Report from the Field

I was met by Mr. Tsegyal la at the Dehradun railway station at 9 am and we headed to the school immediately. With Losar (Tibetan New Year) approaching the children were in a very festive mood. The teachers were making “khapseys,” Tibetan cookies for the new year, and the children were watching a Bollywood film. Tsegyal la said “... the children love watching movies as all their pain and difficulty seems to be forgotten during the three hour film.”

A lot of progress has been made since my last two visits.

They have 50 children at the school and it is well staffed, but the beauty of the school is that it is run like a family. Two care staff sleep in each dormitory and they are on standby 24 hours. The teachers and care staff and kitchen staff all look after the children like their own. One of the care staff said that in the beginning it was very stressful and exhausting to care for these differently-abled children, but now they are all quite comfortable and after knowing each child’s condition they are able to manage.

One of the difficult but touching moments of my visit was to the physio room where children with complicated cases were being cared for, like young Tsering Dolma. She is in a wheelchair, and, due to her discomfort, she is always asking to play music close to her ears. Once music is on she quietly lies down and relaxes. This was when I saw her in the room. However at Ngoenga she has made progress and the care by the Tibetan ladies and Dr. Tenzin la provide her so much love and hope that I believe this is the best place for her.

For Tsering and all the other special children, had it not been for Ngoenga I cannot imagine what would have happened to them and where they would be.

Tsedo