Hung Yegcha Gesa? Jawai Lablo Shi? Keh Bhandai Cha?

Three elections later, we are still stuck at the point where we began – in the puddle of confusion.

The on-going Common Forum debates on the BBS TV is a shameful example of how unreasoned we are as a society - of moronic proportions. Where is the sense is requiring a candidate to speak in a language in which he is so poorly skilled? And what meaning can there be for a bunch of audience having to tolerate a blabbering politician who is unable to coherently pass on the message that he is apparently struggling to pass on?

What is the point of asking a mathematician to speak to a gathering entirely comprised of geologists?

Candidates should be allowed to speak in a language in which they are proficient – so that they are able to pass on whatever message they want to pass on to prospective supporters. And the supporters – if they are one – why should they be made to tolerate a blabbering session about which they are clueless?

I think the Dashos at the Election Commission or whoever, must start to understand that Common Forums and Election Campaigns are occasions when candidates have the opportunity to get out their messages to the voters. This can hardly be done by requiring them to speak in a language that they cannot speak - and to a gathering for whom Dzongkha is Greek.

The voters must be given an opportunity to make an informed choice. This means they have to understand what is being said by the candidates - the candidates must be judged on the basis of what they say and promise. How can an educated judgement be made when the voters are clueless as to what the candidates are saying?

Our election rules are full of absurdities. Take the case of the civil servants requiring to remain “apolitical”. How is that possible? The moment a person casts his vote, he can no longer claim to be apolitical. The only way to ensure that a civil servant remains apolitical is to disallow him/her from voting.

Explanation: Since I have a large following outside the country, I would like to explain that the title of the post is an outcry of exasperation expressed in Sharchopkha (language of the Eastern) followed by Khengkha (language of the Central) and lastly in Lhotshamkha (language of the Southern) Bhutan. Expressed in English, it means: "What the hell is the man talking about?"

Rotary Club of Thimphu’s Donors – Transcending Boundaries of Age

Over the years since its Charter in 2012, the Rotary Club of Thimphu had the good fortune to attract a stream of donors - Rotary Clubs around the world, individuals and couples who have donated generously that went on to contribute to improvement of health, education and agriculture production.

Through their generosity we have done humanitarian projects such as build a shelter for a homeless destitute, provide financial assistance to a young girl to complete her studies in nursing, build a dormitory for a monastery, supply safe drinking water to numerous schools across the country. We even supported a hospital equip with 3 deep freezers to preserve the remains of the dead and the lifeless.

With donations received from generous donors abroad and in-country, we built close to a hundred toilets, supplied agriculture equipment to youth farmer groups, solar fencing to a number of villages, six Dialysis machines including a GG Project to supply emergency hospital equipment worth US$ 54,000.00, at the end of next month.

By the year 2020, Rotary Club of Thimphu will deliver 1 million dollars worth of water filters in collaboration with Disaster Aid Australia, to 120 of Bhutan’s Central Schools.

We even helped legalize treatment by acupuncture as a mainstream form of treatment in the country. The list of our service projects is endless.

But something that touched my heart was a recent case where a child, barely a year old, made a donation to the Rotary Club of Thimphu - for a purpose of our choosing. Traditionally, Bhutanese donate to temples. The fact that the child chose Rotary Club of Thimphu as the temple of good deed tells volumes about the good work we do.

Rotary Club of Thimphu's cute little donor

Yoezang Yangchen Mehphum's donation

The Rotary Club of Thimphu used the child's donation to purchase and donate one of the 8 OMRON Blood Pressure Monitors scheduled to be handed over to Bongo BHU, Chhukha on 21st August, 2018

It is not in Bhutan alone that we have gained trust and recognition. One American lady has bequeathed a percentage of her estate - to the Rotary Club of Thimphu in recognition of the good work we do.

Life is good, and getting better!

Donation of Blood Pressure Monitors

Healthcare givers point out that blood pressure is a cardinal vital sign that guides both acute and long-term clinical decision-making.  Thus, it is important and essential that blood pressure measurement is taken regularly and accurately.

Recently in the process of handing over 25 toilets in Ketokha village in Bongo Geog, Chhukha, we received a request from the Health Assistant of Bongo Basic Health Unit - for the donation of  few Blood Pressure Monitors.

Healthcare is one of the three core areas of our focus. Thus our Club decided that we would donate 8 units of these vital healthcare equipment. Our PR Director will hand over the monitors during his trip to Bongo - to hand over 3 Green Houses, 3 Water Sprinkler Systems, 3 Mowers and a Mitsubishi Farm Tractor to Bongo Agriculture Group, including a Bolero Delivery Van to a Youth Agriculture Group in Tsimasham, Chhukha.

OMRON Blood Pressure Monitors - among the best in the world

Next month, the Rotary Club of Thimphu will delivery US$54,000.00 worth of emergency hospital equipment to the JDWNRH, in collaboration with a number of Rotary Clubs in South Korea. Last year we donated 6 units of Dialysis machines worth Nu. 6.80 million.

Agriculture is another of our 3 core areas of focus. With a total funding of US$79,000.00 from Handa Rotary Club, Japan and partial funding from the Rotary Foundation, on 20th August, 2018 we will be handing over 20 KMs of solar fencing, along with a large Farm Tractor and accessories to a Youth Agriculture Group, in Zhemgang.

Education is another area of our focus. We are currently in the middle of implementing a Safe Water Supply Project that will deliver safe water to every Central School in Bhutan, by the end of 2020. The funding for this project - $ one million - has been assured by Disaster Aid Australia, Melbourne. Ten units of the SkyHydrant water filtration systems have already arrived Bhutan - a list is currently being drawn up for another 10 units that will arrive in the next few months. The target is to install 120 of these patented filter systems in all of Bhutan's Central Schools.

Honk! And They Do Listen!

I am nearly impressed!!

What if they are incapable of doing their jobs willingly and without having to be told? What if they fail – both in their duties as well as in their responsibilities? But you do have to give them credit – if you honk they do listen. Thank God for small mercies.

On 6th June, 2018 I had blogged on the stinking stench of raw sewage that was flowing into the public drainage system – from the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement building. Read the full article at the following:

https://yesheydorji.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-stinking-stench-and-alpine-rumpus.html

This morning I was passing by the building and took a look at the drains in front of the MoWHS. Pure magic! The drain has been cleaned of all sewage and there is no longer the hellish foul stench. It is squeaky clean - raw sewage is no longer flowing into the public drains.

The squeaky clean drains in front of the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement building

Well it took more than a month and a half --- but they did do their job, finally.

But I am not going to offer congratulations to the MoWHS – because one does not deserve congratulations for doing one’s job.