March Update

Dear Friends of dZi,

I thought I would pass along an e-letter I received a couple of days ago from one of our volunteers in Gangtok, Sikkim India. Katey Blumenthal is a student at Dartmouth and presently living with our girls at The Sikkim Happiness Home. Along with our full-time housemother Kinley Bhutia, Katey is helping our four new girls adjust to their surroundings and spends time each evening tutoring the girls in their studies. Katey has her own room at the house and eats all of her meals with the girls. She has made a three-month commitment in Sikkim and after that will meet me in Delhi on May 17th. We will then fly to Leh, Ladakh where dZi and Himalayan Dental Relief Project has a scheduled dental clinic from May 25- June 2nd. We will turn Katey into a dental assistant for the one-week clinic where we will treat around 500 children. We have 5 dentists scheduled for this clinic and are still looking for more non-medical help. If you are interested please contact Kim Balazs at Kim@humanitariantours.com or humanitariantours.com where she can arrange for you to work with at a dZi Foundation sponsored dental clinic.

Our new brochures are in and I am waiting for the 13-minute dZiÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡DVD to be delivered from the printer. We are very proud of the DVD and its representation of the work of the dZi Foundation. Please send me your snail mail address so I can get you out a copy of this powerful and moving film.

Sincerely, Executive Director, Jim Nowak

A Letter from the Field

Dear Friends of the dZi,

Here in Gangtok, Sikkim we are a month into the school year. At the Happiness Home, all the girls have their uniforms and pencil cases and we have been settling into the school routine. All 13 girls have immeasurable energy; they are delighted to wake up every morning and sing their way to school. Although English remains a stumbling block for all the girls (a great challenge in their English-Medium schools) they are working hard to improve. The four new girls; Tashi, Choden, Gaitri and Gyarmit, have adjusted well and become part of this family already, a testament to what a loving group of girls this is.

Through generous book donations, we have begun to build a library in the hostel. We hope, in the future, to have more books and perhaps a computer. Our newest addition has been a guitar, which the older girls are picking up very quickly! Because the girls do not have the opportunity to pursue many extracurricular activities, playing music has been a great outlet for them.

As for me, I have taken up teaching English at the Joy Bell School, where most of the girls receive their education; in addition I have been tutoring them in the evenings. Schools here are vastly different from todayÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s American standard. Imagine a Catholic School in the 1950s, and you have the picture. Seeing and participating in the girlsÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡ schooling first-hand has been an eye opening experience, and has assisted me in effectively tutoring them.

On Sunday a small group, led by Kelsang Phuntosk, dZi administrator, delivered knapsacks and school supplies to children at the Charmile School. This is the dZi FoundationÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s Primary Education Project with 125 children in the program. There were smiles on all the childrenÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s faces, and the deepest gratitude in their parentÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s eyes. Thank you to all who have contributed to such a noble effort. Your generosity has certainly not gone unnoticed.

All the best, Katey Blumenthal

The photo at right is of Dudley Rice, another volunteer for the dZi Foundation, sterilizing instruments for a previous dental camp at the Lions Club hostel in Ladakh, India.

MountainFilm on Tour / dZi Foundation Fundraisers

2 Nights of completely different films.

Ouray, Colorado

Friday and Saturday, March 18 & 19, at the Ouray Community Center. Doors open at 6 PM for Silent Auction, film starts at 7 PM. New Belgium beer will be provided. $10.00 at the door, in support of The dZi Foundation. (25% discount on rooms at The Ouray Victorian Inn, 970-325-7222)

Boulder, Colorado

Thursday, March 24th, 7 to 9PM, at Neptune Mountaineering (633 S. Broadway, Boulder; 303-499-8866). David Burger will present slides of the first November ascent of the south summit of Mt. Everest in 2003. $5.00 at the Door, in support of The dZi Foundation.

Carbondale, Colorado

Friday, April 8th, at the CRMS Ôø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡The BarnÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡. Doors open at 6:30 PM for Silent Auction, presentation starts at 7 PM. Come and hear about an all-woman group from Carbondale traveling and trekking in the remote region of Sikkim, India. $5.00 at the Door, in support of The dZi Foundation.

Telluride MountainFilm Festival

This spring , May 27-30, in Telluride Colorado. [MountainFilm website]

The dZi DVD

If you have never received a snail-mailing from us or recently moved, please send me your current address. Everyone on our mailing list will receive our brand new 13 Minute DVD, along with our new 2005 brochure, in early March. We need your correct address for you to stay connected with the work of The dZi Foundation.

The dZi/ Marmot Jacket

You can support the dZi Foundation by purchasing the dZi/ Marmot DriClime Jacket. We have menÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s and womenÔø‡Ôø‡Ôø‡s sizes for $150.00. These jackets have been donated by Marmot, 100% of the proceeds go to The dZi Foundation. You can go to the 'Donate' button on this page or E-mail me; you will be receiving an amazingly functional jacket while supporting our wonderful work at the same time.