2013 - 2014 Blog
The HELP – HEALTH Team
8 March 2014
Just when a meeting gets too serious, we can always break out the lions and tigers and bears – oh my!
Meet some of the HELP – HEALTH team. Not those lions and tigers, the humans!
Although the way they work our projects I would say they are our lions and tigers for supporting healthy communities.
With three other physicians and support from our Future Leaders team, these folks make magic happen in our health projects. A big planning session needed fun breaks with the Teddies (et al) knitted and crocheted by friends in Mississippi, Colorado and Alberta. Phunchok and Norboo, from the Pediatric Handicapped Unit at the District Hospital (in the middle, the part of the team that supports our sister agency’s CHAI project) use these toys for assessments of disabled kids.
Dr. Ghulam just completed a survey of hep B infections in Eastern Ladakh and plans to take the work district wide this year. There’s another blog about how necessary his work is to the Hospital and the district.
Dr. Iqbal just returned from a two month internship at AIIMS hospital where he had rotations in child psychiatry and psychology amongst others. He’s back so much more secure in his assessment abilities; much needed as OPDs have grown from around 50 in the first year of this project to over 2000 now.
For all our knitters, thanks for another year’s worth of finger puppets, lions, tigers and bears!
Why Libraries?
1 March 2014
“Four decades of research indicates that well-staffed, well-stocked, and well-used school libraries are correlated with increases in student achievement.”
Sometimes I wish I never had access to the web. In my mailbox this week was an article by Dr. Dianne Oberg (University of Alberta) that despite evidence that well-stocked, well-staffed and well-used libraries produced results on both those questionable standarised tests, but also on all other student outcome measures, we’re not funding libraries.
Or not we. Education policymakers and funding allocators feel a need to cut in these economic times. Where is it expedient to do so? Music programs. Arts. Libraries. Safe butchering.
As we desperately try to learn from our US and Canadian partners on how to create thriving library-learning centres at our schools, I’m starting to wonder…. Will we have libraries of excellence to learn from in a few years?
Here’s Dianne’s article:
http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/ignoring-evidence-another-decade-decline-school-libraries
for Christmas they want a new cow
24 February 2014
As we finish our Winter Camps here in Ladakh, I think about my friends back in the Bow Valley. It was a joy and privilege to teach units in the Banff, Canmore and Exshaw Schools before Christmas. Again and again, I was reminded how much we have in common between my home in Ladakh and these kids lives in the Bow Valley. Devastated, but not victimised by floods and wondering if our environmental actions are contributors. And wondering if it will happen again. Animals who don’t use the zebra crossings in traffic. Rapid changes in our cultures that lead to some maybe unhealthy choices. A love of hockey and a love of discovery.
When we connect we can sometimes come up with questions like “For Christmas the kids in India might want different things than us. They might want a new cow…”
For Holi I might want different things than most Indians do. I want that the Global Classroom Initiative continues linking kids from different parts of the world so that we keep learning from each other.
Closed Captioning Thanks
23 February 2014
Indeed. Yet another thank you from the kids.
It’s really important to us that Canadians, Americans, Australians and High Commission friends know how much the equipment they donated this year helped. Hockey is our tool. Leadership and school retention are our goals. The kids report – on every single evaluation in every single village – that Winter Tuition Camps are far more enjoyable when we incorporate skating into the mix.
But equally, the kids learn so much about themselves by skating. It ain’t easy. It takes perseverance. It takes courage. And it takes asking for help. Kinda like life, isn’t it?
Now the District Commissioner agrees (he dropped the opening puck in the Lalok Under 18 Friendship Game!). If…. IF we can build pond hockey into more winter camps, remote village kids will come. Will learn. Will lead.
Thanks Jim, Mary, Adam, Tobie, Graham, Andrew, Jason, Tony, Nicole, Rob, Mr. Nickel, Dave, Harry, Ray, Antoine, Alex, Marg, Mary, Greg, Paul, Henk, Dr. Shankar, Tom, Michael, Jim, Lexi, Eileen, Janice, Faith, Anthony, Geylong Phandey, Ajung Sonam Rinchen, Tsering Dolkar, Brendan, Max and Freya, Canmore Rec, Banff Rec, Wills Mechanical, Fortress Forwarders, HELP, Hockey Foundation, ILSC, CHC, Rotary Friends, CHAI and to Rigzin Spalbar, Rigzin Jora and Ka Simrandeep Singh.
Saying farewell to Taruk
21 February 2014
When the 84 Class 10-12 students arrived at Taruk Residential School on 19 January, “shy”, “hesitant” and “unsure” were apt words to describe what was happening.
At the closing ceremony on 19 February, those feelings had long since departed the Winter Camp. infected. It is a slow yet guaranteed killer, with 1 million dying each year of hep B and its complications.
What an opportunity. What a fabulous opportunity to support Ladakh’s future leaders to become all that they can become. A little like Ron’s idea of “build it and they will come” what old farts like me need to do is make sure the opportunity is there and then get the heck out of the way.
A huge thanks to the dozens and dozens of equipment-donators, supporters and volunteers from North America who helped made this happen. And even more thanks to the dedicated Ladakhi volunteers from Domkhar, Shayok and Lalok who created magic for hundreds of children and youth this year.
The importance of teaching health
18 February 2014
In the Chang tang region of Eastern Ladakh, hepatitis B infection is rapidly growing. The average infection rate in Ladakh is 1.5 times that of India as a whole and the average testing rate is almost nil. This major health scourge infects more than 2 billion globally, with over 400 million chronically infected. It is a slow yet guaranteed killer, with 1 million dying each year of hep B and its complications.
Winter Camps were a wonderful venue for teaching important health messages. Youth had an opportunity to play HEALTH Inc’s Adolescent Health Game (thanks Canassist for funding the printing of the game). Roll a 3, land on the square where you get drunk, fall into the toilet and catch worms. Off to the hospital with you for treatment – lose a health card and pay Rs. 10 for treatment. Or start a Clean Village Campaign and receive a Responsibility and Health card. While everyone is laughing, the kids are learning important messages about high risk behaviour during adolescence and about growing into a healthy adult.
The Final Inventory
18 February 2014
I’m not real sure we’ve got those puck numbers correct (Tobie and Graham had pucks in their bags). And then there’s the New York Ranger caps that are proudly being worn by the coordinators of Lalok Winter Camp these days.
But the gear donated by the Banff area, the Hockey Foundation and Jason’s ILSC has made a huge difference in three village areas supporting hockey as a part of Winter Leadership Camps.
Thank you to everyone.
And we’ll see you for street hockey in June.
Nyoma Kids Leh-based Camp
14 February 2014
There are more than 90 students from 3 Nyoma block schools at Rebok-Ecology Centre for a month of Winter Tuition. It was a great chance for Henk Thoma and I to discuss some “Last Child in the Woods” concepts of environment. (Especially as Stanzin Dolkar had already done the Adolescent Health talk with them.)
When I was young, we never thought twice about “throw away,” as if “away’ was someplace that never came back to haunt us. “Throw away” isn’t really an option here in Ladakh, where the people are so wholly dependent on environment. So when we started unpeeling the consequences of all the rubbish building up in Ladakh, the kids could see “there is no away – we can’t become a throw away society”.
Then we got to talk about those 35,000 cows dying every day in India from ingesting plastic (that we throw away) and the implications for a Buddhist kid from Nyoma. Whose killing our cows? Further, we discussed my experience in Guatemala in 2011 where whole communities transformed rubbish into a building material. Discussed, with movies, of course.
90 kids and their teachers are hoping that Nyoma Residential School will have the first Plastic Bottle Building in Ladakh. And that in the future, Ladakh will stop drowning in its “throw away” mentality.
A lot to think about as this district will be hosting over 150,000 visitors in July for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Kalichakra Ceremony.
Two more winter camps join
10 February 2014
I just wanted to share some photos. In the past two weeks, I’ve seen so many smiles. Despite -20 C mornings on the ice. Despite hauling water, hospital visits, crazy trips over the third highest motorable pass in the world. Despite cameras with viruses, skates that don’t fit and traffic jams on ice on that road.
And teachers smiling as they volunteer their time to “pass it on” to younger kids in their communities.
Happy February Everyone.
Learning through Storytelling
5 February 2014
We’ve been working a Winter Camp for the kids of the Domkhar area since 2006. Some years, we have so much fun learning through inquiry, playing games, village treasure hunts and through spending time with the elders and learning of Ladakhi traditions.
This year, the parents wanted the kids to “complete their homework.” The children sat in a freezing cold government school building. With books open. And doing the same memorisation that they do all school year.
Over at Lalok (Taruk), the 80 Winter Camp students were allowed to learn about career planning, conversation, drama – and curricular memorisation.
The push in Ladakh to complete exams is the same as this global belief that testing equals learning. How we can stop this exam bulldozer I’m not sure.
But! The Class 10 students at Domkhar created a fantastic drama of their textbooks (youtube link below) And once they see the Taruk kids’ movie the meaning of a life well-lived, I think camp fun will seep back into Domkhar in 2015.
Lalok Camp
4 February 2014
Last week, Graham, Tobie and I had the distinct pleasure of traveling over the third highest pass in the world and coaching 80 (plus!) kids in skating, hockey and health.
The children and youth come from villages throughout this remote region (right up against the Chinese-controlled-Tibet border). It’s their first fun Winter Tuition – Residential Camp. And they are having a blast. We are too!
When they saw the Domkhar Hockey Basics video they insisted on making their own. And here’s part one of it.
It’s not just hockey
25 January 2014
Winter Camp is more than hockey – and yet few seem to know this in Ladakh. That’s why the Domkhari people invited village leaders from other remote regions to join the 2014 Camp.
The children live, work, study and play together for 30-45 days each winter. This year Domkhar hosted children from 11 Sham villages- and ages 4 to 24.
Part of the tuition supported by 6 expert teachers from the region included encouraging the students to make videos of their curricular lessons. The Gruffalo, the ABCs and Abiley all reflected a fun way to learn English. The Hockey Manual – produced by the Girl’s and Boy’s Under 20 Teams…. well, not English language learning. But definitely a valuable contribution to the other villages wanting to start Winter Camp programmes.
Saturday Night was the Oscars at Domkhar. The competition was stiff among the 4 entries for Best Picture and the many entries for Best Actor. The prize for best learning and best fun was won by all.
Domkhar or Bust!
21 January 2014
Eighteen bags of gear. One bundle of 47 sticks. Eight lovely kids from the Girl’s Under 20 team and 10 from the Boy’s team. Two volunteer coaches from Banff and one from Holland. Four trays of 60 eggs and as many packets of biscuits. Throw in several teachers, village elders and about 30 other bus passengers (and all their gear, squished among all those hockey bags) and we were off to Domkhar with our donated hockey equipment to attend the final week of Winter Camp 2014.
We arrived 5 1/2 hours later (that’s what it takes to cover 116 kilometres here in the Western Himalayas) to a reception by the Village Education Committee and Women’s Cooperative. Tea warmed us up and we were ready to sort gear.
When the children finished their Winter Tuition classes at 4:30 in the afternoon, they raced to the Archery “Stadium” and laid eyes on the gear.
Who was more excited? The kids to have those much-needed sticks, pads, helmets and jerseys? Or us; knowing how much these donations are appreciated and anticipating a week of coaching fun.
Jullay and thanks to the HELP Fund, the Hockey Foundation, CHAI, ILSC, the High Commission, Jim and Mary, Tony, Adam, Faith and Anthony, Mr. Nickel, Jason, Dr. Shankar, Geylong Phandey, Ajung Sonam Rinchen, Nicole and Rob, Eileen, Lexi and Janice, Tom, Michael and Jim, Rigzin Spalbar and Ka Rigzin Jora.
And to the many, many anonymous donors who recycled their hockey gear to make a real difference in remote village kids’ lives
the Gear and the Canadians are here!
19 January 2014
Friday and Sunday we sorted the gear. Donated from Banff, from ILSC (Australia – really!)and from the Hockey Foundation (USA). There’s a movie – but this is Ladakh and the internet is too slow to upload it today.
Tonight the gear arrives in the remote village of Domkhar (west) and Lalok (east).
Wait til the kids see it – and wait til you see the kids faces.
The Canadians were here Thursday – Sunday playing in the Friendship Cup. And what Friendship!
Canadian kids skating with Sham kids. And former volunteers, who now work at the High Commission seeing old friends.
Thanks Canada! Jullay Hockey Foundation! Thank you ILSC! Many thanks Tony! And jullay Dr. Shankar!
CPR Annie is still waiting
9 January 2014
When will the editing interns come?
Dadul, Thupstan, and Annie in the middle, are a part of Domkhar Drama and Design (3-D) Starting in 2009 3-D has been producing health education videos for HEALTH Inc, the HELP Fund and all our project partners in Ladakh.
Some of the 3-D members are school drop-outs, worried about how to earn a little cash income while also remaining farmers and local leaders in their remote Ladakhi villages. Some are teachers who want to use video in the classroom (Ladakhi children are natural storytellers but not natural readers). And some are mothers who excel at acting and would like to add a little cash and variety to their village lives.
In 2011, with the help of Joe and Emily from Seattle, and the Seattle Red Cross, Annie made her way to Ladakh. Joe and Emily worked with 3-D to film 5 of the top health emergencies in the region. A lot of catch-up and some rather dramatically staged falls resulted in a training video for use by the Department of Health.
But let’s face it, Emergency First Aid is about much more than blocked airway, broken bones, bleeding, unconsciousness and CPR. So Dadul, Thupstan and Annie await another videography team to help them complete Emergency First Aid – Ladakhi style.
Over the Himalayan Hump
8 January 2014
Welcome back to the Himalayas!
How many days does it take to track down lost baggage? (especially hockey sticks)
How many people does it take to get a mobile switched back on?
How many pieces of paper does it take to get your internet connection fixed?
How many officials does it take to let a few kids on the ice?
Welcome back to the Indian Himalayas. Things are different here in many ways. I walk for my water each morning; and get the chance to hear the neighbourhood news from the women at the tap.
I have slight fear of slipping of frozen yak pee; and know that “take care” is a good phrase in my vocabulary these days. My house owns the only Canadian Tire shovel in Leh City and it sure was a charm on the freshly fallen snow this morning.
Wait til the kids see THEIR Canadian Tire shovel – to use on the ice rink out at Gophuks next week, when Graham and Tobie arrive from Banff to start Part 3 of Winter Camp.
And yes, said shovel is in said lost and then damaged luggage. We’ll keep you posted on how that turns out.
Here’s a YouTube Video of the Under 16 Boys from Winter Camp as they got to enjoy participating in the Junior Tourney at Leh. Back to the big city after a wonderful 10-day Winter Camp Part 1 in Domkhar – far from the madding crowd. Hey and look at those LCC jerseys they’re skating in.
You tube link: https://youtu.be/MVQRLwe-0D0
the Old and the New
2 January 2014
Lisa and Ron Perowne – in the back row here – are the father and daughter team in Canadian Crew One that helped start remote village hockey in Ladakh. And what a tradition they started for us.
Ron kept saying “Build it and they will come.” Cheesy? Except he was so right. The village of Domkhar has built 4 rinks now. Floods may wash them away or crops take precedence; but the next year another rink is built so that the kids can come. A better rink. With them moms and dads pitching in free labour. Year after year.
Our rinks are the focal point of a successful leadership program. The kids continue to work together to make the pond-rink happen, to make sure gear is shared, that 3-meals a day for the month for over 100 kids get cooked and served, and the little ones are warm and safe as they bed down together at night.
Afternoons the pond is mush – we’re in thin atmosphere up here at 3850 metres and that sun is fierce. What a perfect time to learn study techniques, practice communication, tell stories and play thinking games. Evenings and elders for those 100 kids are a glue that can keep a society thriving.
This year, Graham and Tobie MacDonald follow in Ron and Lisa’s footsteps. Two more believers in Canadian pond hockey and all it can do for our youth of this world.
Thanks Ron and Lisa. We’ll keep the light on for you.
Hockey Night in the Himalayas
31 December 2013
The kids are skating!
Winter camp allows youth from ages 3-30 enjoy a month of learning and laughter together. Hockey is an important tool we use, and a very important part of the kids’ day. But it is a tool. While it teaches kids to persevere and work together to achieve goals, it also teaches them to “invest” – they are responsible for the ice, sharing the gear and making sure a bit of fuel wood is on hand to warm up little ones’ toes.
Afternoons are filled with “learning how to learn” tuition for school. Many of the kids in remote-village-Ladakh fail because they don’t understand the English curricular books, and don’t have the specialist teachers found in the urban schools. Teaching kids how to find meaning and problem solve helps them excel.
Learning is also filled with laughter though. Each year the kids create a communication project. Last year they learnt drumming (an important Ladakhi form of communication) from the elders. Two years ago, it was the entire wedding ceremony. This year the kids want to make Talking Books to share with the Bow Valley friends who are sending them sticks.
Global Classroom Initiative
10 December 2013
CHAI Director Cynthia Hunt has lived and worked in the Himalayas for over 25 years. But each year, she can be found in some Canadian classroom discussing life on the other side of the world. For the past three years, she’s helped students from Ladakhi schools share directly with K-12 graders in three provinces.
This year, during two weeks in Alberta schools, Banff kids shared their “hero” Mahatma Gandhi with middle schoolers on the roof of the world. Exshaw students learned that devastating floods hit the Himalayas just as they had in their town. And Canmore students learned how 35,000 Indian cows die every day from eating garbage plastic.
YouTube Video link : https://youtu.be/a81unNXZjM4
thanks Bow Valley for our gear!
30 November 2013
Nicole Lundstead and Jim Nickel loaded the hockey gear donated by folks in Banff (and environs) and sent it on it’s way from Delhi to Leh. Last year, when Jim Buckingham heard that the kids didn’t have enough sticks to play a game of shinny, he thought this just won’t do. Posters went up all over the Bow Valley and several months later 11 huge bins of sticks and gear were loaded in with Nicole’s baby things to go to Delhi. Jim and friends then helped us get it to Leh. It’s in a “godown” (storage shed) until the kids get to open it on their New Year – Ladakhi LoSar 2 January.
Hockey Night in Canada… Rockies
15 November 2013
Jim “Bucky” Buckingham is found most days on skis, blazing a trail far above Banff. But after his wife, Mary visited and worked in remote village schools in Ladakh he just couldn’t help asking questions when he saw photos of the kids. Questions like “Why is the goalie playing with a broom here?” When he heard the answer that the Domkhar kids were down to a total of 10 sticks, none of which were a goalie stick, he just couldn’t help getting involved.
Jim put posters all over town. He talked to rink managers. He enlisted the help of friends. Pretty soon he had over 200 sticks and a wide variety of helmets, pads, pucks and even a few floater cones (Jim canoes too.) And a complete goalie kit for Ladakh.
Dave Willis and Harry Andrews also stepped up to help. All the gear was shipped from Calgary to Ottawa, where former HELP Fund volunteer Nicole Lundstead picked it up and got it to Delhi, where she is now posted at the High Commission.
Truly, the kids in Winter Camp 2014 are in store for a real treat. It will be like a Christmas and New Year’s gift arriving right onto the 2nd highest hockey rink in the world. A little caring goes a long way.
Thanks Jim, Thanks Mary, and thanks to everyone in the Bow Valley who made this possible.
