Annual report for 2004

1. News from Lhasa.

At the beginning of 2005 an article about the project is due to be published in the largest-circulating Chinese print newspaper. A journalist and a photographer came to visit our project. They stayed for about a week during which they sat down in the classes with the blind students, had a medical massage treatment and talked with students and teachers and even people on the street about what they think about the project. When he asked me, I returned the question with "What do you think about the centre?" In this conversation he revealed that in order to prepare himself for the visit to our centre he had visited a family with two blind children in his hometown. With the memories of that visit he had come to Lhasa with a feeling that blindness goes together with a dark sadness. However, this thought disappeared when he entered the project in Lhasa. "For sadness", he said, "there doesn't seem to be any space in this place". As if it was planned, at that particular moment Tse Lamu walks into the room and when I asked her how she was doing she started smiling from ear to ear and said "I am sooooooo happy...!"

The good mood of the students and staff dominates the atmosphere of the entire project. In the morning we wake up with giggling teenagers who exchange little secrets in the courtyard, with happy little children who splash washing water on each other, and with kids who jog up and down the stairs with Puki Yamdrok, the project's dog. We have breakfast with cheerful staff members who enjoy a cup of butter-tea and the latest "lhasa-gossip" and in the evening we sit down in the courtyard with the students who tell us about their exciting dreams for the future.

The cheerfulness, exuberance and independence of the students and staff give us that daily portion of drive which we need to stabilize existing projects and to start new ones.

1.1 New Students

In 2004 the project received quite a few new students, mainly young ones; these entered the Mouse class.

To give them all the care and attention they need we decided to employ another house-mother. The students call her Adja Momo. She comes from the same place from which our house-father Lodi comes from, and she has the same measure of motivation. Adja Momo mainly concentrates on cleaning and on the very young students who cannot yet concentrate on a full day of classes.

Nyima Punzog

One of these very young ones is Nyima Punzog, who was brought to us by his grandfather. He told us the boy was five years old so we said "bring him in". The grandfather probably wanted to get rid of the boy because when Nyima Punzog appeared we found out that he was only two-and-a-half or three years of age. Nyima Punzog is like the mascot of the project and we have to take very good care that he won't get spoiled too much! He is either taking part in Kyla's classes, playing with Puki Yamdrok, or helping Adja Momo with folding up the laundry.

Tashi Zering

Tashi Zering is seven years old and comes from the Shigatse region. He is a smart little fellow but still very playful and a little naughty at times. He has joined the Mouse class. Because Dr. Marc Liebermann, our ophthalmologist, didn't get to see him last year, we don't exactly know how much he can still see or whether he can be helped with optical aids. Tashi Zering however doesn't want to know that he can still see a little bit, he wants a white cane like the other students. When we tell him that he is not blind like the other kids but that he is "only" visually impaired he almost starts to cry: "No, I am blind!!"

Dawa

Dawa is about eight years old and has joined the Tiger class. Like Tashi Zering he comes from the Shigatse region and adapted into the project quite quickly and very well.

Migmar Zering

The twelve-year-old Migmar Zering is an orphan who was raised by his great aunt. When Wilfried, an agricultural specialist from an EU project in Pan Am, told the auntie about the Braille Without Borders project in Lhasa, she was completely against the suggestion that Migmar should go; she is alone and doesn't have anyone to keep her company. Migmar however was full of hope when he heard about the school and, together with the very sensible village leader, he convinced his auntie that it would be best for his future to let him go to Lhasa. Migmar Zering is a very bright student who has adapted well into the project and made lots of friends immediately.

Droga

Droga is a very graceful-looking girl, though she is a little shy. She too comes from the Shigatse region and is about nine-years-old.

Wangla

Wangla is ten-years-old and comes from a little village directly next to the Braille Without Borders vocational training farm in Pelshong. His father brought him to Lhasa and remained at the project for a few days to make sure his son was well taken care of. It took quite a while before Wangla overcame his homesickness. In the beginning he cried quite a bit and a few times he tried to run away. It took about two weeks until he completely settled in and felt integrated; now he doesn't want to go home.

Tenzin Tsamchu

Tenzin Tsamchu is about six-years-old. She comes from a beautiful region near the Sikkim border. At the moment she is still in the Mouse class but she'll soon advance to Tiger class.

Kyla took over Braille education for the Mouse class. In these classes she talks to the young students about her life before she joined the training centre in Lhasa. She wants the children to discuss and think about their experiences of discrimination so that they can overcome these obstacles and bad experiences as soon as possible. During one such conversation Tenzin Tsamchu mentioned that she wondered why everybody in the project is so friendly because at home people were throwing rocks at her. Tsering, another student in the class, explained to her that the children in her village are dumb and that he wanted to join her on one of her visits home in order to explain to the people there that there is nothing odd about being blind.

Lhakhi Dolma

Lhakhi Dolma is eleven years old. As she has integrated into the project rather unnoticed it is hard to describe her. However she seems to be very happy and has a great friend in Lhakdon.

Penchung
Penchung comes from Shabgeding, a small region between Shigatse and Lhatse. She is fourteen or fifteen years old, intelligent and an outstanding student in her class. She wants to join the farm project later on.

1.1.1 Some students left the project for several different reasons:

Tendsin, a seven-year-old boy, was picked up by his father only one day after he arrived. His father missed him too much and said that he couldn't live without his son. Maybe Tendsin will come back to the project when he is a bit older.

With the thirteen-year-old girl Yangla it was the mother who came to take her daughter home after just a few weeks. She also missed her child and she didn't think that her daughter would have a better life with a school education.

Tashi Zering, a seventeen-year-old boy didn't feel at home in the project since he wasn't allowed to drink beers or smoke. We gave him the choice, school or beer and cigarettes, but he chose the latter.

A girl from the Kham region wasn't allowed to come to the project because her blind grandmother didn't "see" why the girl needed an education. The grandmother is doing fine herself and never went to school. The parents as well as the blind girl were very excited when they found out that she could join the project but the grandmother stopped it.

Kyla told a blind 23-year-old boy about the training farm in Shigatse. He seemed to be excited but then he pulled back since the grandparents wouldn't allow him to go. They needed him to wash the dishes and do the laundry.

1.2 Training in 2004

Also in 2004 specialists were invited to come in and train our students.

1.2.1 Training in the use of computers

Thomas Apel, a blind psychologist and very experienced computer user came to Lhasa to give an intensive course held over three weeks. He taught groups in three levels. The course contained:

• Working with a speech synthesizer
• Working with Microsoft Word and Windows Explorer and, for the more advanced students, working with e-mail and the Internet.

Kyla, one of our more advanced students, took over the responsibility of communication between us and the project during our absence.

1.2.2 Massage course

Dr. Toan Tran, a Vietnamese doctor held an intensive training course in Thai/Asian massage techniques, First Aid, clinic-management and patient service. The course was attended and evaluated by volunteers on whom the students could practice; the volunteers found the results remarkable. Five of the students are now capable of offering a high standard of medical massage treatment.

1.2.3 Language course

From the summer of 2004 on all staff members have attended English classes. At the training farm in Shigatse it is Mike Parent from Canada who's responsible for English lessons, while in the project in Lhasa it is Katharine Giffard-Lindsay from England. Katharine is a qualified teacher and since she teaches blind as well as sighted students she creates her own materials; these are adapted to the Tibetan background of the students. The study book "Drinking like a fish" which she wrote is used as the standard for the Braille Without Borders staff in both Shigatse and Lhasa.

Lhakdon (house-mother), Lodi (house-father) and Kyla also take a weekly three-hour course in Chinese.

Massage training

Language courses

1.3 Self-integration

The main goal of BWB is to prepare students for integration into society. With the training they receive in the project they should be able to integrate themselves into society; some students will integrate themselves into regular Tibetan schools while others will go into well-suited and desired vocations.

1.3.1 Massage clinic

Kyla and Digi, the first graduates from the medical massage and physiotherapy classes, started their own medical massage clinic in December of 2003. The clinic is situated on one of the main roads in the centre of Lhasa in a two-room apartment. They arranged by themselves a degree of media attention and handed out flyers in Chinese, Tibetan and English in order to advertise their clinic. The summer of 2004 showed that they were able to make a pretty good living, mainly from tourists.

1.3.2 Students in the Medrogongkar school

The first four students who integrated themselves into the Medrogongkar elementary school have done really well. In the beginning they had some minor problems with Mathematics and Chinese, but with much initiative and motivation these shortcomings were swiftly swept away. The four teenagers have friends and are well recognized and respected by their teachers.

Unfortunately, there were some difficulties with the headmaster of the school who told us that (because of a "space-problem") the four students could no longer stay in the school. Together with the local education department, the organisations "Save the Children" and "Handicapped International", and our counterpart we reached an agreement so that the students can stay at school until the sixth grade. However, that school won't accept any more blind students. This is a problem and we therefore hope to find a long term solution as soon as possible.

1.3.3 Jampa

Jampa had a dream to open a teahouse of his own in his home village. Since the district government had planned to divert the main road between Lhasa and Kathmandu to run directly alongside Jampa's father's house, this seemed to be a good idea. Unfortunately these plans were altered and the road will now be too far away from the house for potential teahouse customers. Instead Jampa, who wants to take care of his family and who doesn't want to depend on his sister Kyla, decided to apply as a translator and tourist guide in the "Lhatse Tibetan Farmer's Adventure Hotel" and that's where he is now working.

1.3.4 Norbu

The fourteen-year-old Norbu went to the training farm in Shigatse to see whether he would enjoy one of the courses there. He liked living at the farm so much that he didn't want to return to the project in Lhasa. Norbu is a very practical and technically-minded boy and in only a few weeks he could find his way around the farm and knew exactly where things were stored or constructed. Now everyone goes to him in order to find the right construction materials. Norbu wants to work at the cheese factory and become an apprentice cheesemaker next year.

1.4 Plans for 2005

Although the centre in Lhasa is run mainly by the local staff there are still some things to be arranged before we can entirely hand over the project to them and counterpart. Therefore we have some plans which we want to realize in 2005:

1.4.1 Expansion of the centre in Lhasa.

Behind the centre in Lhasa there is an approximately 330m¾ lot of empty land which we would like to obtain. It belongs to the neighbours living on the west side of the project grounds. We would like to use this land to build a new building so that there is more space for dormitories and for classrooms. We can also use a part of it to create a garden where the students can play. A draft agreement has been signed and we hope to finalise all the paperwork when we return to Lhasa in April 2005.

1.4.2 Study opportunity in England

In the centre we have two talented young students; Kyla (19) and Yudun (17) who we firmly believe will have the capability to play a major role in administering the centre in a few years time. Both of them are extremely motivated, innovative and full of initiative. Before they can devote themselves to such a mission and in order to prepare them, we would like to give them a chance to gain more life experience and education. This year coming they would like to attend a one-year course in English in Totnes, in the south of England. There they have a chance to study for the Cambridge English Certificate; they will then follow this up with a course in management. At the moment both of them are working on the paperwork and passports for this trip.

1.4.3 Massage clinic

The medical massage and physiotherapy training course is going to move to another location in 2005. Tashi Tsering, the owner of the building in which Digi and Kyla's massage clinic is located, is renting out eight more rooms in the building to Braille Without Borders. At the moment these rooms are being renovated but when they are ready Tsenor (the massage teacher) together with his students will hold their classes there. The medical massage and physiotherapy students will also live there though some classes for them will still take place at the project centre.

1.4.4 Increasing Braille-book publishing

Due to the increased demand for Braille books, one or two new employees will be hired and trained in their production. An additional Braille-printer with the capability to meet the demand for these books has already arrived in Lhasa.

1.4.5 Search of elementary schools

Due to the problem with the headmaster of the Medrogongkar school mentioned above we are working hard to find a long term solution for the placement and self-integration of blind students in regular elementary schools. The Lhasa education department has agreed to assist us in finding a solution. The education department considers it important that their school teachers should understand what it means to have blind students in their classes.

We will write a report describing the experiences other teachers have had with blind students so we can discuss the issues with teachers in the new schools. We hope to have four more students join a regular elementary school in April 2005 so that they can show what their capabilities are.

2. The Vocational Training Farm in Shigatse

In December 2003 an agreement between the local NGO Tibet Development Fund (TDF), represented by Ngapo Jigyuan, our counterpart the Tibet Disabled Person's Federation, represented by Chunpel La, and Braille Without Borders, represented by Paul Kronenberg, was signed. The content of this agreement was the planned Vocational Training Farm which has been on the drawing-board since 2001. The Swiss Red Cross, who had used the land before as a traditional Tibetan medicine training centre, and TDF, the owner of the land, have already agreed to let BWB use the property, including the existing buildings, free of charge for a period of at least 15 years. One of the main buildings on the land was designed for the Swiss Red Cross by Paul Kronenberg. For several reasons the traditional Tibetan medicine training centre was closed and the right to use the land and buildings handed to BWB.

Dhe Farmland, In the Middle left, the greenhouses, To the right, the riding hall, cheese factory and main compound

The land is situated about 20 km east of Shigatse towards Lhasa in an area called Pelshong and so we call it the Pelshong Vocational Training Centre for the Blind.  Directly next to the land lies the Lhasa-Kathmandu Friendship Highway and the entire property is surrounded by a wall. The area of land is 160,000 m¾, i.e. 16 Hectares. There are two compounds, a large theatre, and several barracks and barns. It also contains a pond, a small but neglected tree nursery and several fields where barley, potatoes and canola is grown. Along the south wall runs a small freshwater canal. To the south of the property there is a mountain range which protects the land from dust storms. On the property there are some roads and several little paths.

The main compound is on the left of the entrance. In this compound you will find the dormitories and classrooms, the dining room, the kitchen and the training rooms, the toilets and several courtyards. In the middle there is the main two-storey building. The second and smaller compound contains the farmer's house, the stables and storage rooms.

In April 2004 renovation of the buildings and compounds commenced. Local carpenters, masons and painters worked on renovations and constructed new buildings. Also the first crops were planted as well as 100 apple and 100 peach trees.

2.1 Staff

2.1.1 Ngawang

Ngawang worked as a house-father in the project in Lhasa. In Pelshong he is now managing and coordinating all the work at the farm. Given this responsibility Ngawang has become far more involved in the project and he is now able to direct all activities in the farm. He has done and continues to do an outstanding job.

2.1.2 Chungla

Ngawang's wife Chungla, a highly motivated and caring person, is at the moment working in the kitchen. However, she would like to be trained in the cheese factory as a trainer for teaching the blind make cheese.

2.1.3 Mike Parent

About one year ago we asked the Canadian Mike Parent to join our project. Mike had worked in Darjeeling for over 35 years where he was leading an ecological farm which trained handicapped students. Mike is a specialist in cultivating fruit, compost-making and greenhouse agriculture. He has been in Tibet for about six years, has studied Tibetan at the Tibetan University and has learnt Chinese. He received a Z Visa, a foreign expert and a resident card.

2.1.4 Other staff

Two local farmers live on the property together with their families. They are responsible for growing crops. One of Chungla's uncles is taking care of the greenhouses.

From the staff of the old medicine school next to the farmer's we have contracted a young and very caring cook who has become good friends with Chungla.

2.2 Crops and fruit trees

In 2004 we concentrated our efforts on the cultivation of fruit, vegetables and cereal crops in order to prepare everything so that we can generate income through the project as soon as possible. With this income we want to finance part, or all, of the running costs of the farm.

2.2.1 Fruit

In April 2004 we planted 100 peach and 100 apple trees. We prepared the trees well for the winter and we hope they will survive the extreme cold: if they do we can count on the first harvest in about three to five years. The blind students will also be involved in the maintenance and care of the trees.

2.2.2 New cereals

In addition to the usual canola and barley we are also experimenting (on the advice of the agricultural specialist Dr Wilfried Sch”fer) with the introduction to Tibet of new varieties of winter-rye and Tritikala, which is a cross between rye and wheat. If these new cereal crops can prosper at an altitude of nearly 4000 metres above sea-level, then it will enrich the rather monotonous diet of the Tibetan people.

2.2.3 Flowers

In the autumn of 2004, 12,000 tulips were planted together with Narcissus and Crocusses. The flowers are not only meant to liven up and beautify the farm but we would also like to offer them at the local market to create local income. The local people love flowers.

2.3 Renovations and new constructions

The situation of the farm at the beginning of 2004 wasn't all that tempting. Most of the buildings were built long before the medical school moved in; originally the grounds were a military barracks. The medical school used the buildings but didn't really maintain them. The main building, which was built three years ago, wasn't really used and therefore it was a bit run down. On the entire property there are eleven wells of which only three seemed to work.

To be able to provide proper training the infrastructure has to be good so lots of work needed to be carried out to improve the situation.

2.3.1 Main compound.

We employed masons, painters, carpenters and helpers to start the renovation of buildings in the main compound: right now these activities continue. The first building which was renovated was the house of the farmer's family. It was run down so badly that it looked more like a stable than a family home. Then the house of Ngawang, Chungla and Norbu was renovated. They moved into a cosy house with a separate courtyard. The dormitories were renovated and there are now 35 beds ready to receive students. The kitchen has been completely renovated and newly refurbished, the main building was repainted and grass was sown in the courtyard.

2.3.2 The farmhouse

Thanks to the great work of the farmer and his wife the fields have been very well maintained and crops were grown.

Through the sales of barley, canola and potatoes we hope to generate an annual income. The farmer and his wife showed us they are trustworthy, hard-working and highly motivated. When we first visited them in their home we were shocked by its poor condition; they have lived in this place for many years but as we've already said it looked more like the stables than a house. The windows didn't have any glass, the doors couldn't be properly closed and the floor was full of cracks. When first we told him that we wanted to renovate his house he could hardly believe it. After the renovation was finished he and his family were very proud and very happy.

Cheese factory

The farm's main building

 

2.3.3 Ecological toilets

After Mr. Seiz from Switzerland had told us of his idea on how to make ecologically-sound toilets we said we would like to try his idea out. Paul designed a system in which excrement is directly collected in a specially adjusted wheelbarrow so it can be easily taken out of the toilet and transported to one of the fermentation pits. As each of these is filled they are covered with plastic so the temperature inside can rise and the excrement can start to ferment. After one year with an average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius for a minimum period of six months, the excrement is fully fermented and can be used to fertilize the land.

2.3.4 Training enclosure for horseback riding

One of the training units will be in the taking care of horses, horseback riding and the breaking-in of horses. For this purpose we built a horse enclosure. This enclosure is about 18 metres in diameter. The walls are made of mudbricks and are 1.8 meters tall so the horses won't be distracted. A gate leads to the horse-courtyard and stables.

2.3.5 Greenhouses

Cultivating seeds and growing flowers and vegetables in a greenhouse seemed a well-suited vocation for people who became blind at a later age and who have difficulties with orientation and mobility. To simplify the orientation we designed the greenhouses in such way that there are "boxes" one metre square. We elevated the plots so they are easy to reach. The design is in several ways new and unique: The walls exist of two layers, the outside wall is made of bricks, the inside wall made out of mudbricks. A plastic roof covers the greenhouse, while on winter nights a special cloth covers the plastic to keep at least some of the heat inside. During daytime a ventilation system is required, otherwise it would get too hot; therefore we put in windows on the lower southern wall and in the top of the high north-facing walls. If the both sets of windows are opened, the flow of air will blow out the hot air so the temperature goes down. The students will also learn how they can build their own low-cost greenhouses with bamboo and plastic.

2.3.6 Cheese production

From September to November of 2004 the cheese factory was under construction. We hope to start courses in cheese making in the spring of 2005. We will concentrate on both Tibetan and European cheeses such as fresh cheeses and semi-hard cheeses.

2.3.7 Water supply

According to an examination by Dr. Wilfried Sch”fer, though the soil of the farm is very fertile, water is needed. The flow of water in the little canal which goes around the farmland is controlled by the village nearby. Some times there has been no water flow at all and as we want to be independent in this regard it was vitally important to create our own water supply. A Belgian water specialist designed a network of pumps, pipes and storage. We ordered the HDPE pipes (nearly 2 km) from Chengdu, found a 10,000 litre water tank in Shigatse, and with the help of some water engineers we built a system which now reaches most sections of the property. In 2005 we will probably have to build another water tower in order to be sure we have enough water.

Greenhouse

Kitchen

2.4 Horses

Since the summer of 2004 three adult horses and one foal are grazing in the fields of the farm. Drolma Gompo, a horse specialist from the Cham region is tending to them. The horses were bought at Lake Yamdork and I together with Sharyn Smith, a Canadian ex-jockey, rode the horses from there to the farm in a very adventurous ten-day trip.

2.5 New students

In the winter of 2004-2005 the training farm opened its doors to its new students. The target group are adolescents and young adults who became blind or visually impaired at later age. Some of these students were already practicing vocations in agriculture or animal husbandry before the onset of their blindess. The ability to work with animals, plants, crops is not lost when someone becomes blind but we would like to teach them new techniques and methods so they can perform all or part of their old vocations, and maybe even learn some new ones.

2.5.1 The first deaf-blind student.

The training farm is large enough to extend the project with a limited amount of blind students who have an additional handicap. In the summer of 2004 we received an 18-year-old deaf-blind boy. After being prescribed the wrong medication by a doctor he became deaf at the age of five years and because of an infection he became blind at fifteen. Before he became blind he successfully studied at the deaf school in Lhasa where he learned how to read and write and use sign language. After becoming blind he was dismissed from school. His mother was the only person which he could communicate with over the next three years. We invited both of them, Dangsang Wangdu and his mother, to come to the farm. Norbu became friends with Dangsang and in only a few days he taught him the Tibetan Braille system. At the moment Dangsang is learning the English Braille alphabet and he is even able to speak English a little. By now he knows the farm quite well and he is walking around by himself with the use of a cane.

Dangsang Wangdu who is both deaf and blind learns Braille

3 of our 4 Horses

2.5.2 Other students

In December a 23-year-old student from Dodi and a 27-year-old student from Kham joined the project. Over winter, together with Dangsang Wangdu, they learnt the basics of Braille, mobility and orientation. In the spring of 2005 they will start with practical training.

2.6 Plans for 2005

2.6.1 Deaf-blind program

By having Dangsang Wangdu join the project we got the idea to set up a mall overviewable pilot-project in which we can train more deaf-blind students. Dangsang Wangdu's mother is very interested to be trained professionally as a deaf-blind teacher.

2.6.2 Dr. Wilfried Schäfer

The agricultural specialist, Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, a former EU-delegate, currently works in Tibet as an expert in growing crops and vegetables at high altitude. Over the past year Dr. Schäfer has given us a great deal of advice and would like to continue to do so in 2005. We hope we can arrange some time for him to come over and train the local staff.

2.6.3 Agricultural learning path

One of Dr. Schäfer's ideas was the realisation of a 100 metre elevated "agricultural learning path". On this "path" several herbs, crops, flowers, plants but also weeds should grow and little plates will be inserted to give an explanation of the particular crop, flower, vegetable, plant or weed growing nearby in Braille.

In this way the blind students can learn by smelling, touch, taste and reading.

2.6.4 Roads

Since the entire property on which the Vocational Training Farm is situated is very large we want to construct a simple and overviewable roadsystem so every blind student can find his or her way around very easily. We want to name each of the roads and paths and create a Braille map.

2.6.5 Cheese production

In 2005 we want to start training students in cheesemaking. The building is nearly ready and in the spring a cheese specialist will come to train Norbu and Chungla so they themselves can become trainers in the future. The training will be adapted so that blind students can make cheese independently; it will also contain subjects such as animal husbandry and medicine as well milk quality testing.

2.6.6 Horseback riding

Sharyn, a Canadian horse expert, will train Drolma and me in the art breaking-in horses. In this program we will try to develop new techniques which will allow blind people to train young horses.

2.6.7 Animals

For the training in animal husbandry, and for the production of milk and eggs, we will obtain cows and chickens and also a few pigs.

3. Curricula for the Pelshong Vocational Training Centre for the Blind

The following curricula will be built up and adjusted over the years according to the experiences made.

3.1 Basic course for all trainees

Every trainee, either blind or visually impaired, will receive an initial training in the basics of all the courses as well as training in mobility and daily living skills. In this basic course the trainers and the trainees will find out which course would be most suitable.

3.2 Course in agriculture

The agriculture course will at least last for a period of one "plant till harvest" season (end of March until the end of October). The course will be constructed of three parts; it is also possible that trainees want to be trained in only one of the three:

1. growing vegetables, herbs and flowers in a greenhouse
2. growing crops in the fields
3. training in the care of fruit trees

3.3 Course in animal husbandry

This training will last at least three months. The trainees can choose from one or more of the following subjects:

1. breeding chickens and egg production.
2. cattle and milk production
3. Horses, medicine and breaking-in horses

3.4 Training in several handicrafts

A course in one of the following handicrafts can be chosen. Each course will last at least 6 weeks.

1. Pottery (2 months and above)
2. Basket-weaving (2 months and above)
3. Carpet-weaving (6 Weeks and above)
4. Knitting (6 Weeks)

3.5 Cheese production

Training in making different kinds of cheeses will take at least six months. All trainees will first undergo training in how to manage cows and in dairy production. After these basics they can choose to be trained in producing one or more of the following products:

1. Yoghurt, butter and cream production (6 Months)
2. Tibetan cheese specialities (6 Months)
3. Western fresh cheeses (1 to 2 years)
4. Western semi-hard cheeses (includes training a) and b). Total 3 years)

4. The "Climbing blind" expedition

About two years ago we contacted Erik Weihenmayer, a blind mountain climber, who in 2001 was the first (and so far only) blind man to climb Mt Everest. In May 2004 Erik and his Everest team came to Tibet to teach six blind students in rock-climbing; he took the students and Paul and me on a quite ambitious trek from Tsirpu to Yambachen. In the autumn of 2004 Erik and his team returned to Tibet to start the 2004 "Climbing Blind" expedition. The goal of this expedition was to climb the Lagpa Ri, a 7000 meter high peak next to Mount Everest. The expedition, partly sponsored by MOUNTAIN HARD WEAR made it up to 6500 metres before weather conditions made it impossible to go any further.

In 2005 a documentary called "Climbing Higher" will premiere. For more information about this breathtaking project please have a look at www.climbingblind.org

Out to the advanced base-camp

Interim Camp from 6300 Meter

5. Kerala

In September 2003 an article about the BWB project appeared in the New York Times. In this article it was mentioned that we would like to set up an international BWB educational centre for the blind in the south of India. We received a lot of reactions and one of them was the following:

On January 1st, at Bangalore airport, we met Navin and Dani. A few days later we together moved on to Kerala. Right from the very first meeting we became good friends and ever since we have worked together efficiently to work on the foundations. Navin and Dani have become great supporters and friends of the new Kerala project.

5.1 Kerala as base

For the setting up of an international educational training centre for the blind Kerala seems to be just the most suitable place:

1. The tropical climate is quite bearable as there is a long coastline from which a breeze blows inland. To the east there is a somewhat cooler mountain range. In comparison to other areas in India there is less disease caused by mosquitos.
2. Vegetables and fruit can be cultivated in the backyard of the project. Other necessary foods are easily available.
3. Education in Kerala is very good and therefore it will be an ideal place to hire local trainers and teachers.

5.1.1 Factory for aids for the blind

It seems to be more difficult to open a factory where aids for the blind, such as a newly designed Braille Typewriter, slates, or canes can be produced. There are several unions in Kerala and strikes there are very common. Therefore a factory to produce the fore-mentioned products is better to be built somewhere else in India.

5.2 International BWB Educational Centre for the blind in Kerala

BWB has been contacted by many (blind) people asking us the question of when BWB is going to open up training centres for the blind in their countries. If we were to start similar projects to the one in Tibet in these countries we would probably only be able to set up three to four new ones in our lifetime.

The funds needed to set-up these centres always had to come from the West. Therefore we thought of a different concept. We would build an International BWB Educational Centre for the blind in Kerala where blind or visually impaired adults could be trained so that they are able to set up training centres for the blind with the BWB concept in their own countries. The trainees know their culture better than we ever will, they speak their own languages, and they can directly contact the local governments, companies and private people necessary for support. Even more important is the fact that being blind directors of their centers these people serve as great rolemodels for the blind in their countries. High quality training will be provided in the following subjects: English (spoken, reading and writing), management, fund-raising techniques, computer technologies, Internet use, website development etc.

5.3 Purchase of land

In January 2005 a piece of land was found on which the training centre can be established. Also a legal entity was set up: a charity trust with the name "Braille Without Borders"

6. Ladakh

During a workshop in Leh, Ladakh, I introduced the BWB concept to the local government, media and blind people. The local government was very interested and they want to support the project by providing a property on which a training centre for the blind like the one in Tibet can be established. They also want to take over the long term running costs. We set up an information-office in Leh which is run by a blind Muslim, Manzur. He is the representative of BWB in Ladakh and is providing us with the latest news. In November he wrote to us telling us that the government has appointed a plot of land which we should check out to see if it is suited for our purposes. We will travel to Leh later in 2005 to see if that is possible. Manzur will be the future director of this project and he will be one of the first trainees in the training centre in Kerala: both the local government, as well as his family, are very supportive of this idea.

 

Sabriye Tenberken