TCVAA Pokhara chapter saw its programmed ‘Global Family Pleasure’ unfolding successfully for the second time during the winter break of TCV, making some 10 children realise their dream of going on an actual holiday and taste the real world outside the school campus.
On 21st December ’07, 10 students and an escort headed for Gorakhpur via Pathankot who were received at the Gorakhpur Railway Station by an executive member of TCVAA Pokhara. After a visit to Lumbini the birth place of Lord Buddha, students spent a week with different families of Jampaling Tibetan Settlement where they flavoured the livelihood of Tibetans in rural setting. While the eldest of the students volunteered in the local primary school Lekshed Tsal and tried his hand at teaching, the others lent their helping hand to the tiny tots in the Kindergarten section. The school in turn thanked them by organizing a lunch party for the volunteers. A whole day was spent at the old People’s Home in Jampaling, having close moments with the elders (former Mustang Guerrilla) there, much mesmerized by the lore’s of their valour. On the last day at Jampaling, TCVAA extended heartfelt gratitude to the kind and host families for their hospitality with traditional scarves and tokens at a tea get together TCVAA hosted. Finally the host families came to see off them from Jampaling with teary eyes giving the students the feeling of departing from real parents.
Thereafter, the students departed to the town of Pokhara to celebrate New Year at the town’s most famous tourist hub lakeside and had great fun visiting the street festival. The year 2008 was welcomed with a small New Year celebration at Norsang Guest House, lakeside after which the children were allocated with different families of some alumni brothers and sisters residing in Pokhara Valley.
The three week stay in Pokhara was fun packed with activities ranging from the homely ones to the stimulating ones such as valley sight seeing, cycling, hiking, partying and visiting different Tibetan schools and four Tibetan Settlements in Pokhara. Hospitality overflowed from all corners to make the students stay in Pokhara a memorable one. Following the previous year’s tradition, grade 10 students of SOS Hermann Gmeiner School. Gharipatan organized a lunch get together that went on to become rewarding platform for exchanging ideas and experiences. Mr. Ngawang Dorjee la, Project Director of SOS Village, Pokhara extended his generosity by presenting pocket money to each 10 students. And shared his hard earned wisdom and experience during some hours he spent with the students. The students also had a heart to heart talk with Mr. D.Wangyal la, Director of SOS VTC, over a tea he hosted specially for them.
The stay in Pokhara was drawn to close on 18th January’08 with a Farewell luncheon at Hotel Mt. Annapurna with all alumni members.
TCVAA Pokhara presented the host families with token of appreciation and traditional scarves while each student received a memento of T-shirt emblazoned with TCV Logo and albums to cherish their overwhelming experience.
On 19th January ’08, the group set off to Kathmandu with Mr. Sangpo, the president of TCVAA Pokhara. The programmes in Kathmandu went on smoothly with the kind support of TCVAA Kathmandu who arranged them to stay with families of Ex-TCVain in Ktm. The Kathmandu trip was highlighted with pilgrimage to various holy places in and around Kathmandu Valley, shopping, visits to some Tibetan Schools and the Tibetan Reception Centre. Kathmandu Alumni members also hosted a dinner get together on the last day and provided pocket money of NC1000/- for each child.
On 24th January ’08, along with Mr. Sangpo, the group bade goodbye to Nepal and headed for Delhi by bus. The host families thronged to see the children off like an anxious parents with pocket money goodies.
During the three day halt in Delhi, they visited many places of interest like the Red Fort, Gandhi Samadhi, Zoo, India Gate and many more. They also had the pleasure to see the legendry Taj Mahal for the first time.
Finally, as the holiday came to an end, the party departed for Dharamsala on 28th January ’08. On 29th January, the students were reported back to their school with their hearts heavily laden with fine memories of their holiday in Nepal Mr. Sangpo , met with Mr. Tsewang Yeshi la, President of Tibetan Children’s Village and submitted the report of Global Family Pleasure and discussed with him the prospect of similar such undertakings in the years to come
Report filed by TCVAA Pokhara
