More than 150 Bhutanese from Australia left Thimphu for Gelephu today to take part in the 6th batch of the GMC volunteer programme. The five-day programme begins tomorrow. The initiative is part of His Majesty The King’s vision to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City with active participation from all sections of society, including international participants.
Dressed in bright yellow T-shirts, the group stands out. From a distance, it looks like a sea of colour. Up close, it tells a deeper story. People of different ages and backgrounds have come together with a shared purpose.
Among them are volunteers as young as nine. They have travelled over 6,000 kilometres to be part of the GMC volunteer programme.
“Today, I came to GMC because I love my King and Bhutan. And I would like to volunteer and fulfil my King’s wish,” said Tsheyzin Dolkar Wangchuk, Perth, Australia.
For some, this is more than volunteering. It is a return home after years abroad.
“For us ordinary citizens, being able to participate in such a wonderful opportunity like this is essential. We wanted to be a part of this opportunity in real life, and not just as a viewer online. Therefore, my family and I have flown out from Australia to be a part of this wonderful moment in Bhutan’s history,” said Namgay Pelyang, Perth, Australia.
“With His Majesty’s great vision for GMC, even for people like us residing in Australia, we could not hold back and came to volunteer,” said Ugyen Dorji, Perth, Australia.
“When we appear on the news, it is not to showcase ourselves, but to spread the word, as we have thousands of Bhutanese residing abroad. We are here physically, and those who cannot be here are contributing monetarily to the great vision,” said Chimi Tshewang, Perth, Australia.
“If we can give a small contribution to nation building like the development of Bhutan, GMC is something that everyone is excited about, not just Bhutanese but people all around the world, so we thought we could offer a small contribution,” said Kuenden Norbu & Family, Brisbane, Australia.
“To be honest, in a place like Gelephu, a few of us cannot make a huge change. However, this is our gesture of showing support and respect for His Majesty’s vision. This is the first group of volunteers from Australia, but we came with the hope that there will be more in the future,” said Tshering Wangchuck, Resident Lam, Khamsum Zilnon Drukpa Lhakhang Inc., Zhungdratshang, Perth, Australia.
“It gives us an opportunity, as Bhutanese, to give back to the country that has given us so much, from giving us free education and also health care. So, I see this as an opportunity, as a Bhutanese, to give back to the country, to our king, although it seems like a very little thing, but it seems like we can contribute in small ways to our country,” said Kelzang Choden, Perth, Australia.
“We all know that everyone is not privileged to come to Bhutan for this volunteer work and they have been suggesting us that they wanted to contribute something for the GMC and then we that’s how like we created a platform for them to donate or make their contribution for GMC and then as per today we have received almost AUD 76,000 as a contribution by the Bhutanese diaspora, Bhutanese living in Australia for GMC and then that we are going to contribute and make our volunteer contribution to GMC,” said Kinley Tenzin, President, ABPI, Association of Bhutanese in Perth, Australia.
The five-day programme will involve a range of development works, building on the progress made in previous rounds.
As the 6th batch of the volunteer programme begins tomorrow, the volunteers bring more than just manpower. They bring a strong sense of connection, gratitude, and commitment to Bhutan’s future.
Devika Pradhan,
Edited by Sonam Pem
