Skip to main content

Triumphant journey from Farmland to Foreign land


It was never in his wildest dream – the coveted opportunity to fly in the plane and explore the land beyond his imagination. He possessed no pre-requisition of availing such prospects of travelling on the metal bird. All he has is seen and heard others speaks of exhilaration of such journey overseas. He vied for the journey but chances stood ever slim.  But it was piously nullified when he was nominated as one member for the CFMG study tour/visit to Nepal.
Mr. Sonam Norbu, Chairman of Zhasela Community Forest in Minjay under Lhuentse Dzongkhag has spent past 37 years of his life languishing within four horizons in his farmland. He has rarely strayed beyond the confinement of his village minus occasional visit to the dzongkhag. The acute shortage of working hand in his farm land permitted few of such travel and herded him selfishly in his own community.
This is to prove wrong when under the sponsorship of Participatory Forest Management project (PFMP), the Social Forestry Division of the Department of Forests & Park Services organized CFMG study tour/visit to Nepal. Representing the community forest he headed, he embarked on the tour/visit to Nepal from 13 – 22 March 2011 for the duration of little less than a couple of week. The visit enabled him to visit many successful CF program and gather numerous knowledge on effectively managing the chunk of Government Reserved Forests handed over to the community with ownership rights for sustainable utilization and management.
Still reeling in disbelief in the first day after his return, Sonam confided, “I never believed there are world outside our country. My journey not only exposed me to such outside world, it also enriched me with tactics of governing CF successfully”. Still thrilled by his buoyant journey on plane, he excessively thanked the sponsor and organizer for realizing undreamt dream of a humble farmer.
For the last 10 days, they were guided to different locations in Nepal introducing and familiarizing them on success stories of CF.  “Nepal is far more advanced in terms of community forests and no other destination would have been appropriate,” chipped Sonam. He added that Nepalese strength of being able to derive maximum avenues for income generation and managing forests as pro-poor resource convinced him of replicating same here in Bhutan.
Among the loads of knowledge and experiences he has imported, he is seriously contemplating embracing briquette making techniques. He divulged that it is simple method and has lots of benefits in the way that tree branches, lops & tops, off cuts and other debris from tending operations serve as raw materials. “Conventionally, such resources are wasted when they can be put into judicious use,” he concluded before taking leave to attend presentation on their trips to sponsor and organizer at Hotel Dragon roots in Thimphu. But certainly not forgetting to emphatically thank the sponsor and the organizer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Long, long, long journey to Education

“Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado. The fatigue of having to toddle to the school, fever of unending exams, the torture of having to burn the midnight oil, dozing in classes and the stern rigors are hard to endure, few even give up on the way but many endure it with utmost determination and commitment, because deep inside everyone knows it pays later. “Root of the education is bitter but the fruit is sweet” no one would know about it better than Kado Kado in the tender age of 12 is negotiating the lazily meandering footpath along the steep mountain. His school bag, full of books, pulls him back. His black naughty boy school shoe is all soiled, indication of how many times he has trudged that same footpath. He is on his way to the primary school in his village, almost 5 kilometers away. He has to make sure he is in the school before morning social work starts; else he gets penalized. Unlike the students who reside nearb...
Post a Comment
Read more

My New Found Love: - What shall thy name be???

I count myself lucky having met her one sunny day near the place I presently stay. I purely attribute it to the destiny or the fate we shared since it was the invisible string of love and passion that brought us together. None would dare to agree to believe me that she just decided to stay with me midway in Chukha in her journey to Thimphu, having consulted neither her parents nor anyone who took her care. So bold she is, is she? If ever I have been waiting for the fresh love, it was she who would give me the correct doze. "Lucky girl she is!" We have now developed so much of attachment that we can hardly think of time away from each other. We love each other so much that we eat together in same plate, sleep in one bed, go for evening walk and literally do everything together. What love is this if it is not one genuine one? The time I have to be in office is the time I miss her most while she stay at home, sleeping all day till I return home. Lucky girl she is! She eats th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cypress Surprise

It’s said that every cypress tree in Bhutan tells a tale. And indeed each one has a story. It just takes going around asking about the tree to unveil it. Besides being the national tree of Bhutan the cypress is associated with diverse myths and beliefs. Every grain of the cypress tree seen majestically towering over the dzongs, temples and stupas is imbued with intricate stories. Such stories are the greatest surprise surrounding the cypress. The two formidable trees at Baylangdra in Wangdue and at Kurjey in Bumthang are no exception to this. Their origin can be traced to the walking stick of the great Indian saint who visited Bhutan in 8th century. When such trees are planted, they’re done to serve as the ‘standing proof’ of the flourishing dharma. Often it is said that the trees will grow only if there is a prophecy that Buddhism will exist without waning. The trees cater to the locality as symbol of worship and blessings. The giant cypress tree growing near the Kurjey Lhakahng is ...
Post a Comment
Read more