Environmental research

Shedrup Chokhorling Anim Shedra is located at Tsamang Gewog in Mongar Dzongkhag. Located about 3 hours away from Mongar town, the Shedra is a Buddhist community with a population of 35 young girls who are studying the Buddhist philosophy. The intake will be increased over the years to over 50 nuns. Most of the girls come from a rural background, with little or no education. Some have gone to regular schools but have later decided to pursue a spiritual education programme. There are currently three teachers and one Khenpo (principal). The Shedra is under the umbrealla of Pemachholing Nunnery (Bumthang) which is a non-profit organization working to support and provide opportunities for education and self-sufficiency for girls and women in Bhutan. The Pemachholing Shedra is the first Buddhist College for women in Bhutan. The Shedra envisages a creation of a more enlightened society by educating the women of Bhutan. It seeks to improve the lives of the underprivileged women in Bhutan by assisting them in attaining basic skills and in increasing their access to higher learning. The Shedra provides support to 40 households in the community by conducting rituals and actively providing the spiritual support in the community. There have been a lot of positive interactions between the students and the local communities. As spiritual advisors, the young girls and women have an important voice in the community. They have been actively involved in efforts towards conservation of the environment. They have engaged in numerous community cleaning and hygienic campaigns. They have also involved in plantation of trees around the Shedra They have also been working on the land and planting vegetables for their consumption. This has the added benefit of self-reliance as well as a healthier and more nutritious diet as the farming that is being practiced is organic. However, despite their best efforts, they have not been able to make a very substantive impact due to constraints in resources as well as facilities. As an educational institute providing regular meals for a large number of students, there is constant requirement for fuel wood for cooking. Wood is also used for heating of water for baths and washing of clothes. All these negate the efforts that they have been consciously making towards the conservation of environment. The primary objective is to 1. Reduce use of fuel wood 2. Rainwater harvesting 3. Organic vegetable production.

Bhutan