Itinerary

Tara-thon Itinerary

Day 1 - 21 Dec. - KANGLUNG (1850m) to TRASHIGANG (22 km downhill)

Day 2 - 22 Dec. - TRASHIGANG to ROLONG (17 km downhill)

Day 3 - 23 Dec. - ROLONG to SHERITSHU (18 km up/downhill)

Day 4 - 24 Dec. - SHERITSHU to YADI (1480m) (17 km uphill)

Day 5 - 25 Dec. - YADI to KORI-LA (2400m) (21 km uphill)

Day 6 - 26 Dec. - KORI-LA to MONGAR (1600m) (17 km downhill)

Day 7 - 27 Dec. - Day off

Day 8 - 28 Dec. - MONGAR to KURIZAMPA (570m) (25 km downhill)

Day 9 - 29 Dec. - KURIZAMPA to YONGKALA (20 km uphill)

Day 10 - 30 Dec. - YONGKALA to NAMLING (20 km uphill)

Day 11 - 31 Dec. - NAMLING to SENGOR (22 km uphill)

Day 12 - 1Jan. - Day off

Day 13 - 2 Jan. - SENGOR to THRUMSING-LA (3750m) (22 km uphill)

Day 14 - 3 Jan. - THRUMSING-LA to GYAZAM CHU (18 km downhill)

Day 15 - 4 Jan. - GYAZAM CHU to URA (3100m) (18 downhill)

Day 16 - 5 Jan. - URA to TANGSIBI (24 km up/downhill)

Day 17 - 6 Jan. - TANGSIBI to JAKAR (24 km downhill)

Day 18 - 7 Jan. - Day off

Day 19 - 8 Jan. - JAKAR to ZUNGNEY (2750m) (16 km up/downhill)

Day 20 - 9 Jan. - ZUNGNEY to GAYTSA (16 km uphill)

Day 21 - 10 Jan. - GAYTSA to DOZHONG GOENPA (16 km up/downhill)

Day 22 - 11 Jan. - DOZHONG GOENPA to TRONGSA (20 km downhill)

Day 23 - 12 Jan. - TRONGSA to TANGSIBI (24 km)

Day 24 - 13 Jan. - Day off

Day 25 - 14 Jan. - TJan. ANGSIBI to CHENDEBJI (17 km)

Day 26 - 15 Jan. - CHENDEBJI to LONGTOE ( 22 km uphill)

Day 27 - 16 Jan. - LONGTOE to NOBDING (2640m) (20 km up/downhill)

Day 28 - 17 Jan. - NOBDING to KHELAKHA (20 km downhill)

Day 29 - 18 Jan. - KHELAKHA to WANGDUE PHODRANG (19 km downhill)

Day 30 - 19 Jan. - WANGDUE PHODRANG to LOBESA (11 km uphill)

Day 31 - 20 Jan. - Day off

Day 32 - 21 Jan. - LOBESA to LUMITSAWA (20 km uphill)

Day 33 - 22 Jan. - LUMITSAWA to DOCHU-LA (3140m) (21 km uphill)

Day 34 - 23 Jan. - DOCHU-LA to SIMTOKHA (18 km downhill)

Day 35 - 24 Jan. - SIMTOKHA to THIMPHU (2320m) (5 km downhill)

Ways to Contribute

Ways to Contribute

Donate directly to the Tara-thon Team

• If you live near the east-west highway, you can donate money to the runners when they visit your area (see list of villages and towns)
• If you live in the Phuentsholing area, you can donate to our Fund Raising Team collecting donations (ask for their letter of authorization from Sherubtse College and fill out the sponsorship form as you donate)

Donate to the Tarayana Foundation via the Bhutan Foundation

• You can give online through the Bhutan Foundation at http://www.bhutanfound.org/
  • Select the Tarayana Foundation under ‘How should we use your donation?’
  • Write Tara-thon under ‘Gift Information’
• You can send checks to the Bhutan Foundation with a memo to Tarayana Foundation, Tara-thon event at the following addresses: The Bhutan Foundation, Suite 525, 2100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20037, USA or The Bhutan Foundation, Post Box 255, Norzin Lam, Thimphu, BHUTAN, Tel: +975 (2) 335613, Fax: +975 (2) 335614, email: info@bhutanfound.org

Donate directly to the Tarayana Foundation

• You can send a check directly to the Tarayana Foundation at P.O. Box 2003, Thimphu, Bhutan
• You can wire money directly to the Tarayana bank account
  1) Account No: 36023474, Citibank, N.A., 111 Wall Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10043, USA.
  2) Swift Code: Citius 33
  3) Account No: 5000333333039 of Târayâna Foundation, maintained with Bhutan National Bank, Thimphu

Transparency and Accountability of the Tarayana Foundation

The Foundation is a registered charity and non-profit organisation that devotes all its resources to the purposes of the Foundation. The Foundation maintains its accounts in accordance with accepted financial norms and is audited annually by the Royal Audit Authority of Bhutan. An audited financial report and an annual progress report are published every year and are available for all interested individuals and organizations.

Support

Support

The organization of this charity run would not have been possible without the support of institutions as well as individuals in Bhutan. The Tara-thon team wishes to thank the following organizations and people:

Institutional Support

• Tarayana Foundation
• Sherubtse College
• Department of Youth, Culture and Sports, Ministry of Education
• Lotus Tours and Trek

Individual Support

• Mr Singye Namgyel, Director, Sherubtse College
• Doctor Jagar Dorji, Former Director, Sherubtse College
• Mrs. Nancy Strickland, Field Coordinator, Canadian Cooperation Office
  
  
  

Education in Bhutan

Education in Bhutan

Introduction of Western Education in Bhutan

Before the introduction of a western style of education in the 1950’s, monastic education was the only formal education available in Bhutan. “While monastic education continues to be an important part of the national culture, western education has been promoted and expanded since [the] first Five Year Plan in 1961 to address the basic educational needs, and develop human resources required for the socio-economic development of the country.” (Ministry of Education, 2004, par.1)

In 1963, the Royal Government of Bhutan invited Father William MacKey, a Canadian Jesuit, to establish a secular secondary school system in Bhutan. Father Mackey dedicated more than 30 years of his life, until his death in 1995 at the age of eighty, to the development of education in Bhutan.

Number of schools and institutes

From 11 schools before 1961, the public education system now encompasses 497[1] schools and institutes from community primary schools to tertiary institutes, 777 non-formal centres and 362 monastic schools. (Ministry of Education, 2007, p.4)

Growth in enrolment numbers

The enrolment of students has also increased significantly as a result of the government’s commitment to education. From about 400 students in the early 60’s, the enrolment of students has increased significantly at all levels of education. In 2007, 151,236 students are registered from community primary school to tertiary institutes. 14,694 people are attending non-formal education and 9,287 children are enrolled in monastic institutes. (Ministry of Education, 2007, p.4)

The average annual growth rate of primary enrolment since 1995 is 4%. Despite this significant increase, about 16.3% of primary age children are out of the formal school system which represents about 16,500 children. The increase in enrolment at the secondary level is even greater. From 1995 to 2007, the average annual growth rate for secondary education (class VII to X) stands at 13% and for class XI and XII it stands at 29%. A total of 38,911 children are attending class VII to X whereas 8,816 are attending class XI and XII. (Ministry of Education, 2007, pp.18, 21, 22)

References

Ministry of Education. (2004). Education System in Bhutan. Thimphu: Educational General Statistics. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://www.education.gov.bt/Edn%20System/Education%20System.html

Ministry of Education. (2007). General Statistics 2007. Thimphu: Policy and Planning Division. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://www.education.gov.bt/

[1] It comprises 249 community primary schools, 83 primary schools, 87 Lower Secondary Schools, 37 Middle Secondary Schools, 22 Higher Secondary Schools, 3 special institutes 10 tertiary education institutes under the Royal University of Bhutan and 6 vocational training institutes.

Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund

Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund

Creation of the Fund

A modest Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund was set up through grants from Save the Children-USA, Lotus Outreach, and corporate and personal donations.

Objective of the Fund

The Endowment allows Tarayana to support school children. The support provides for the students' school fees, uniforms, supplementary meal contributions and other associated expenses, which would otherwise have to be borne by the parents. The fund helps Bhutan achieve its objective of educating disadvantaged children, which is in consonance with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goal of achieving universal primary education.

Selection of Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries are identified in collaboration with the local community leaders, Tarayana Field Staff, District Education officials and teachers. Tarayana School Clubs also help in identifying students needing support.

Support Provided in 2007

Tarayana supported 800 students during the 2007 academic session. In addition to the support being provided through this programme, the Tarayana school clubs collectively supported 85 students. This is an example of students helping students to stay in school; it teaches young children how to be part of the solution to local issues of poverty.

Needs for 2008

Tarayana is in the process of finalising the list of students to be supported through its Scholarship Endowment Fund. It is expected that at least 1200 students will need support.

Needs Greater Than Funds

The Scholarship Endowment Fund is small and the interest generated is not sufficient to meet the requirements of the students who need support. Tarayana has to raise about Nu. 2.4 million for this programme alone. In order to do so, the Foundation has to seek additional financial support in order to be able to look after the new student beneficiaries. Tarayana invites and highly appreciates donations from individuals and organizations within Bhutan and from abroad. We invite all to take this opportunity of helping students go to and stay in school.

The Run

Facts on the Run

The Run

• 5 Weeks – 30 days of running and 5 days rest
• 600 kilometres from Kanglung to Thimphu via the east-west Highway
• 5 Mountain passes
  Kori La (2400m)
  Thrumsing La (3750m)
  Chertang La (3590m)
  Yotong La (3425m)
  Pele La (3420m)
• Starting date - 21 December 2007, Sherubtse College
• Finishing date - 24 January 2007, Tarayana headquarters

The Running Team from Sherubtse College

• Nadya Ladouceur, Canadian lecturer


• Tony Robinson-Smith, Canadian lecturer


• Ugyen Younten, First Year ENG-EVS student


• Wangchuk Rabten, First Year Science student


• Yenten Jamtsho, First Year ENG-GEO student


• Sonam Gyelpo, First Year Science student


• Dendup Tshering, Second Year English student


• Sonam Wangdi, Second Year English student


• Tharchen, Second Year Science student


• Tshering Dorji, Second Year Science student


• Sherub Jamtsho, Third Year Commerce student


• Ugyen Lhendup, Third Year Economics student

The Fund Raising Team from Sherubtse College

• Tenzin, Second Year Geography student


• Dilip Kumar, Subba Third Year English student


• Sonam Rinzin, Third Year English student


• Karma Tshering Samdrup, Third Year English student


• Riku Dhan Subba, Third Year English student


• Tshering Dendup, Third Year Science student


• Sonam Dargay, Third Year Science student


• Dodo, Third Year Commerce student


• Ugyen Tshering, Third Year Commerce student


• Bikash Chettri, Third Year Commerce student


• Sonam Tobgay, Third Year Commerce student


• Tshojab Mepham, Third Year Commerce student

The Supporting Team from Sherubtse College

• Mr Rongthong Sangay, Sherubtse Sports Director & Tara-thon Event Coordinator


• Mr. Cheten, Cook

The Tara-thon

The Tara-thon

Tara-thon: a word combining ‘Tarayana’ and ‘marathon’

At the end of the year, two lecturers and ten students from Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan will run across the country from Kanglung to Thimphu for charity. They are being supported by the Tarayana Foundation and have the approval of Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck.

The objective of this event is to raise money through donations from the general public for the Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund

This fund helps economically disadvantaged families in remote areas of the country send their children to school. Education in Bhutan is free, but many families depending mainly on subsistence farming cannot afford school uniforms, shoes, books, pens and so forth. Tarayana has indicated that two thousand ngultrum (CAN$50) is the average amount needed to pay for a child’s schooling for a year. The Tara-thon team hopes, through the funds that it raises, to give as many rural children as possible the chance to attend school.

Birth of an Idea

Tara-thon is the brainchild of two lecturers from Canada currently working for the English Department at Sherubtse College. After two rewarding years, Mr. Tony Robinson-Smith and his wife Mme. Nadya Ladouceur are nearing the end of their tenure at the college and their stay in Bhutan. Before returning home, they wanted to find some way of giving back not only to the institution that has treated them so well, but also to the Kingdom of Bhutan for granting them the opportunity to live and work in the country. As they are in the field of education, it seemed appropriate to find a cause that would benefit schooling.

Student involvement

Many students from Sherubtse College will be involved in the Tara-thon. Eleven of the college’s finest marathon runners intend to run right across the country with us; others will run stretches of the route near their home villages or towns. Some students have volunteered to raise awareness: alerting communities along the way, distributing sponsorship forms and collecting donations.

Promoting sports and fitness

Our project is an opportunity to visit schools that are located near the road and promote sports, fitness and active participation in physical activities. Many schools have Tarayana clubs that stage fund-raising sports events. We will ask members to encourage pupils to return to school for a day during their winter recess and take part in our Tara-thon and run a few kilometres to help those less fortunate than themselves.

The Tarayana Foundation

The Tarayana Foundation

‘In the course of her visits across the country, Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck has observed and interacted with people from remote and far-flung villages and communities. These interactions and observations have led her to establish the Tarayana Foundation to help disadvantaged people gain more economic independence through small and targeted assistance. One of the stark realities of those visits was the fact that there were many families who could not send their children to school because they could not afford school uniforms and other associated expenses.’

Tarayana Foundation pamphlet (2006)

About Tarayana

The Tarayana Foundation is a non-profit organization, working to uplift and enhance the lives of people living in isolated rural communities in Bhutan. The Foundation complements and supplements the efforts of the Royal Government in poverty reduction by espousing the national goal, ‘Bhutan 2020: A Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness.’

The Tarayana Foundation was established in 2003 by Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, as a potential solution to the problems of the disadvantaged that she witnessed first hand during her tours to the remote corners of the nation.

Despite the pro-poor development strategy of the government, small communities in far-flung regions are still lagging behind in terms of socio-economic welfare. The Foundation was established to help these communities achieve self-sufficiency through small and targeted interventions.

Vision
A happy and poverty free Bhutan

Mission
To help the vulnerable and the disadvantaged help themselves

Motto
Service from the heart

Core Values
Compassion, Dignity, Integrity

Programs

1) Financial support to vulnerable individuals to achieve greater socio-economic security and dignity

Tarayana provides monthly maintenance allowances. The identification of the beneficiaries is done through rural needs assessment visits and selection is done by the Management Committee upon verification by local institutions. Tarayana volunteers and Tarayana School Clubs also help in the identification of beneficiaries. In addition, some individuals have extended grants to help finance new construction schemes (e.g. roofing) and rebuilding lives after natural and personal disasters.

2) Financial support to students in disadvantaged circumstances - Scholarship Endowment Fund

See ‘Fact Sheet on Tarayana Scholarship Endowment Fund’

3) Financial support to facilitate access to medical services

Tarayana continues to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and volunteer medical groups to bring specialized health services to the rural people. In 2007, Tarayana facilitated a restorative surgical camp at Paro. The Foundation also continues to sponsor poor patients for medical care by providing travel and sustenance allowance. Through this, the patients can receive appropriate care at the regional as well as national referral hospitals.

4) Promotion of artisan skills and crafts to enhance rural income

Community craft work sheds have been constructed in almost all the communities that Tarayana is currently working with. The Foundation has also acquired land in Bumthang, Gelephu and Kalapang, Mongar for construction of Regional Craft Centres.

5) Housing Improvement Project - Improve socio-economic security of rural communities

Under this project, 48 houses have been completed in the five Lhop villages of Dorokha Dungkhag. Ten more houses are in various stages of completion as the second phase of the housing project comes to an end this December. Some more houses will be supported in the third phase as funds become available.

6) Institutional Capacity Building - Make Tarayana an organization of passionate professionals

The Foundation is a goal-driven organization, with its attention firmly fixed on performance, strong financial management, and effective communication.

7) Tarayana Clubs - Fostering volunteerism in youth

Tarayana clubs were first established in sixteen high schools and a few higher institutes in 2004. The current number of clubs stands at 70 with membership of about 3555. The main purpose of these clubs is to help the rural communities close to the schools and institutes locally and to foster the spirit of volunteerism in the club members.

Management of the Foundation

Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, is the president of the Foundation. The administration and direction is overseen by a Board of Trustees appointed from a wide section of society. The Board meets twice a year to review ongoing activities and approve new ones.

The day-to-day management of the Foundation and the execution of projects and related activities are carried out by the Secretariat. The Secretariat is assisted by a Committee of Member Volunteers who help in the implementation of programs and provide technical and advisory services. The Committee meets every two weeks.

For more information about Tarayana, visit the Foundation’s Website at: http://www.tarayanafoundation.org/