Links-India

This October we are planning to do a skydive in Swansea. The money raised will go towards helping Tibetan refugees settle into life in India. Many of the people we help have been imprisoned and tortured by the Chinese government simply for expressing their dream of independence for Tibet or their respect for the Dalai Lama.

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General info about sky diving
Skydiving at Swansea

Back Home

After 18 days in India I arrived back home late last night and am now trying to get over the change in temperature (drop of about 15 degrees) and time zone – it’ll take a few days.

Here is the news!

Institution for the Blind – New Delhi

Sponsorship

Two of the three boys we sponsor have now been given a place at the government funded college. This is marvelous news for them as it means they are guaranteed funding for until they graduate.

Tenzin, the third child, that we sponsor is now doing extremely well. Previously he had been very shy and could hardly bring himself to talk to the teachers or other adults. So it was great to see him looking so much stronger and to hear that how much more confident he has become. He now relates will with both teachers and the other children. His grades have improved and his is now fluent in Hindi.

Recently a cousin of his started studying at Delhi University. This means that Tenzin now has someone from his own village close at hand.

Literacy Project

I met with the teacher and two of the children from the literacy project. Everyone is delighted at its success and the enthusiasm of the children involved. The teacher told me that when she arrives she finds a hoard of children waiting impatiently for her to start the class.

A few of the children from the project have now moved onto higher education and they really appreciate their literacy skills.

I spoke with Deepak and Mahindra, two of the children that I’d been told had particularly benifitted from the classes.

Mahindra and Deepak

By the sound of it before they started taking the classes they were both depressed and withdrawn and neither of them was making use of the small amount of vision they had.   After a few weeks in the class they opened up completely and are now working extremely hard and starting to enjoy life in the school.   Deepak has managed to master basic literacy skills in a few months.

The Nuns of Ladakh

All four nuns are doing well and continue to study hard. All talk of withdrawing them from college (so that they can help run the nunnery) has now vanished. Instead, when I asked how many more years study they had to do, Geshe La answered “Oh they will be staying on till they complete their doctorate level!”

Geshe is now in his last year as Abbot of Gyuto Monastery and will return to Ladakh and the nunnery as soon as his term has finished.

Tibetan ex-Political Prisoners in India

I visited Gu Chu Sum, a Tibetan NGO dedicated to helping Tibetan activists to learn more about their rehabilitation programme which we funded 50% of this year.

The programme now takes 19 Tibetans. They come from one of three groups (listed in order of priority): -

1. Ex-political prisoners
2. Other political activists
3. Families of political prisoners
   The 19 students are offered accommodation, food, health care, education, rehabilitation and orientation to help them adjust to living in India.

   There are some direct vocational courses available such as tailoring and, in addition, there is a fabulous Japanese restaurant which offers training. Many of the students are monks or nuns and who will re-join their monastery in-exile once their year at Gu Chu Sum is over.

   Currently most of the students come from category number 2. Other political activists. They were all involved in the 2008 political uprising in Tibet and, in the majority of cases, had arrest warrants issued. To avoid capture they fled to the mountains and lived rough for a year before finally being able to cross the Himalaya into Nepal and then India.

   Gu Chu Sum predict that in the next few years the number of ex-political prisoners arriving in India will increase as the terms of imprisonment following the uprising come to an end.

   I will write a fuller report for circulation later on.

   AGM

   The next Annual General Meeting will take place on 31st October and will be followed by a meeting of the Board of Directors. I’ll keep this site updated with any news.

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It’s great to be back in McLeod Ganj after a couple of years break.  The sun is shining and the eagles are hovering overhead as I’m typing this on my balconey.

Yesterday I visited Geshe Sonam Palzang, who is now in his final year as Abbot at Gyuto Monastery.  I think Geshe is quite looking forward to returning to Ladakh and a more simple life as the head of a small nunnery.

The four nuns we sponsor continue to do well in their studies and are all happy and healthy.  Gehse tells me they’d would like to stay on at the Central Institute for Buddhist Studies until they complete their doctorates.  That’s a long way for those of them that haven’t even completed 12th grade yet.  Its good to see them so much more confident in their abilities.  When we first sponsored them Geshe was just pleased that one or two might get passed 5th grade.

I also made a short visit to Gu Chu Sum.  Gu Chu Sum is the Tibetan organisation which helps ex-political prisoners- all of whom have been tortured.  This year we have sponsored half the cost of their rehabilitation programme for 20 people.  I will bring back some photos and stories but I warn you now they will be very distressing.

I am due to go back today to discuss ways of working together.

Sadly we didn’t get a place on next year’s abseil – though we are on the waiting list.  If anyone’s got a good idea for another major fund-raising event do let me know.  Sponsoring Gu Chu Sum will be a major expense for us.

More later…..

Well we did it and it was brilliant.

Spot the abseiler!

Six of us abseiled from the top of Guy’s Hospital Tower yesterday(Saturday 18th September) and raised well over £1,000 for Links-India.

The weather was on our side with a very light breeze and plenty of sunshine.

Barry and the crew from “Over the Edge” looked after us.  They were particularly good at helping people who were understandably nervous.

The final total is not yet known as there are quite a few outstanding promises of sponsorhip

I’ll also be posting a few more pixs later on.

As many of you will have heard one of the areas where we work has been hit by devastating floods with over 100 people killed.

Although Ladakh is a high altitude desert it has suffered unprecendented rainfall in the last two days which has led to wide spread flooding.  The major problem for the local people is that the houses are made from dried earth and so are simply washed away with any significant amount of water.

Currently we are supporting four nuns at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Choglasmer – an area very much affected by the river Indus overflowing its banks.  One of our friends and supporters also lives in the area.

I have attempted to contact them but it is extremely difficult.  I will  post news as I receive it.

Welcome

A scorching hot day in New York but, willing to take on the world for Links-India, Jenny Burnard set up her stall and opened for business.  Yard sales are big in America – a bit like a private car boot sale, I suppose, but one that lasts for as long as you like.  In Jenny’s case for two solid days of hard work.

Ably assisted by friends both at the event and behind the scenes, Jenny was able to make a profit of over $800.  Wow!

Hand Painted

Jenny said “Most of the big tickets items went early on and I ended up giving away the lemonade as people were starting to wilt”

The Crew

Friends and local businesses generously donated raffle prizes which provided an additional source of income.

All of us at Links-India send a huge big thank you to Jenny, her husband Fish, his company who donated a helper for the day, Jenny’s friends who helped and helped and helped and all the people who donated raffle prizes.

Fantastic job.

Yes we did it.  The Santa Fun Run was completed by five of us last Sunday (December 6th).

Torrential rain in the early morning meant that Toby, Amanda, Harriet and Emma arrived at the start line soaked to the skin but being made of strong stuff they continued  undaunted.

Toby deserves a special mention (and a huge thank you from me) for pushing me the entire 5km in a borrowed wheelchair.

I estimate that the sponsorship so far is about £800 but I’ll let you know the final figure when we’ve got all the money in.

If you’d like to contribute please go to our justgiving page – you can sponsor us for as little as £2 and every single one of those £2 is very much appreciated.

I’ll be posting a few pictures on a separate page sometime this week.

We have the option of buying a few places for the Super Heros fun run in Regent’s Park this summer – no date as yet but let me know if you’re interested.

Easy Fund-raising and Amazon.co.uk are both willing to donate a percentage of their income to Links-India if you shop at their online stores using one of our links.

All you need to do is click on one of the above links to be taken to the site where you can do all your Christmas shopping and support our work at no extra cost.

Using the Easy Fund-Raising link you can shop at brilliant, established, reliable online stores like Argos, John Lewis, The Ethical Superstore, M&S, Vodafone, Matalan, People Tree, Littlewoods and The Early Learning Centre.

If you shop on Amazon.co.uk (and most of us do don’t we!) please access their site via the link on the left.  If you then go on to buy something within 24 hours Amazon will pay us a small but significant commission.

One thing is important and that is you haven’t visited their site directly within the previous 24 hours.

I am also looking into a bigger fundraising commission site which I will tell you about in a few days.

Many thanks

Brilliant news for us is that Guy’s Hospital hasn’t been able to proceed with its refurbishment work on its main tower.  This means that they have agreed to allow one final year of abseiling.  Once the work is finished they definitely won’t be letting anyone leave their dirty foot prints on it again.

The provisional date given is 18th Sept and we will again be limited to 35 places.  Right now I’m taking expressions of interest with the first places being reserved for our long-term supporters.

If you’d like to add your name to the “I’m interested but not ready to commit myself” list then send your name to pamela@links-india.org

I’ve set up an abseiling page and will keep that updated as I receive news.