Author: Modesto Vega

  • Boost to renewable energy

    Solar Panels
    Druk White Lotus School has two modest solar installations, which have been used for some years mainly to pump groundwater for drinking, washing and irrigation. In 2008, we plan to implement the next stage of our renewable energy plan in order to provide clean energy to run computers and other equipment. The investment will be co-financed by carbon offset funds provided by Arup Associates.

    Mike Beaven, Principal of Arup Associates said:

    “As a global design and business consulting firm, Arup is at the forefront of designing for a low carbon economy. Our unified design practice, Arup Associates, is itself carbon neutral. We minimise the carbon footprint of our operations first, and then offset any residual amount. The Principals recently decided to carry out the offset by investing directly in renewable energy at the award-winning Druk White Lotus School in Ladakh, India. Arup Associates staff designed the system and will supervise its installation and commissioning, planned for July-August 2008. In this way, we at Arup Associates are applying our skills and resources to directly offset our carbon impacts, and to learn the practicalities of implementing renewable technologies in challenging circumstances.”

  • Introducing a new volunteer

    Lakshmi

     

    We have a new volunteer at the school, Lakshmi will be teaching English and IT. She has agreed to send us updates from Ladakh. She has just left to go to the school and sent us this short piece to introduce herself.

    “As I sit and contemplate my upcoming stay and volunteer position at the Druk Padma Karpo School, I have many doubts, worries and questions. Despite these, I am looking forward to Leh.

    My father grew up in Kerala, on the west side of the most southern state of the Indian subcontinent, a coastal sliver of a state that many people have never heard of before. I am half Indian and half American and, since I was born and raised in the U.S., I have been in India for the past 2 months, learning about my heritage and visiting family. I am going to Leh not only because I have heard it is beautiful and because there is a school with a different mission regarding education (than the standard Indian government schools), and they are willing to take on volunteers, but because I would like to learn more about all of India.

    The beginning of my stay in Leh will mark the halfway point of my travels from the U.S., and instead of being a tourist, traveler, or some combination thereof, I am looking forward to being in one place for an extended period of time, while also having a purpose. I am looking forward to learning more about Buddhism and meeting children who can speak more languages than I ever dreamed would be possible. I’m also looking forward to connecting on a level that goes beyond linguistic and cultural barriers.

    Despite my reservations: Will I be warm enough? Will I be lonely? Will I be able to teach anything of substance? Will they understand me? Will I understand them? Will they like me? In any new place or situation the truth is I don’t really know what to expect, and ultimately, I am going to DPKS not only to teach, but to learn what it means to be Indian, while also being Tibetan, Ladakhi and all the other ethnicities, regions and religions one may identify with. I am going to gain a sense of the many differences between and among Indians, help out as much as possible, and perhaps discover my own Indian-ness.”

  • News from New York and France

    The Druk Foundation in the USA organised a gala event at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York. The evening focussed on the art of the Drukpa lineage and included a conversation between His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa and Jeff Watt, Curator of the Rubin Museum, before an invited audience. This was followed by a screening of a documentary entitled ‘Druk White Lotus School – Ladakh’ produced by New York film company kontentreal and sponsored by Autodesk.

    His Holiness with Karena Albers and Tad Fettig (Executive Producers from the film company)

    His Holiness with Karena Albers and Tad Fettig (Executive Producers from the film company)

    Following a screening of the film, His Holiness took part in a Q&A with Jeff Watt, Rubin Museum Curator, together with Jonathan Rose (chief architect), Tad Fettig (film executive producer) and Philip Cornwell (trustee).

    His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa in conversation with Jeff Watt, Rubin Museum Curator, together with Jonathan Rose (chief architect), Tad Fettig (film executive producer) and Philip Cornwell (trustee) at the screening of the Druk White Lotus School documentary in New York, 20th December 2007.

    In Europe a few days later, the annual retreat with the Gyalwang Drukpa was underway at Pel Drukpay Tcheutsok, the centre in Plouray, France. As ever, the Drukpa Trust and a dedicated crew of volunteers kept a display open throughout, fundraising for equipment for the Science Laboratoty. Always trying to have fun with the theme, this time donors could buy parts of the human skeleton 1€ buying a tooth and 100€ represented by a skull. By the end of the retreat, over two whole “skeletons” had been bought.

    The DWLS stall at Plouray DEC 2007

  • New School Year

    The new school year began on the 1st November 2007 – Druk White Lotus School now has 398 students, of whom 113 are residential students from remote areas of Ladakh. They are cared for by 20 Ladakhi and Tibetan teachers plus 21 support staff. Sarla Chhewang took these photos on her trip to find needy children in remote area of Karnak.

    The approach to Karnak goba___wife_outside_their_h.jpg

    A lot of the remote area children are sponsored by the students of His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa. Here are some of the latest recipients.

    Stanzin joins the Nursery School this year Tsweang joined the Upper Kindergarten this year

    Stanzin (top) joined the Nursery, whilst Tsewang joined the Upper Kindergarten.

  • World Premiere

    DWLS-LadakhKontentreal, an American television production company recently created an award winning series of programs about sustainable architecture for the PBS system in the USA. The series was such a success that they were asked to produce a few more episodes – one of these episodes “Druk White Lotus School – Ladakh,” (narrated by Brad Pitt, and directed by Tad Fettig) is receiving its world premiere at a public event sponsored by Autodesk at The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) in New York at 1PM on December 19th.

    The RMA is at:

    150 West 17th Street
    New York, NY 10011

    Telephone: 212-620-5000 or email: info@rmanyc.org

    Website: http://www.rmanyc.org/calendar/calendar.cfm

  • Thank you, JetAirways

    International supporters helped to fill eight trunks with children’s books, clothes and other goodies for the school. JetAirways kindly transported the trunks from London to Leh at their own expense, and local JetAirways staff recently handed the trunks over to the School Principal, Maureen Songhurst.

    Jetairways tesm with Principal Songhurst

    		 Jetairways team

  • World Challenge in Ladakh – Part 2

    All 13 students got there safely. There was a quick change of plan to build two adventure playgrounds for the residential children, rather than a greenhouse, and here is what they achieved:

    world challenge team

    world challenge playgorund

    worldchallenge003.jpg

  • Ironbridge Half Marathon

    On March 18th 2007, Ushma Vaidya braved the cold spring morning to run in the Ironbridge Half Marathon to raise money for the Druk White Lotus School. Ushma said afterwards: “This was one of the most difficult races that I have ever run. This was due to the poor weather conditions I had to run in. It was hailing, raining and snowing. It was freezing cold with such cold gustily winds that I really can’t believe myself that I finished the race. But I just thought about all those children at Druk White Lotus School and thought I have to do it for them. I would like to go to Ladakh and meet all the children at the school.

  • A Visit by the Dalai Lama

    Dalai Lama

    On the occasion of the visit by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, New York State, celebrated the local and global achievements of the Druk Padma Karpo School with an exhibition and a commemorative book titled ˜Building Culture“

    In the book, Brian Carter (Professor of Architecture and Dean of the School) states, “This is a school built around an idea that seeks to provide children with appreciations and understandings of the wisdom of the past that are integral with new attitudes and skills for the future. The school is an outstanding example of a truly sustainable design.

    Resources:

  • World Challenge in Ladakh

    Group leader, Ivan Bicknell, presenting a cheque to Drukpa Trust's Annie Smith.Students from Alton College, England, recently raised and donated £1,300 towards a project they will complete at Druk White Lotus School. The World Challenge students will travel to Ladakh and be at the school in mid-July. They will help with implementation of the school’s new landscaping plan by constructing a mudbrick greenhouse and some local terracing. The picture shows group leader, Ivan Bicknell, presenting a cheque to Drukpa Trust’s Annie Smith.