A Season of Service & Giving

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

-  Edward Everett Hale

A basketful of Maa & Datsi (butter and cheese) is what the people of Ketokha sent for me - as an expression of gratitude to the Club Secretary who helped build 25 toilets for their community. A most touching gesture!

Towards the end of this year, the Rotary Club of Thimphu will build another 34 toilets for the community – effectively providing 100% coverage of toilets in this impoverished village located deep inside the jungles of Chhukha.

One of the 25 toilets handed over to the Ketokha community on 23rd July, 2018

Strangely, Ketokha is a village located in the vicinity of Bhutan’s earliest hydropower projects - Chukha and Tala hydroelectric projects. If it is true what the government claims that hydropower brings riches to the villages and communities around it, one has to wonder why this village, including that of Bongo, are so poor that they cannot build their own toilets. In fact, even the dirt roads leading to these villages are in such poor condition that traveling over them is frightfully unsafe.

The Chief Guest speaking to the community of Ketokha

Early this year we handed over 36 toilets to the community of Bongo. When we finally complete the construction of additional 34 toilets in Ketokha towards the end of this year, we would have built close to a hundred toilets. That is not the end. We hope to cover entire Bongo Gewog - totaling over three hundred toilets.

Club President Rtn. Tsewang Rinzing speaking before a grateful crowd

What is encouraging is that the Health Assistant of Bongo Gewog has apparently reported that in the past 6 months there has not been a single case of sanitation related illnesses in Bongo village.

The Rotary Club of Thimphu is glad that we have contributed in some minor ways, towards the improvement of health and sanitation of the people of Bongo.

There are more coming.