Tibet is a forgotten tragedy, but it began in 1949 when the newly formed People’s Republic of China militarily invaded the Roof of the World, proclaiming the “liberation” of the Tibetan people. What happened from that moment on was a real tragedy leading to the deaths of more than two million Tibetans out of a total of about seven million. We want to give children who live in the complex condition of exile the opportunity to survive and attend a school where they can keep alive a language, a tradition and a culture that risks extinction.
The Earthquake: April 25 2015
A powerful earthquake shook Nepal on Saturday near its capital, Katmandu, killing more than 1,900 people, flattening sections of the city’s historic centre, and trapping dozens of sightseers in a 200-foot watchtower that came crashing down into a pile of bricks.
The story of the Tashi Orphan School following the terrible shock
6th of May 2015
Twelve days after the date of the terrible earthquake that struck Nepal, there are already 6,500 confirmed victims and over 20,000 injured. However, it is evident that these data are still unreliable and underestimated due to the lack of an accurate registry registration existing in Nepal. In addition, a consistent number of destroyed villages were difficult to be reached with humanitarian aid due to bureaucratic procedures by a government that did not seem capable of handling this emergency at all.
The Tashi orphan school, built in reinforced concrete, has withstood the devastating impact of this earthquake well while still showing, as reported today, damage to the top floor:
“Following the visit of the architect friend of a volunteer, it seemed that the school had not suffered any particular damage, but yesterday some teachers checked the school better and found various cracks, especially on the top floor.
Unfortunately, the terrace area of the school has suffered even significant damage, and the roof area needs to be rearranged, as well as the solar panels, the water tank and the power generator. In fact, during the first week after the earthquake, purchases could be made exclusively through the black market, and the sellers dictated the shameful prices. Now they have dropped a little but remain high (essential foods such as rice and lentils still cost three times the standard, while vegetables are sold at inflated prices, and for the moment, we are forced to limit their purchase). Moreover, no international humanitarian aid arrived in the school area. (Tibetan district of Bodinath).
Another severe danger is the epidemic diseases spreading throughout Nepal, especially in Kathmandu and the most populated cities. The lack of water inevitably leads to a forced absence of personal hygiene, and conditions such as cholera (Haiza in the Nepali language) and swine flu have begun to spread. Given the situation, the risk of contagion.
20th of May 2015
A part of the water is used to allow the school children to stay clean and thus prevent any genesis of diseases. During the day, children are kept inside, on the school’s ground floor, while at night, they stay outside because the risk of earthquakes is not over yet “. Till today, over 127 aftershocks have been reported between 4 and 6.5 on the Richter scale. Nevertheless, local broadcasters still urge people to sleep at night outside their homes.
28th of May 2015
“The children of our school have resumed “normal school lessons”, obviously only for a few hours a day and interrupting them when strong shocks arrive. For the time being, they have good supplies of water and food and are all in good health. Due to the adverse weather conditions and the dirt, all the children were transferred to the school building, where they spent the last few nights. Since the aftershocks are not over yet, the children are all evacuated outside in their tents “.
3th of June 2015
The €. 25,000 budget our foundation set out to support this first phase of the emergency following the earthquake that hit Nepal has been reached !!
Thanks to the support provided by the Divo Bartolini Foundation, our school was equipped with 12 brand-new Dell laptops. At the same time, our friend Guido Donati’s donation allowed us to complete the renovation work on the external facade of the Tashi Orphan school after the devastating earthquake of April 25 2015.
ON THE BEHALF OF THE ALL OUR TIBETAN CHILDREN, WE THANK ALL THE SENSITIVE PEOPLE WHO HELPED US IN THIS MOMENT OF GREAT DIFFICULTY