David goes to sMenri Monastery (Part 9)
Nyima, Jason and I went down to the BCH in the afternoon. We met with Kelsang, the secretary; Phontsuk, the sponsorship coordinator; and Tsering Dorje, the accountant. This was their chance to tell me in more detail the problems and challenges they face. They have made great progress, but there is always more to do.
Kelsang laid out the four priority projects for BCH. They are:
1. Repairing the gutters and drain pipes for the boys’ dormitory.
2. Repairing the floor in the boys’ dormitory. The floor is made of concrete, and is disintegrating. I asked if there were a warranty that would cover the floor repair, and they responded there was not. They told me that the boys’ dormitory had been built for them by a European sponsorship group, who arranged for all the details of construction and financing, but apparently any warranty had expired.
3. Computer Lab. The children have a computer class at their school, but it is limited in scope and they do not have much access to the computers to practice. They want a separate computer lab and library facility in the BCH. There is currently an empty room above the Small Children’s Dining Hall, which is as large as the dining hall and would provide sufficient space.
They need computers; desks and other furniture; lighting; and the required upgrades to the electrical system (routers, internet access, etc).
4. Replace the Administrative Building. The current administration building is the old dormitory that I built back in the early 1990’s. Because funds were limited, the builders used methods that were not first quality, including lack of rebar in the concrete in some areas. They had had to patch it annually for some time. NDR mentioned that the European engineer who built the boys’ dormitory looked at it a few years ago and cautioned them that it was dangerous to stay in because it will collapse someday soon.
The plan is to build a new administrative building on the (good and strong) foundations of a storage building nearby, and then reinforce and re-purpose the old Administrative Building.
5. Multi Purpose Hall. They have wanted to do this project for about 7 years. They have plans and an estimate of 65 lak IR, but the estimate is years out of date, and they will probably want to revise the plans as well.
The BCH staff is getting the written materials and cost estimates put together, and I should have them in a few days.
Jason and I are filming a video for a kick-starter for the Computer Lab project.
