excellent news

This week we have excellent news. Thanks to Pyru and Pepa dedication, Passang and Yanjor will see their eyes problem solved (or at least reduced). These two second class students left Kargyak for the first time last week with Pepa in direction of Manali. They were going there to be observed by a doctor to see if something could be done to their eyes problem. Imagine. For the first time they would see and live in first person, a car, a bus, hundreds of people, restaurants, an hotel, noise, smoke... I mean, life outside Zanskar. What an excitement Passang is getting new glasses and Yangjor will have to go to Delhi for a small surgical intervention. He was brought just in time. Some more months and he could get blind. Luckily this was not the case and all school cannot wait to see them back. This week, villagers had invited 6 Phuktal monastery Lamas to come to pray with them. This is a very important Buddhist month, and some of the villagers staid one full day without talking, eating or drinking, only praying. The Gompa is 50 meters from the school, and the presence of these Lamas (some of them very young) brought some excitement to the students. The praying ended with a breakfast where all the village participated: salty tee, milk tee, butter (porridge) rice, Jo (Yogurt) with Sampa, chapati, etc, etc. A powerful breakfast to start well the day. The Gompa just at 50 meters from the school, if from outside seems a decaying building, inside is full of colorful paintings all over the walls, transmitting a fell of inner peace (with exception of 2 draws of warriors which are quite frightening). Also this week we started the new project of planting 100 trees near the school. All students helped to clean the terraces where the trees will be planted. Has there are no trees (or almost none) in Kargyak, trees have not only a natural value but also an economical value for the future. This will also be an opportunity to give some responsibility to the students. In fact each one of them will be responsible for one tree. On the same day 3rd and 4th class built a composting site for the school. For them is still quite an abstract concept how rests of food will provide good soil for the fields. But I am sure it will be a lesson they will not forget.

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