Our multinational team:
Nepal: Ven. Nawang Thinley, Keshab and Saraswoti
Ladakh: Ven Lame Yeshe,Dorjee,Yangchan
Germany: Antje,
Australia: Sue, Robyn and lew
Hosts: The very generous and kind Geshe Tsewang Dorje, Geshe Thinley, monks, staff and 35 children!
Venue: Ngari Institute, Ladakh. Located in a vast and beautiful dessert, high in the north western Indian Himalayas. The new medical clinic, pictured, courtesy of Detlev (our team eye doctor) and his friends in Germany.
Last year we fitted 60+ hearing devices, and now our total is over 100!
Keshab leads our primary ear care section.
He is also a training Ani Palmo, a founding member of the Ladakh Nuns Association, specialising in Tibetan medicine training and practical application. Ani Palmo is going to work closely with local monk Dorje, who we have been training in Nepal and Ladakh, for the last 12 months.
Dorje, pictured, is keen to maintain his monastic status and will also establish himself in the new clinic as the “hearing care” monk. He has also demonstrated a real interest in Tibetan medicine.
Sue also had the opportunity to train Yangchan, also from Ladakh in basic audiometry screening, correctly fitting the test equipment and interpretting the responses. Yangchan is a second year nurse, and will also value add to the new clinic. We have left with Dorjee a complete set of equipment,including a stable power supply generation, and audiometric testing gear. The new Macro digital otoscope which enbles him to also record ear canal and drum pathology, and refer for experienced advice was donated by the ladies of Zonta, Whitsundays, Australia.
It will be used for the training of the nuns from the Tibetan Medicine centre, the young nurse and also Dorjee. Pictured are the kids from the Nagri Institute , Keshab instructing nurse Yangchan in otoscopy method and different ear problem recognition.
One of the students, a shy girl is sporting two hearing aids fitted one year ago. Now she is so happy at school, learning, and especially joining with the others in play and study.
Antje tirelessly worked with Dorjee, fitting all the new hearing aids. And when possible, she continued the training started in Nepal with Keshab and Dorjee. Antje also got up early one cold morning, and blew up 40 “caterpillar” balloons, handing them out to the kids. Thanks for coming, Antje!
Additional memorable moments include welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama, on his arrival in Ladakh. There will more than 200,000 at his teachings.
And from Australia, the kind ladies of Mackay region Red Cross, knit “trauma” teddies, wishing them into the arms of kids with little to cuddle or play with, but the capacity to enjoy and treasure the love woven into them. So 40 of them are fulfilling that wish in their new home at Ngari Institute. Thanks ladies!
We rejoice that we can be a part of this Himalayan health and hearing program…thanks to those who work with us, host us and those who send us hearing aids, equipment, donations, and lots of loving kindness…lew.
