BHUTAN HUMANITOUR
In 2006, AdventureWomen offered two “Cultural and Humanitarian Adventures” to Bhutan, a tiny Kingdom in the Himalayas. Both AdventureWomen groups had the opportunity and privilege to give back to the people of Bhutan with three special humanitarian projects that were sensitively integrated into our trips. In addition, we immersed ourselves into the culture, history, and Buddhist practices of the country through walking, cultural exploration, and sightseeing.
In this spiritually rich country, human relations and Buddhist beliefs outweigh economic indicators, and “gross national happiness” is promoted by the King of Bhutan as a measure of his enchanting country’s progress. What a concept!
The Nun Project: Both AdventureWomen groups walked to a nunnery, built on the side of a mountain at a 12,000-foot elevation, to give much-needed wool blankets and fleece jackets to each of the fifty nuns. We chose to donate to a nunnery because, in general, nuns get less attention than male monks in the monasteries.
Once we had donated blankets and jackets, it became clear that there was something else the nuns needed to keep them even warmer during brutal Himalayan winters: warm woolen dresses (chubas), plus shoes and socks. Our Bhutanese guide and outfitter put together a budget based on what it would cost to buy these items for fifty nuns and one lama. He came up with a total of $5,000 U.S. (a $100 donation per nun). With generous donations from both groups, and other interested AdventureWomen clients, we reached our goal in just one month! The money was collected through AdventureWomen and then wired to our outfitter in Bhutan. He and his staff are getting the nuns’ measurements, and then tailors will make their chubas. Stay tuned through our E-Mail newsletters to see photos and stories about this project.
Books For School Children: Also, the AdventureWomen participants brought at least five children’s books written in English and we personally donated the books to various grade schools. In Bhutan, children are taught English at an early age. The children were delighted to receive the books.
Buddhist Blessings: For our third project—by special invitation—each AdventureWomen group sponsored and attended a Buddhist prayer ceremony at a sacred temple. The ceremony offered prayers and blessings to benefit all beings. We were fortunate to sponsor this VERY special event. While sharing lunch with the monks and the teacher who performed the prayer ceremony, we had a rare opportunity to receive another special blessing and introductory teachings on Buddhism from the Lama.
For 2009, our Bhutan Cultural and Humanitarian Adventure will incorporate an "eyeglasses" project, along with a project at a rural nunnery/monastery, and a specially sponsored Buddhist prayer ceremony. Stay tuned for information about future “Humanitours” offered by AdventureWomen. Signing up to receive our E-Mail newsletter is the quickest way to get information about new trips.
For more information on our Humanitours, see:
AdventureWomen Humanitours
Vietnam Humanitour
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