Make a Wish 2

–By Asha Kama

We were there once again and back!!! The second round of the pilot project, despite the sheer enormity of the group, not to mention the complicated logistics involved, completed with a big success. Make a Wish Project 2 focused on old ladies this year. There were 54 ladies, aged ranging from 30 to 85 from Punakha along with 17 volunteers with two children age 2 and 3. The 9 day trip was a wonderful experience for both old and young.

The project was sponsored by the money we raised from the “Art of giving Night” in July 2010.
VAST on behalf of the ladies who benefited from the trip would like to thank all VAST artists who have contributed their art works for the silent auction and all the buyers, guests, volunteers and donors.

List of Buyers:

1. Mam Deki, ELC, purchase of Asha kama’s painting
2. Peter Schmidt, purchase of asha kama’s prints
3. Mam annick, purchase of asha kama’s prints
4. Lyonpo Tshering Tobgay, purchase of asha kama’s prints
5. Aum sonam Wangmo, purchase of Pasang Tobgay’s Painting
6. Mam Deki, ELC, purchase of Sukbir Biswas painting
7. Ashi Kunzang Roder, purchase of Mailing’s painitng
8. Mr. Alain Duhaut, purchase of dueg’s painting
9. Dr. Kristan Jones, purchase of prints, unknown artist
10. Aum Tshering Yangzom,purchase of chand’s painting
11. Greg, purchase of Dipika’s digital artwork
12. Greg, purchase of Gelay’s photo
13. Aum Chimi Zom, purchase of unknown artist’s painting
14. Karma T, purchase of Yannick’s photographs
15. Dr.Lina, purchase of Chands’s painting
16. Dr. Lina, purchase of Pasang Doma’s painting
17. Aum Kayzang Phuntsho, purchase of Maiyes’s painting
18. Gelay Jamtsho, purchase of Kunga wangchuk’s painting
19. Aum Pema Norbu, purchase of Dueg’s painting

List of Donors

1. Elizabeth Warren, USA
2. Mr. Vijay
3. Mr. Singye (KASH)
4. Phub Lham
5. Karma Choden
6. Mamta Katwal
7. Pem Deki
8. Tshering Yangki
9. Karma Chogyal
10. Kinley Penjor
11. Chencho Gyelmo
12. Ugen P Norbu
13. Tirtha Rana
14. Karma tenzin
15. Dungkhar
16. Sonam Rabgye
17. Anne Larsen
18. Fumie Arizuma
19. Shairi Mathen
20. Aum Om Bokhu
21. Ama Om
22. Kuenga Zam & Tashi Tobgay
23. Dago Peldon
24. Ugen Choden
25. Dichen Roder
26. Mam Kara
27. Mam Kueron
28. Aum Yannick
29. Phub Gyeltshen

List of Volunteers for the make a wish 2:

1. Ama Om from Jawana
2. Ama Kama from Jawana
3. Aum Doma from Chukulungchu
4. Aum Zam from Phakhakha
5. Ap Bow, cook
6. Ap Pem Tshering, cook
7. Rajesh Gurung, VAST
8. Asha Kama, VAST
9. Sangay Dorji, VAST
10. Dorji Wangchuk, VAST
11. Kinley Bokto, VAST
12. Zuki Nima, VAST
13. Nono, VAST
14. Aum Kunzang, VAST
15. Pala, Driver
16. Ugen, Driver
17. Lotey, Driver

Youth connect to senior citizens
-By Tandin Pem (Bhutan Observer)

Fifty-four villagers from Punakha are on a two-week pilgrimage to temples and cultural sites in Bumthang as part of Voluntary Artists’ Studio’s (Vast) project called “Make a Wish”. Escorted by young volunteers from Vast, many of them are travelling out of Punakha for the first time in their lives.

Make a Wish project is aimed at bridging the gen­eration gap, according to the founder of Vast, Kama Wangdi, popularly known as Asha Kama.

He said the group visits temples and cultural sites during the day and sings and dances traditional songs in the evening. Most villagers in the group are elderly, the eldest one being 86 years old.

Last year, the project took 28 villagers on a pilgrimage. They camped outdoors, and in the evenings, the elderly peo­ple told stories to the younger ones. But this year, camping is not possible because the group is bigger.

Make a Wish project is designed to link the young and the old from rural and urban areas through the age-old Bhutanese tradition. The young serve their elders and regenerate the lost connec­tion. During the pilgrimage, the young volunteers are fully engaged in guiding and assist­ing the senior citizens.

The project provides an opportunity for the youth to develop a better understand­ing of the wealth of wisdom of the older generation. It also provides the poor senior citizens, who have not been outside their villages, an opportunity to visit religious and cultural sites and to de­velop a wider prospective on the development and changes taking place in the country.

The aim is to link the understanding of the old and the new to rural environment, cultural heritage and values.

“This is a pilot project. Next year, we are planning to take people from other areas,” said Kama Wangdi, adding, how­ever, that funding has been a problem.

This year’s Make a Wish project has been funded by proceeds from an event organised by Vast. Vast artists auctioned their artworks dur­ing the Art of Giving Night and donated the whole amount to Vast.

Orginal Article in Bhutan Observer