A new project  – support on construction of a Buddhist gompa

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Shortly after the big earthquakes, ProNepal supported the construction of a technical laboratory in the local secondary school ( see the link) of Saimarang (where is Saimarang ?) . Recently the local community asked Pronepal for a financial support for the completion of the Buddhist SANGEY CHHYOLING GOMPA in Saimarang.

Gompas are Buddhist ecclesiastical fortifications common in historical Tibetan regions including parts of China, India, Nepal, Ladakh and Bhutan.

Design and interior details vary from region to region; however, all follow a general sacred geometrical design of a central prayer hall containing a murti or thangka, benches for the monks or nuns to engage in prayer or meditation and attached living accommodation. The gompa may also be adjoined by any number of stupas.

Construction of the  Gompa is a vital community resource that is designed as a cultural hub as well as can be promoted as a tourist destination.

Some important objectives are summarized as:

  • To develop the monastery as an educational centre to spread philosophical principles for the Buddhists monks.
  • To make a common place of prayer for all the local people where the majority of the people are Buddhists.
  • To use the monastery to preserve, conserve, maintain and bestow the ancestral and cultural rites and rituals for the future generation.
  • To make it a major tourist spot and develop and promote Saimarang as a tourism area which will eventually help to increase the income of local people.

With the mutual cooperation of local people along with the Buddhist Spiritual Monks (Lama Dharma Guru), the construction of Gompa started nearly 2 years back and is in still under construction. Due to the financial problems, the construction is now in halt.

Although the construction of the statue of the renowned God, “Guru Rempoche” inside the Gomp is finished along with the formal inauguration by a small prayer ceremony, there are still many works to be accomplished.

At present, a small open space is constructed offering sitting opportunities to visitors and locals. Moreover, three small sized rooms have been constructed for the purpose of keeping religious instruments as well as work as storage rooms.

The space built in front of the Gompa is open and needs to be fenced or compounded by a wall, as anyone can enter the Gompa area easily especially the pet animals which may disturb the rituals or any other gatherings taking place inside the Gompa.

Then there is a need to build a hall with a truss in front of the Gompa which should have a capacity of nearly 150 peoples so that social functions and religious rituals can be organized safely without any disturbance.

And at last, the construction a garden around the Gompa offering space for some beautiful flowers and spices to be used for religious rituals is still in pipeline.

The whole project will cost about 47.500 €, the local villagers and the people from neighbouring areas have already completed works for about 26.400 € until today. In order to carry out the remaining works further, the villagers require financial help and have approached ProNepal to support this project.

The executive board now decided to allocate 15.000 € for this initiative. As soon as the first tranche of the money will be transferred the villagers can restart with the construction works.

In September some members of the ProNepal organisation will visit Saimarang and discuss further issues and steps with the villagers and the management committee.

Drinking water supply for Jamune: work has been completed

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In January 2014 the water supply network´s project of Jamune and its scholastic centre was presented by the NGO Pro Nepal to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano; we received a financial support of 60% commission on the estimated amount.

Works and projects have been planned and we were about to finance a leftover 40% of the amount.

Unfortunately, due to the two earthquakes in 2015, we were forced to interrupt the planned project, because other needs took priority over it.

Despite the distance, our local partner SEO (society for each other) agreed to manage the project and the works, which began in autumn 2016 and lasted until December.

The final balance sheet and all the other papers were delivered to the Province of Bolzano just in time in order to get the payment.

During the earthquakes most of the buildings fell down, therefore the scheduled latrines haven´t been built and the final cost of the labour was 37.000 euro instead of 47.200 euro. In March 2017 Jamune was visited by a member of Pro Nepal and the President of SEO to make an inspection in order to verify the outcome. Two water tanks and the public water taps were checked. Because of the interrupted water inflow, the two water tanks were empty, therefore technicians solved the problem in a short time.

We worked hard on this project and put great care into it, but we´re glad that the village and the scholastic centre, which hosts almost 300 schoolchildren, can finally get running water.

All efforts have been made, therefore the fundamental right to water has been shielded with our strength, facing difficulties and obstacles, attaching importance to its meaning.

see the link start of work

Food and the orphanage Bal Mandir

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One family in Bolzano donated 270 euro in order to buy food for the Orphanage Bal Mandir. A member of Pro Nepal has bought 12 sacks with 25 kg rice (300 kg), 25 kg yellow lentils, 25 kg green lentils, 25 kg sugar, 2 kg tea and 10 l oil (total amount: 270 euro).

Food has been bought in his presence and hauled to Bal Mandir, where the Director got it, emitted a standard receipt and wrote a thanksgiving letter, which has already been sent to the family who made the donation.

State of the orphanage:

The earthquakes in 2015 have seriously damaged the Institute which risks crumbling, therefore the total amount to rebuild it would be very high. At the moment almost 80 children are living in temporary buildings, whereas others have moved to different Institutes.

Before the earthquake 200-300 children were hosted in the Orphanage Bal Mandir in Kathmandu.