To foster a sustained, high-quality environment for learning, students must be healthy and have access to nutritious food. Bumthang, Bhutan, where the shedra is located, presented two specific obstacles the staff needed to address to ensure consistent availability of healthy food: the cold climate in Bumthang, which limits what vegetables can be grown; and Bhutan’s mountainous terrain, which significantly increases transportation costs.

With these considerations in mind, the shedra developed a vegetable garden that the students can maintain themselves. They purchased vegetable seeds that can grow in high altitude and cold weather, including cabbage, carrots, lettuce, beans, peas, chilies, cucumbers, spinach, and ola-choto (crow beak). Before the garden, the shedra’s supply of green vegetables was often limited to cabbage and chilies from local markets.

Teaching in Remote Regions
The shedra’s remote location has also complicated finding qualified teachers. Teachers must be willing to live in or travel to Bumthang, and they must be qualified to teach a range of topics, from Buddhist philosophy and English, to vocational skills such as thangka painting, embroidery, and tailoring, to yoga and meditation. Khyentse Foundation funds currently support the salaries of four full-time teachers, who are key to the nuns’ education.

“Many of Pema Choling’s students come from disadvantaged and rural backgrounds, and while their wants are small, they need better meals and living conditions. The Foundation’s support helped them continue to plant their own food by providing quality seeds and gardening needs. In the greenhouse, the girls grow lovely greens to supplement their meals. In a place where the winter is long, it’s a real treat to have something like spinach and fresh local veggies.”

—Sioksian Pek, who helps coordinate Pema Choling’s Ashoka Grant

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