Cleaning Up for the Elders of Jampaling

It is a relatively early start for me today as I head up into the village at about 8am this morning. The Clean-Up meet has now been moved to 10.30 at the charitable Hope Centre, so I grab an omelet and espresso on the roof-top of Jimmy´s Kitchen. The weather is perfect; clear air and blue skies and I meditate in the sun.

There are about 60 Tibetans (including 8 monks) and more than a dozen International volunteers, but not an Indian in sight. I´m disappointed – even though the majority of Ganj residents are Tibetan refugees, there is still a sizable Indian population here. If passing travellers are prepared to help, why not the locals? Don´t we all have a duty and moral responsibility to help our neighbours and friends in our local community?

The target area today is at the Jampaling Home for the Elders, situated just behind the Tsuglagkhang temple and Dalai Lama residence on my favourite local kora. I am delighted, as i´m on smiling and greeting acquaintances with a number of the resident who spend days completing multiple koras, and I had been keen to do something for them in return before departing The Ganj.

In fact I recently asked Lobsang to enquire about doing some kind of Powerpoint photographic presentation for them, but unfortunately I have only just a few scanned photos from my two trips in Tibet - damn those pre-digital days. I guess it would have to be a very short presentation, and a clean-up for my elderly friends is probably a much more appropriate and practical gift.

I am not quite sure exactly how it materializes, but i end up in the “monks” group. Our task is to clean the windows using scummy water and dirty rags. Whilst cobweb removal is not a problem, no matter how hard I scrub, the windows look as mucky as ever. A septuagenarian Australian woman who is also helping out on window duty informs me that it is not possible to clean windows in direct sunlight. I don´t understand the physics behind this, but I fear she might be right. A slither of soap is passed around, and despite my best endeavours, there is very little improvement.

monks cleaning windows

I get a chance to peer inside some rooms. Facilities do look very basic, but generally well maintained, The residents are lovely - greeting and thanking all the volunteers, and offer us Tibetan bread and butter tea. Thanks, but certainly not for me.

Other groups have a much tougher day, collecting assorted dry and wet garbage from the compound.

Several of the residents are happy to pose for the camera and admire the results from The Beast, but a young Tibetan guy asks me not to take photos, so I very reluctantly desist.

many elders were happy to pose

By about 3pm, there have been about 40 large sacks of rubbish collected and the Elders Home looks all clean and shiny. Shame the windows aren´t quite as sparkly.