Trekking 18,000-foot elevations is not for the faint-hearted
It is an arduous 10-hour/day, 14-day trek over desolate areas few have ever witnessed by foot. The Himalayan journey to the remote Tibetan villages spanning elevations of 18,000 feet is staggering in its austere beauty. Tiny villages dot the rugged landscape; no roads, just well-worn narrow paths along rocky ridges and sheer drops of a thousand or more feet to rushing rivers below. The trek requires absolute concentration through the passes, and each C.E.D. child has made this trek at least once.
Sure-footed horses and mules carry the carefully weighted supplies for the travelers. Along the way, you can see painted Buddhist shrines called chortens with rocks added to the base by travelers to ensure a safe passage. Colorful fluttering prayer flags are strung with hand-written prayers or family members’ names to commemorate their passing. There is a certain reverence to be experienced in the quiet, dramatic landscape and genuine warmth and curiosity emanating from its gentle and hospitable inhabitants.
A glimpse of life in the Dolpo region of the Himalayas
The life of the Dolpo people is simple but quite harsh. The extreme seasons carry with them consequences of survival. What is not farmed to sustain the families must be brought in from outside the Dolpo region. Commonplace among the people is trading for teas, sugar, salt, clothes, and other necessities to live in the high altitudes. Farming produces barley for flour to make beer, chang (a Tibetan wine), and the traditional tsampa, which is often roasted and ground for cereal. Another practice is harvesting yarsagumba, a fungus growing inside a caterpillar that is mummified and appears at the soil’s surface. Yarsagumba is said to have an aphrodisiac quality and is a highly sought-after medicinal fungus. Yaks and goats provide milk for butter and cheese and wool to make clothing, dried dung for fuel to heat and cook, and hides to make shoes; nothing is wasted.
Utilizing what is most plentiful, homes are constructed of stones and plastered with mud used to block the wind. Animals are usually housed on the main level, and the families occupy the second. The central living space is used for the kitchen while accommodating sleeping and a special prayer area. Every kitchen contains a pit sunk in the ground for cooking with pots hanging from a tripod. Little furniture adorns these simple homes except for wooden beds or mats used for sleeping. Most walls are lined with shelves to house the pots, pans, dishes, and other items. There is no indoor plumbing, so water must be carried from rivers miles away unless a communal village water system has been installed. No plumbing also means there are no places to relieve yourself inside the structures.
What’s in a name?
As you read the C.E.D. children’s names, many share what we would consider a surname; for these children, it is Gurung. Gurung is one of the wandering tribes of ancient Tibet, dating back before Buddhism’s introduction in the 7th century. It is also one of 59 indigenous nationalities of Nepal residing on the Annapurna massif foothills and the Machhapuchre mountain range. The name Gurung is derived from the Tibetan word Grong, which means farmers. True to their name, those living in the Himalayas’ highlands rely heavily on an agricultural way of life. The Gurung people also refer to themselves as Tamu, which in the Tibetan language means horseman, but other references say “Ta” means thunder while “mu” means sky. Perhaps it is the sound horses make when galloping across the land. Gurungs also served as soldiers for the Shah kings as they expanded their territory of the Gurkha empire. The unification of Nepal came about in 1768 when Kathmandu was conquered.
Common childhood experiences
In conversations with the children, they often speak of their days tending herds of goats, yaks, and cattle—some talk about gathering wood or water. At first glance, this would not give you too much pause; however, when you realize many of the children are perhaps four-six years old, you cannot help but compare them to our four-six-year-olds. Every member of these families is expected to contribute to the well-being of all. Their herds may consist of a few animals, but some can reach numbers of 30-60. It is fair to say our children struggle to be responsible for a single pet’s care, let alone 30 or more. Yes, the Himalayan children’s circumstances are quite different and shocking, but these children are none-the-less incredibly resilient and astonishing. When the children spoke of gathering wood, it is a difficult task to accomplish as they live above the timberline, and therefore, very few trees grow. What they must collect are shrubs. And unless the village has installed a pump with flowing water, the children may travel miles to find water at the river’s edge and carry these cumbersome containers back to their homes. It is a hard life for everyone but especially the children. Since water is scarce and a high-demand commodity, layers of dirt accumulate on everyone due to ill-vented hearth cooking and daily activities. Baths are a rarity; thankfully, the cool climate aids in tamping down the body odors. So when you read about the children bathing for the first time at the C.E.D., you will understand what a remarkable experience it is for them. We take for granted the small things like brushing our teeth, running water, food stores, transportation, heat, and clothing, but it is a wonderment to the C.E.D. children.
Depending on in which village you live, most children do not experience going to school. What they receive are the lessons of life through their hard work to survive. Unfortunately, motherhood comes early to young girls, children bearing children. Childbirth is met with fear and often death as hospitals and clinics are few and only found in larger cities. Along with all the daily struggles, the most severe is dealing with the harsh climate where the winters are brutal. As is tradition, most men travel to lower regions of the Himalayas to trade or sell from their harvests, which results in the women and children left to fend for themselves for half the year. Buried in snow, women must dig themselves out to tend to their animals and other family needs. Hopefully, there is adequate food to sustain them through the winter, but that is not always the case. Many of the rescued children arrived at the C.E.D. malnourished and diseased after sustaining years of compromised health. Thankfully, with nutritious food and medical attention, all the children are thriving.
Not an orphanage
What makes the C.E.D. Society unique is its concept of creating a family environment where the rescued children experience love, feel safe, and are nurtured. Since its inception, Lama Tenzin’s vision never wavered. Before the first child was brought back from the upper regions of Dolpo, he was committed that no child be adopted. He felt that these special children must remain in an environment where homage was paid to their rich Tibetan culture while adapting to modern times. The C.E.D. Society is a wonderfully large family of brothers and sisters. The older children are kind, protective, and caring of the younger ones, while similarly aged older children support and encourage each other.
The first pillar
Lama Tenzin established the first of four pillars to be spirituality. These pillars serve as the C.E.D.’s foundation to guide and help the children grow into adulthood. To honor their Tibetan Buddhist faith, for one hour each morning and again each evening, the children practice by chanting prayers in the meditation room. Another practice is to speak Tibetan at home, so the children continue to be immersed in their native language while learning and speaking Hindi and English. As part of their Buddhist faith, vegetarian meals are prepared and served with love. For some, the distant memory of eating poorly and going to bed hungry is assuaged as they gather around the dining table to give thanks for all the blessings bestowed on them.
The second pillar
“When you educate a girl, you kick-start a cycle of success. It makes economic sense. It makes social sense. It makes moral sense. But, it seems, it’s not common sense, yet.”
— Queen Rania of Jordan
The second pillar is education. Lama Tenzin’s commitment to disrupt and dispel the archaic beliefs that a boy’s education is the better investment for societies’ continuance. Ignorance breeds ignorance; and, in most cases, the perpetuation of injustices. Well-informed and educated girls are the path forward to creating justice for all peoples. Education balances societies and cares for those that cannot care for themselves without prejudice. Each of the C.E.D. children has a profound commitment to educating themselves in a field of their passion. They know that with education, they will positively impact others, including those still living high in the Himalayas.
The third pillar
The third pillar is compassion without barriers. The C.E.D. children have grown up in an environment that naturally supports compassion among themselves. They care for one another; they help one another, all without question. Lama Tenzin is a genius at teaching them compassion through action. While he champions the CED children through love, education, and spirituality, he quietly does so for the community-at-large. On many occasions, someone from outside the C.E.D. has needed his help. If it is within his power, he gladly responds. Through gentle instructions and lively discussions, Lama Tenzin encourages the children’s collaboration to find solutions to many situations and problems so they, too, can begin to include the world that surrounds them. One of the many lessons Lama Tenzin has taught them is to lead your life with compassion. As human beings, we all crave it, and we all deserve it.
The fourth pillar
The fourth pillar of the C.E.D. Society supports giving back and serving others. From their early childhood, each child has been engaged in an environment that teaches them to give of themselves. They have learned this lesson from the teachers surrounding them, including Lama Tenzin and his family. If you’ve ever spent time with Lama Tenzin, he will tell you that it is essential for his children to see that they, like all people, deserve everything life has to offer. True to living a humble life, Lama Tenzin is content to sleep on the floor of his office, stating he doesn’t require more and wants the children to know how special they are and deserve to live their dreams. Everything he does is for them, from providing a loving home, first-rate education, nourishing meals, health checkups, and fun adventures to engage in as a child should fully. What is also apparent is he is teaching the children to be observant of the community-at-large and provide solutions to their challenges or problems.
One such endeavor is PinkPads. PinkPads is a new C.E.D. Society initiative whereby organic menstruation pads will be manufactured and sold from their facility. Along with producing the PinkPads, Lama Tenzin is committed to educating and dispelling age-old beliefs that a woman’s menses reduce her to a second-class citizen; this translates to ostracization. It robs girls of their right to be educated, attend religious ceremonies, and kept from participating in other activities. Lama Tenzin has encouraged each of the children to help design, create, and run the PinkPads operation; this, in turn, teaches the valuable lesson of leadership. This initiative is the first of many to be rolled out to make the world a better place to live, not only for the C.E.D. children but also the surrounding communities.