Druk White Lotus School

You’ll have heard about the flooding in Pakistan. It’s the Indus River that’s causing it. Upstream the Indus River flows through India, through Jammu & Kashmir to be exact.
You’ll have heard of Kashmir too, I’m sure. Some believe it should be part of Pakistan. Some think it should remain part of India.
The United States says it’s a dispute to be settled by India and Pakistan, meaning there’s no oil or minerals there.
Some time ago the Indian government allowed people from Tibet to live in the Ladakh region, within Jammu & Kashmir. Imagine that, refugees being welcomed into a country. 
The same rain that flooded Pakistan caused massive damage in and around Leh, the capital of the Ladakh region.
Just outside Leh my favourite school in the whole world was damaged by a massive mudslide.
It’s the Druk White Lotus School. Thankfully, the 200 children who live in the school’s residences weren’t hurt.
Traumatised, undoubtedly, but none were physically hurt despite mud-filled water crashing through the night and their residences and classrooms leaving behind a metre and half of mud.
A few months ago, before the flooding, I visited the school and talked with the headmaster and teachers and children.
They learn in English and Bodhic, the local language. They learn maths and art and social studies and IT. It’s not a school for religious fanatics. These kids are just like ours.
The school was built from local stone and wood and is designed to withstand earthquakes.
It’s built such that the sun heats and lights it.
The kids don’t just learn about environmentalism, they do it. They recycle but they try to use minimally.
The children, there are 550 of them in all, are from local families.
The residential children’s families live in the mountainous border region between India and China. Some are nomadic yak herders.
The school was built so that these children wouldn’t grow up to be illiterate and ignorant.
They’re big on tolerance and respect and good manners. 
So here’s the problem. That mud did a lot of damage and they need to replace some floors and walls and buy new books and clothes and kitchen equipment.
And here’s the solution. Us and our credit cards. And here’s why. It’s not just a good cause, it’s the best cause.
Ladakh could be a war zone. All those people of different religions could be killing each other and we could be sending our soldiers to stop it.
But they’re not, because they’re educated. Without schools, ignorance reigns.
Here’s another reason: I would like you to help this school so it can continue helping these kids. Please.
www.dwls.org
— Peter Giddens