of you know, we have been helping the children at the Bön Children’s Home for over 20 years. During our visit to sMenri Monastery in October to attend His Holiness’s funeral, we made sure to visit the Bön Children’s Home. We, especially me, wanted to see with our own eyes and feel with our own emotions what and how the children at the Bön Children’s Home are doing. I was joined by Jacque Couture, the President of Yeru Bön Center in Canada; Selina Lim, a devout Bön practitioner, spiritual practitioner and physician from Singapore; and David Peteler, President of Yeru Bön Center, United States. First let me say, the children are beautiful and amazing. So smart, kind and loving. They are not fearful, but grateful. We saw and felt no fear or abuse of any kind, which we already knew from knowing how Rinpoche feels about the care of the children. The children sang to us, talked with us, smiled with us and made us feel welcome. We had an opportunity to talk with several of the upper level children. We asked what they would wish for at BCH. Their responses were wonderful. They said they would like books to read. Novels, classic stories. Music books to learn music. Musical instruments. The boys requested sports equipment, and a sports equipment storage room. They like to play cricket and would like to play basketball. But the one main request was some kind of community hall where they can hold activities, study and gather. Right now, they either study in their rooms or to some extent in the library, and gather in the dining hall or outside. The weather dictates where they can be. They were humble when asking for these items and very sweet.
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The BCH has had many wonderful sponsors and supporters over the years, who have provided great support. Sponsorship and support funds are generally used first to provide food, clothing, basic health, and school supplies. Designated funds for a specific project, like for the plumbing, are kept in reserve until they have all of the funds needed to complete the project. The computer room project has been started, and six computers and desks are in place, but no internet or necessary infrastructure. They are still a long way from having the needed funds to complete these projects. They need funds for a car, plumbing repairs and a generator as well, and are doing their best to manage until. We were given a tour of every dormitory, the kitchen, and other areas. We were surprised to discover the beautiful dormitories built to house these amazing children have started to deteriorate. Time flies and just like our homes, if they are not kept up, they deteriorate, imagine 200 – 300 children, that is a lot of wear and tear on dormitories and grounds.
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To continue, during our tour we discovered extensive plumbing problems. All of the bathrooms desperately need repairs to the plumbing, tiles and toilets. One wing of a boy’s dormitory is vacant, because the plumbing and bathrooms are unusable and unhealthy. They cannot live in this section until the repairs are made. So many boys have been moved to other dormitories, making things very cramped.
Beyond the plumbing, other repairs are needed. The dormitory rooms are in need of loving attention. Curtains are worn and tattered, the beds are in need of freshening up, blankets are worn out. Painting is needed throughout BCH. Paint is peeling off the ceiling and in need of attention. Concrete walls and fences are failing. The BCH is now down to minimal paid adult help. There are not enough funds to maintain the former level of staffing to help with the children and needed repairs. The medical room is in need of basic supplies. Our hearts were filled with sadness and our eyes with tears. Yet, the children are not complaining. They are grateful for having a roof over their head, meals, clothes and an education. To our Western eyes the children’s living conditions need improvement, but they are well cared for by standards of rural India. We just looked at each other, held hands and uniformly said “we are not willing to accept this. The children and BCH need our help.” We have spent a fair enough time thinking on how we can help these beautiful children. Here are our thoughts. 1. Sponsorship Mandala: Sponsoring children’s basic needs is $450.00 a year. $37.00 a month. 2. BCH Mandala Project: Create beautiful Mandala Merits by donating $20.00 a month for 12 months or $240 annually. To be used for BCH’s property maintenance. 3. Colorful Mandalas: Create colorful and beautiful Mandalas by donating what you are able to help with needed repairs are replacement lighting, generators, kitchen equipment. 4. BCH Mandela Team: A team of professional contractors, plumbers, handyman to spend a week at BCH to work on projects such as the plumbing, roofing, concreate repairs. This is a beautiful outreach. (more on this below) If you would like to open your heart and create beautiful mandalas, please click on http://thebonchildrenshome.com/needs/ 4|Page
We would like to remind everyone, besides feeding the children and their basic needs, there is also the further education program in need of funding. I met one beautiful girl who wants to write and be an author, another wants to learn biology and to find a cure for cancer. Just last week we were informed that two students had completed their studies in Tibetan Medicine as physicians. This was because they had sponsors who helped them to further their education and encouraged these students to reach and rise to their potential. Tsewang Bhumchok and Tsewang Sango are employed now at the university for more experience. We were happy to meet with Phutsok Dargyal, the administrator of BCH. HE showed us some of the projects that were completed using funds donated by BCH supporters worldwide. Food, uniforms, medical needs are expensive. The washing machines purchased are being used and functional. Other monies sent were used to do other minor repairs. But it is still not enough. Phutsok is not always being paid and really, he is the person who oversees the wellbeing of the children. Several months ago, we launched a campaign for donations for the BCH. It failed miserably. Perhaps because people are bombarded with requests for donations; perhaps it is because of the hurricane relief efforts in the US; perhaps people believe someone else will donate; perhaps people really do not understand the extent of the help needed. We were ashamed while we toured BCH, and felt we could do more to help these amazing children.
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On this trip we came face-to-face with the realities of living in India; rural poverty, poor sanitation, the pervasive smell of urine and garbage. Children living in the streets. The BCH provides better conditions for the children than many other places in rural India, which is a tribute to Latri Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche and the BCH staff. But we could still do more to help these amazing children.
Here is the breakdown: Sponsorship fees go to provide for basic needs for the children such as meals, clothing, beds, basic medical attention. BCH Mandala Project and Colorful Mandalas, will go for repairs, maintenance, replacement of broken equipment such as the generator, solar and other significant needs to keep the children healthy and safe. This will be applied to needs for Ayas and medical staffing.
BCH Mandala Team, Yeru Bön Center is forming the BCH Mandala Team. We are asking interested people to join the BCH Mandala Team, with skills such as a plumber, contractor, handyman, painter and concrete work. Yeru will make all of the arrangements, and arrange to get the PAP requirements. We must ask that you pay for your own trip, as we can’t afford to do that. We are asking for an act of kindness and generosity that you will not regret. Perhaps your company and friends could help with needed supplies or transportation costs. It’s well worth asking. Yeru will also raise funds for the needed supplies.
Community outreach is a wonderful project.
If you are interested, please
contact Deborah Peteler at Yeru Bön Center 952-300-6111. The plan is to have three work weeks for next year and one each year after. The team members will meet via 6|Page
skype several times to discuss the needed projects, needed supplies, dates and requirements.
The BCH Medical Mandala Team Yeru Bon Center has implemented the BCH Medical Mandala Team. We are putting together a team of volunteer physicians and nurses, who would travel to The Bon Children’s Home in Dolanji, India. Different teams would go quarterly to the Bön Children’s Home to assist with wellness care, vaccinations, testing and other medical care needed. The BCH has a small infirmary, and had an on-site nurse to provide basic medical care. The nurse had to leave for personal reasons, and there is no budget for a replacement nurse. Now, if a BCH child needs medical care, they will go first to the clinic in Solan. We discovered on our last trip how terrible the clinic in Solan is, when one of our group became ill and went to that clinic. Two other group members, a physician and a nurse, were appalled at the conditions of the clinic. We thought, no, we can do better. So, The BCH Medical Mandala Team has been implemented to recruit volunteer physicians and nurses to go to BCH to provide basic medical care. The plan is to send teams for one week at a time, to examine the children, vaccinate, do lab testing and other medical needs. The physicians and nurses would chart for each child so the next BCH Medical Mandala Team can follow-up on their scheduled time frame. The same team members do not have to go on every scheduled visit, unless they would like to. We are also searching for equipment for lab testing, medical supplies and other needed supplies to stock and set up much needed infirmary for the children. If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Deborah at deborah@yeruboncenter.org. The first BCH Medical Mandala Team is planned to travel to Dolanji in early spring 2018. 7|Page
Help us to help the children at the Bon Children’s Home. Click on http://thebonchildrenshome.com/needs/
Helping children is a blessing. Making a difference in the lives of children for the better is a blessing. Being a part of a child’s wellbeing is a blessing. All acts of kindness, open heart and generosity are blessings for the children and for ourselves. Let’s generate blessings together.
14702 Excelsior Blvd. #1249 Minnetonka, MN 55345 952-300-6111 yeruböncenter.org
theBönchildrenshome.com
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