a special project managed by VAST members, and other volunteers
- Food aid, debt relief and establishment of Rice Bank in 2 villages of Kabji Gaywog in Punakha: Chorten Nibu and Punlingsum
According to the baseline survey conducted by village youth volunteers in 2007, 19 families from the villages of Chorten Nibu and Punlingsum were found living below the poverty line and face food shortage during the critical period of the year.
Creating of the Rice Bank will provide them with food during the most critical period of the year. The bank will be replenished after the rice harvest at minimal interest by the families themselves. The Rice Bank will therefore be sustainable and provide rice during the next season. This will break the vicious cycle of debt, since borrowing from other villages is done at a high rate of interest.
The Project facilitators from VAST established the Rice Bank on the 2nd of June coinciding with the Coronation celebration of 4th king. The bank will be manage by the families themselves – 3 Tshogpas (committee members) were elected to manage the bank for a period of 5 years.
The project facilitators from VAST are indebt to the following volunteers and donors for their generous contribution towards ending the rural poverty in these 2 villages.
Donors
- Mary Anne (USA ) - USD 1000
- Choing Tshomo (USA ) - USD 200
- Yannick Jooris - Nu. 5000
- Asha Kama - Nu. 5000
- Dr. Tashi Wangchuk - Nu. 2900
- Group contribution (Choing, Miraj, Phurba, Rajesh & Asha Kama) - Nu. 30000
- Dr. Norzang and Dr. Lhaki - Nu. 8450
- Apa Dorji
- Am Namgay Biddha
- Am Chimi Om
- Dr. Tashi Wangchuk
- Asha Kama
- Dechen Wangdi
- Sangay Dorji
Ambassador of Bangladesh visits VAST, and other news
On the 23rd of June, VAST was asked to judge an art competiton. The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) had organized a nation wide art competition among school children to mark the launch of the State of the World’s Children Report, to be launched on the 9th of July. There were more than 200 entries.
On the 19th of June, Asha Kama left for Washington DC as a part of the Bhutanese delegation to take part in the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival.
His Excellency A.K.M. Atiqur Rahman, the ambassador of Bangladesh to Bhutan, and Hashem Khan, the popular Bangladesh artist, dropped into VAST for a chat on 12th of June.