Lubra

Located in a remote area in Mustang, north-west Nepal, the village of Lubra is remarkable for its
combination of a unique cultural heritage and a modern education. It plays an important role in the
mainte- nance of the Bon tradition and for the future of people in Mustang. With your help we can
improve the quality of life and education in this special community!

The village of Lubra

Beside the Panda Khola river, between Jomsom and Kagbeni at a height of about 3000 metres, lies the little
settlement Lubra (also spelled Lubrak or Lupra). This village, whose name means “the cliff (brak) of the
serpent-spirits (lu)”, is the earliest surviving community of the Bon religion in Nepal, and the only village of
this faith in Mustang District, which gives it special cultural importance. There are no monks in the
community, but only married householder-lamas. The culture of the village is a highly complex affair in which
the canonical Bon religion is intricately interwoven with folk ceremony. Most of the religious activity is focused
on the village temple, Yungdrung Phuntshokling, located in the middle of the settlement, which was built in
1846 by the Tibetan master Karu Druwang Tenzin Rinchen. The first monastery in the village was founded in
the 12th century by Tashi Gyaltsen, who is generally known by the title of Yangtön Lama or Drogön
Lubrakpa, meaning “the Protector of Living Beings, the Man of Lubrak”, after having defeated the local spirits
and demons. After the establishment of the Bonpo community in Lubra, Tashi Gyaltsen undertook a lengthy
retreat of nine years, nine months and nine days in a small cave situated above the valley floor.

The hostel

Chasey Kengtse Hostel was founded by Mustang Bon Action and is associated with the government school
in Lubra. It's an important establishment for education and preservation of culture in Mustang. Before its
opening in 2002 there had been a grow- ing demand from Bonpo families in Mustang for a school where
children could receive a high standard of education and learn about their own religious tradition as well as
the native culture of Mustang. The school and hostel are open for children of all religious backgrounds and
serve a large catchment area from where families send their children to study in this special environment.
From nursery to class eight, the students are taught in all common subjects of the Nepalese school system,
such as mathematics, Nepali language, science, social science and English. The high educational standard
is not only due to the school books in English language, but also the high motivation of the private and
government teachers. Tibetan language and cultural features like dances and the participation in rites and
festivals of the village complete the education.

Our support

Together we work on the necessary short- and long-term improvements and maintainance of the
Chasey Kengtse Hostel and all its inhabitants as well as the villagers of Lubra. Some of us have
already been supporting Chasey Kengtse Hostel and Lubra for many years, others join for the
following projects – but all have experience in development aid and project planning in Nepal. The
close contact with the students, teachers and villagers is very important to us, so that we know the
needs and can work together with them.
Our aim is a long-lasting improvement and support of external and internal conditions, which
include the following:
buildings & material
Expansion of the hostel with a new dormitory, guestroom, staff room, study room and a new
kitchen with all required furniture, toilets and bathroom.
Maintainance and improvement of the current structures – beds, bedding, other furniture, wooden
flooring, solar lights etc.
Solar systems for hot water.
General supplies for daily needs – water buckets etc.
Greenhouse to grow vegetables for a better diet.
education & well-being
General supplies for school lessons and individual studies – books, stationery.
Trainings for the teachers.
Additional support staff for the children’s care and the houses.
School uniforms and shoes appropriate for the climate.
Regular medical care.
International input – long-term qualified volunteers for teaching English and other subjects.
Sponsoring the students – nutrition, clothing, medical care, school material.
Sponsoring teachers – salaries, training, nutrition, teaching material.

Your contribution

If you’d like to help the children and teach- ers of Lubra, you’re welcome to support our work!
You can contribute to the Chasey Kengtse Project with a long-term sponsorship or a one-off
donation. The money is for the ben- efit of all the inhabitants of the Hostel even though the
sponsorships are symbolically to one individual child. For all our sponsors the webpage of Mustang
Bon Action is kept updated with information and pictures of life and improvements in Lubra. Additionally,
a donation proof is sent to the registered sponsors once per year.

Fränkische Landeszeitung Nr. 303. Freitag, 30. Dezember 2016

 

Here is an update, as of April 2017:

Dear Friends of Yungdrung Bön Foundation!

With this newsletter I would like to inform you about the latest developments in Lubra. I am very happy to tell you that during the normal boarding school days, the the construction work at the Chasey Kengtse Hostel has started! The new dwelling-house, the kitchen building and a little above the new water system are creating enough room for learning, playing and sleeping, for a hygienic preparation of healthy food and for the continuous and sufficient supply of water. The shell construction work is to be completed by August. The dwelling-house is built two-storey and includes a dining hall, guest rooms, a dormitory, a playroom and three rooms for teachers and employees.

The subsequent projects are:

1. Interior of houses

2. Construction of a greenhouse 

3. The planning and implementation of teacher training courses

The teachers' training courses are to be offered to the teachers of the upper classes (five to eight) and to show them how they can organize varied and individual classes.

4. The organisation and implementation of the winter holidays in Kathmandu for the sixth to eighth class.

So far, there was one opportunity (2014/15) for the sixth to eighth class to spend the winter in Kathmandu, when the boarding school is closed because of the cold and the snow. There they live near the Triten Norbutse Monastery, which they visit daily, they do some leisure activities and have Tibetan and English lessons (the latter can be supplemented by others and carried out by a volunteer from, for example, Europe). The students at the time enjoyed this so much that they still talk about it enthusiastically, look at the pictures and tell others about it. Children, parents and teachers have repeatedly asked me to make this activity possible again next winter.

When I spent a few days in Lubra in April, I had an open school day, but also everyday life at the boarding school, and I talked with pupils, teachers, parents and villagers about the current and future developments. They have shown great gratitude to what is made possible by all the donations - I would like to pass on this thanks to you, of course! I was also very pleased that they have developed long-term and short-term plans together with me and have ideas on how they can contribute themselves.

For the above four short- and medium-term projects the funding is unfortunately not yet secured, which is why we are still and especially now very grateful for every donation!

If you have any suggestions or questions concerning the Chasey Kengste Hostel in Lubra, write a mail!

Amrei
for Yungdrung Bon Foundation