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Warm sweaters and blankets for orphan monks

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In the Buddhist Semthokha Dzong Monastery in Buthan the monks take in (orphan)boys that have no other place to live. However, the facilities of the monastery are not really meant for little boys, the Spartan way of life and the lack of means to give the boys an education make it seem like the middle-ages.


A little mattress on the floor to sleep on is a luxury and education consisted till recently solely of learning prayers that are often incomprehensible for young children. Because the authorities preferably deny the existence of orphans that need shelters, there is no help from external sources. But there are western volunteers who took an active interest and work hard to give the boys an education in basic mathematics, English language and computerskills.

They contacted Moments of Joy with a request to pay for a "welcome set" for new children: a mattress, a warm sweater to wear under the thin traditional orange monk-dress, two pairs of socks, a cup and a fleece blanket. Moments of Joy asked if it could add something "joyful" to the list. This resulted in a good meal with meat (a rare luxury) and fruits for a goodbye dinner before the long winterholiday - when the bitter cold makes it impossible for the children to stay in the unheated monastery and those that have the possibility temporarily return to their villages. Apart from that every child got a present: a little book. For these children that have no possessions at all this is a valuable gift. Even more because the book will enable them to show their people that they learned to read and therefore are no pitiful losers, but people who get an education, who are going to be worthy modern adults.