Yet Another Humanitarian Service Project by the Rotary Club of Thimphu

On Sunday the 28th January, 2018, the Rotary Club of Thimphu officially handed over 36 Pour-Flush Type toilets in the impoverished community of Bongo village, under Chhukha Dzongkhag.

21 of the 36 toilets can be seen in this cluster of village homes - structures with red roofs

It is a mystery why Bongops are so poor that they cannot build toilets for themselves. This village sits bang in the middle of Bhutan’s earliest hydro power projects - Tala and Chhukha Hydro Power Projects. From all accounts hydro power projects are supposed to bring riches to the community where they are located. The reality is that even the access road to Bongo village is unpaved and barely usable.

The Club's Logo stands out bold and proud atop one of the toilets

The quality of work done on the toilets by the Coordinator and the community is impressive

The Bongo toilet project is Rotary Club of Thimphu’s signature project. The level of community ownership and spirit of collaboration was such that the construction of entire 36 toilets were completed in 35 days – which is to say that one toilet took less than a day to construct. Around the world, the Rotary Club of Thimphu is credited with speedy and timely implementation of projects – but nothing comes even close to what we achieved in Bongo. The credit ofcourse goes entirely to one of the Bongo Tshogpa Members – Mr. Sangay Thinley. He tirelessly worked to ensure that the project was on schedule and that there was no cost overruns. Even better, what he and his team produced at the end of the project period is something that we can all be proud of.

Shinier they come, better they get! Club President Tsewang Rinzing with Rtn. Bharatbhushan Jayantilal of Rotary Club of Metro Kuala Lumpur who represented the Malaysian Clubs during the handing-over ceremony of the toilets

But it appears that we cannot rest on our laurels – not just as yet. The village next to Bongo called Ketokha is on to the act – they too want toilets. And they want 59 of them! And why not? Who are we to deny them their toilets? Happily, we are already working on the project – cash for 4 toilets is already firmly in the pocket – 55 more to go down. And, we will get there – with help from some 3 million bountiful Rotarians spread over 220 countries around world.

After all, I have to be kept honest too -  I cannot be allowed to forget that I was, after all, born on the World Toilet Day – 19th November!

Ketokha village in Bongo - they too want toilets and 59 of them

The names of the donors to the Bongo Project is listed below. As you can see, it has mostly been the Malaysians’ show:

Dr. Selva Kumar SIVAPUNNIAM, Rotary Club of Indera Mahkota, Malaysia
TEH Boon Chun, Rotary Club of Alor Setar, Malaysia
Mahandaran PERUMAL, Rotary Club of Sri Petaling, Malaysia
Allison FONG, Rotary Club of Bandar Utama, Malaysia
Joseph YEO, Rotary Club of Bandar Utama, Malaysia
Rotary Club of Bandar Utama, Malaysia
Rotary Club of Ara Damansara, Malaysia
James OOI Wah Chooi, Rotary Club of Puchong Centennial, Malaysia
William PU Meng Jin, Rotary Club of Puchong Centennial, Malaysia
Jimmy WONG You Min, Rotary Club of Puchong Centennial, Malaysia
Kejuruteraan Berdua Sdn Bhd, c/o Rotary Club of Puchong Centennial, Malaysia
Judy YU, Rotary Club of Tawau Tanjung, Malaysia
Estate of Mdm KUNG Dee Yot, c/o Rotary Club of Utara Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Rotary Club of Metro Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Modernform Sdn Bhd, c/o Rotary Club of Teluk Intan, Malaysia
Max Solution (M) Sdn Bhd, c/o Rotary Club of Sri Petaling, Malaysia
Cloud Data Sdn Bhd, c/o Rotary Club of Sri Petaling, Malaysia
Rotary Club of Chenai, India
Rtn. Asha Marina S, President 2016 -17, Rotary Club of Madras South, India
Rtn. Dr. Kameswar Singh Elangbam, Past President 2016 – 2017, Rotary Club of Shillong, India

Nubri Capital, Thimphu, Bhutan

One person's name does not appear on the above list - that of Rtn. K K Looi. He deserves special mention for his role in raising the money that made it possible for R C Thimphu to implement the project. He put together the donors who contributed money.

Token of Appreciation Plaque issued to Rtn. K K Looi, for his contribution, by the Rotary Club of Thimphu