Thaa Damtsi

Hi ……..,

Thank you for your mail of the morning.

On the outset I would like to apologize to you and your organization for the shameful behavior of my country towards donors who have helped make a difference in the lives of the Bhutanese people. The rule regarding donors or their hosts in Bhutan needing to pay the SDF of US$200.00 per day per person is an act of shamelessness, ingratitude and total lack of appreciation for the generosity of the donors and their untiring work to raise funds for meaningful projects in Bhutan.

Popy photographed in Merak, Trashigang

Unfortunately the Bhutanese people have no idea how much hard work goes behind fund raising that donors have to do - to be able to deliver much needed aid money to Bhutan - they only see the color of the money that come in - not the passion and commitment and hard work that go behind the humanitarian work.

As a aid worker myself who had to deal with aid recipients on a daily basis, I had on countless occasions been faced with attitudes that were so utterly callous - it defies logic that a society supposedly made up of people indoctrinated in, what we in Bhutan call, people of “Thaa Damtsi” - "Loyalty", "Integrity", "Virtue, "Interpersonal Commitment", "Respect & Reciprocity" etc. - can be capable of. In exasperation, after eleven years in an aid giving organization, I threw in the towel and made my exit, before I too am dragged into the cesspool.

I totally agree with you - there are many developing countries around the world that are deserving of your aid money. You would be right in reassessing your work here in Bhutan. All that I can say on behalf of the people of Bhutan and on my on behalf is: THANK YOU - for your engagement thus far.

The truth is that I am a Bhutanese and I will remain one to the end of my life - it is not a dye that I can wash off, nor a cast that I can peel off and discard - not that I wish to. Thus, as a caring Bhutanese, I raise my voice once in a while; put in few words edgeways - in the hope that I might make a difference.

For the selfless donors who have suddenly been declared persona-non-grata, I can do nothing - other than regularly remain in touch with them from time to time and ask: How are you? Are you and your family keeping well and safe from the pandemic? One other thing I do:

First thing I wake up in the morning, I login into the website:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

I scan through the site and see how countries such as Australia, Canada, England, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, the Middle East and the USA are faring, with respect to the COVID-19 Pandemic that is still a looming threat. I do so because I hold memories of people in those countries who helped me do good in this world - people who still continue to mean well for Bhutan and the Bhutanese people, regardless.

Every once in a while I make sure that I remember to write to each of them in those countries - to demonstrate to them that atleast there is one solitary Bhutanese whose heart has not stopped palpitating for them, in gratitude for having given to the Bhutanese people so selflessly.

Bye and take care ---- and once again I am sorry.

Yeshey