List of Donors for TCV Student Pocket Money Fund

Fangqi and Liyuan
Priscillia and Kelvin
Celina Ng
Jennifer Kok
Faith Mak
Jac Ho
Ruoqi
Rita
Tan Su Yin
Lay Beng
Pari Jinpa
Mei Yan and Connie
THE RECEIPTS FROM TCV HQ:-

VARADA EFFORT TCV STUDENT POCKET MONEY FUND

This idea came about this Aug when a group of us were attending Geshe Dorji Damdul's teaching in Deer Park Institue in Bir. We heard from Geshe la that there are some students in various TCVs have never been out of the village during their education there solely due to the fact that they have no family nor relative to take them in during the winter holidays, or they are orphans. This is not very healthy to the student's growing up in terms of mental well being. Though activities have been arranged for some during the recent years but these students will be going out to the community with nothing much in their pocket to spend...not like our children here where everything is well provided for. By the end of the week 26,800rs were donated by students from Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong thanks to their boundless compassion.
After much fact finding to see what are inplace for these students, we have now given an amount of 27,000rs to TCV HQ to provide for a total of 78 students to participate in the winter programmes this year. The students are divided into 2 groups:-

(a) 15 students from TCV Gopalpur will take part in Asian Youth Festival to be held from Jan 21-27 in Kolkata. This is a bi-annual affair and will have cultural exchange of songs and dances from India and Asian countries.

(b) 63 students from TCV from all branches in H.P. and Bylakuppe will go to Gyudmey Monastery in Hunsur, Karnataka to study Tibetan literature, grammar, Buddhist philosophy plus pilgrimage to other Tibetan monasteries around Mysore. Their stay is from 16th Jan till 25th Feb.

Each student will be given 300rs as pocket money. The balance of 3,600rs will be kept in the accounts for us to top up every year. Therefore, this will be a continuious effort on the part of Varada Effort to help these children to go out and see the world. We make our fund raising drive an annual affair and eventually we hope to reach a target of giving every child 500rs as pocket money. 

Please give us the support that we need and we thank you on behalf of the students in advance.

Every cent was spent for your donation to TCV Suja

The last 4,000over rupees were spent in buying more books for their library.

A BUSY AUGUST FOR VARADA EFFORT THIS YEAR IN DHARAMSALA.....our effort to help the youth spiritually

Report for TCV Life Skills Workshop held on Sunday 28 August 2011 at

Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamsala, India

Executive Summary

Seven workshops on life skills* lasting two to two-and-a-half hours each were conducted for

more than 160 final year students aged 18 and above in the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV)

at Upper Dharamsala, India on Sunday 28 August 2011. Through quizzes, role plays and small

group discussions, students learnt and practiced assertive decision-making skills and ways to

say “No” to negative peer pressure such as smoking and drugs, and persistent persons. They

identified personal strengths and support systems, and committed personal affirmation

statements. Reinforcement through Tibetan translation, personal factsheet and classroom

posters were provided.

96% of the students found the workshop useful or very useful and 88% would recommend it

to fellow students. Some feedback included: “it will be better if it is given to Class XI also”,

“both practically and theory”, “it was not just a teaching but also making us feel what you

meant” and “it will really help during our life time”.

The workshops were made possible by the support of the TCV Principal, Headmaster and

Deputy Headmaster; friends who printed the worksheets, factsheets, posters and personal

affirmation cards; designers; translators and the Varada Effort, a group of Dharma-inspired

followers in Singapore helping the needy. The nine facilitators who conducted the workshop

included social workers, trainers, teachers and experienced volunteers from Singapore and a

Tibetan youth leader.

*Life skills are psychosocial and interpersonal skills involving values clarification and critical

thinking that enable learners to acquire knowledge and to develop positive attitudes and

skills, so as to manage life challenges and future roles in life.

Fund Raising in Dharamsala

This August while attending the teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Namgyal Monastery, Varada Effort has put up a little stall to sell some of the merchandise designed and produced by its members in order to raise more money for the toilets. During the 4 short days with only not more than one and a half hour per day to sell the goods, we managed to raise the following amounts:-

1) A total sum of 47,400 rupees (nett) from the sales of 80 tote bags, 32 CDs and 372 note books

2) A total amount of 23,300 rupees plus US$10, S$210, and Ringgit$60 from public donation 

The above amounts have already be given to the Monastery (refer to receipts) as the deposit for the general sanitation construction. Hopefully, from the existing expansion of toilets, more toilets than the 2 units we anticipated, can be fitted with seats and grab bars. We are still waiting for the quotation from the suppliers of the monastery.

Since all the toilets are situated on the 2nd and 3rd level due to the lack of land, there still exist a problem for the wheelchair bound and those on crutches as there is no lift access to any of the upper floors of the monastery. Therefore, now we are looking into the possibility of purchasing mobile toilets for these disadvantaged people as the best alternative solution. Further research are being conducted now as to where to place them and which system of disposing the waste will be choosen. We are keeping our fingers crossed so that when the devotees return for the teaching next year these amenities will be upgraded as planned.

Therefore we have not stopped the collection of donation as we are still calculating the costs for the mobile toilet(s) and the freight charges to Dharamsala, which has exceeded our original budget. 

Visit to TCV Suja, India - 22nd August 2011

22nd August was a special day for some of the members from Varada Effort, as most of us (except for Yeng Yeng) were not there in TCV Suja during the shawl distribution last December. We could only see from the pictures that Yeng Yeng sent us to share the joy. Now  eight months later, Lay Beng and I were able to time the visit to TCV Suja with the teaching from Geshe Dorji Damdul in Deer Park Institute together. We were so excited by the thought that we were able to meet the children at long last.

Together with another 12 Singaporeans who were also attending the teaching, plus our dear Geshe la and Dr. Barry we set off to TCV  that late afternoon. Of course we also did not forget to ask our dear Tibetan friends Tenzin and Jigme to purchase 1,800 sets of candies and snacks to bring along for all the children there.

In 5 taxis off we went in the rain. When we reached the school, the headmaster was already waiting for us. Delicious Tibetan snacks and tea were offered to us. After a brief introduction about TCV, off we went to the school hall as the children were all ready to perform for us with the new musical instruments that they have purchased with the money we donated. They started by singing the 50th Anniversary Song of TCV composed by Geshe Dorji Damdul. This was supposed to be a surprise item for Geshe la since we had wanted him to be our guest of honor. Originally, Geshe la was not willing to attend, as he had to prepare lessons for us during his free time. So in the end, I had to let the cat out of the bag by telling him that the children have been practicing the song really hard ever since the day they knew we were coming. They would be very disappointed.  That was something which Geshe la could not refuse. On hearing the song, I think all of us were somehow emotional about this even we did not understand word for word the meaning. But I myself and Lay Beng ( I could see from the corner of my eyes), were having moisture in our eyes and trying to control them from rolling down onto our faces.

More performance items followed and they were truly a lovely bunch. Geshe la also gave a very powerful speech to the students to encourage them and also to remind them on preserving their culture. At the end, I was glad that I managed to gain back my composure by giving a short thank you speech in English and Tibetan ( a real challenge for me). I hope through this trip, more Singaporeans are aware of the plight of these children and extend their hands out to help them in whatever way they can.

~ Rita

Statement of account - TCV Suja