Nima Dorji

April 30, 2012Posted inYouth34 Comments
One of the Youth Development Fund's most active programs is its young volunteers in action, better known as Y-VIA. The volunteers are typically young students still going to high school. Last week, in Changjiji, Y-VIA put on a delightful show to launch UNICEF's state of the world's children report. They sang, danced, acted and joked for their President, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck, and other guests from the civil service, education system, international organizations, and the local community. But the Y-VIA volunteers also used the occasion to launch their own report, based on three case…

Spect-actors

June 21, 2010Posted inCivil society
I tried to avoid eye contact. And deliberately scanned the audience, desperately seeking the volunteer who would rescue me. But there was none. And, from the corner of my eye, I could see the emcee walking purposely towards me. “We have a volunteer,” she announced, smiling yet staring firmly at me. “Me?” I argued, and quickly looked left then right to my immediate neighbours, hopelessly expecting that she was addressing one of them. But the emcee was already looming over me. “Yes,” she declared, and led me on to the stage. As I steadied my buckling knees, I scolded…

Registering CSOs

May 13, 2010Posted inCivil society
Commenting on my last post, several readers reiterated that the Tarayana Foundation is doing some wonderful work. I agree. But did you know that Tarayana Foundation, established seven years ago, is not a registered CSO? Similarly, the Youth Development Fund, established 11 years ago, and RSPN, established 24 years ago, are not registered CSOs. We know that Tarayana, YDF and RSPN are doing a good job alleviating rural poverty, developing our youth and protecting our natural heritage respectively. They’ve proven it. We also know that many other NGOs have made significant contributions to the development of our country and…

Happy birthday YDF

June 18, 2009Posted inCivil society
About ten years ago, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo commanded the establishment of a sustainable funding mechanism for the development of our youth. So Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Ashi Tshering Pem Wangchuck, started the Youth Development Fund to realize the vision of our beloved monarch. During the last decade, Her Majesty has worked tirelessly to build this important institution, which has already benefited countless thousands of our youth. So on 16 June, when friends and supporters of YDF gathered at the Taj to celebrate its 10th anniversary, I respectfully offer tashi delek to Her Majesty and the…

Golden youth

April 16, 2009Posted inYouth
For more than three decades, His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo traveled to every part and every corner of our country to meet the children of Bhutan. And everywhere our king went, from community schools to Sherbutse, our nation’s “peak of learning”, He commanded: “The future of our country lies in the hands of our youth.”To honour and to celebrate our fourth king’s boundless love for and confidence in our youth, the Youth Development Fund started the Golden Youth Award a few years ago. This annual award essentially recognizes children who excel at school – in both, the classroom…