Ven. Panchen Otrul Rinpoche
 Mongolia 2006

visit to His center Kunchap Jampa Ling and Asral NGO

Dear Students and Friends,

It is with great gratitude for your continued support that I write of my visit to Mongolia this summer. It has proved an eventful year in many ways.

The highlight of the summer was a visit to the center by His Holiness the Dalai Lama while he was visiting Mongolia. The center has had the support of His Holiness since the beginning and he left another donation with a request that it was used for the poorest children. He planted a tree at the center - now secured and fenced off- received offerings and then gave a short teaching He started by saying that He rejoiced in the work being done at the center.
This was a very strong confirmation.
It was a very memorable day and a great blessing.

I have continued to teach each weekend whilst in Ulaanbaatar and the numbers increase each year.

My teaching visits again have included the women's prison, Hurjitt and Shank Monasteries in Ovorkhangaii aimag, Undershill Dundgobi aimag, and Lam rim Retreat center in Terelj. The monasteries struggle continually to re-establish themselves but with help from the Buddhist Churches of America, a roof has now been donated for the new monastery at Hurjitt. A ger, warm bedding, food for 13 monks will be provided at Shank Monastery, My continual support of these monasteries is vital.

Ulaanbaatar
The work in Ulaanbaatar continues with the support of children and families. My main aim is continually to
keep families together and children with their parents or relatives.

Twenty-five children are supported at the daily kindergarten where they also have three meals during the day. We pay towards the cost of their food, providing clothes and all other requirements. Twenty children will be supported this year in the overnight kindergarten. They stay there for five days and go home for the weekend. Again support includes cost of food and all other items needed for their stay there.

33 older children come in daily for a hot meal and are provided with school books as necessary. Unfortunately this year children have to buy their own text books which puts added financial strain on the poorest families and Asral Charity is helping out here as well. All the children are provided with warm cloths and boots if needed. One hundred families were supported last winter either with coal or food during the coldest part of the winter. Many children now come into the center to do homework and are given help and extra tuition with the help of Mongolian volunteers.
English tuition was again given at the center from April onwards to the end of August by volunteers from Ireland and the U.K. English is now the second language in Mongolia so our help is valuable.

The Sewing Project
Training continues in the sewing project and 33 women were trained during the winter. Orders are now being received for stitched labyrinths and other items of sewing, which is very encouraging.
This year a felting training program was started here at the center. MIM (Made In Mongolia) is a new venture, the start of a non-profit making business which I hope will create more work and funding in the future for all of Asral's other project. MIM at the moment focuses on felted goods with new designs coming from Ireland, and it is hoped to incorporate the sewing project eventually.

Undershill, Dundgobi.
My visit to Undershill was again very well received.
Unfortunately a drought during the whole summer has again created many problems. However I was delighted with a dancing and singing display by the school children on my arrival and their first day of the new term. The contact with the children in Bawnboy Primary school (Ireland) has now stimulated a wish to improve the teaching of English in the whole school and Asral NGO has helped to buy equipment for a new English Department.
The head teacher in Undershill would now like me to supply two qualified teachers of English for a summer school for 2007. If anyone is interested and wants a challenge, please contact me. They will need to be very resilient and hardy! Undershill is a very isolated community in the Gobi.

The extension to the maternity unit at the small hospital has now been built and will be used to provide post natal and anti natal care to the delight of the mothers. This was funded by a grant from Electricaid, Ireland which I was very grateful to receive.
We continue to provide twenty two children with a daily hot meal during term time. Also school books, including text books as necessary and warm clothing
The felting project has been greatly stimulated by the new MIM designs from Ireland, increasing creativity amongst the women with their own colours and designs.
I gave Dharma teachings on two occasions. had a meeting with the elderly people in the community, and also the governor and local committee. So it was a very busy time

Vegetable Growing Project, Gachuurt

This has again been successful. Frost and snow however in early September made the season very short and vegetables had to be lifted very quickly. Fortunately the new gate keeper at the center displayed a great ability for vegetable growing. Consequently the tunnel and small area near the center was cultivated and produced enough fresh vegetables and salads during the summer . Vegetables are now being stored for the winter for the hot meal project.
Five more families joined the vegetable project here, three of these families had no land of their own and so were provided with plots on Asral's land. This has worked well. With the help of our Mongolian team and overseas volunteers excellent vegetables and salads were again grown for demonstration. Cooking demonstrations were also given. Plenty of potatoes have been produced and again will be used for the hot meal project at the center.
People still need increased help in growing vegetables in the conditions existing here in Mongolia.. I noticed that people were trying to grow potatoes in Undershill and
maybe help can be given there in the future.

Also, I was invited to Bulcan aimag during the summer and was able to see the huge variety of herbs which are grown there.
Medical care
We continually help sick people with hospital care or medicine. This summer we were approached by the local medical center to fund extra nourishment for 15 babies who were weak and very badly mal nourished. This we are now doing.
We also providing medicine for many bed-ridden people in this area.

Sponsoring
I am very grateful to the many people now sponsoring families, children and young people. We concentrate on the poorest families. Many children are orphans living with grandparents and relatives and this puts an extra strain on any finances.
Sponsors are also helping with college, university fees and other forms of training.
Sponsoring gers also provides shelter for homeless families and last winter 5 gers
were provided.

I am continually indebted, to all those people in Ireland, Northern Ireland , the USA and other parts of the world who have supported me for many years.
Without your help this could not continue, and each year when I visit Mongolia I can see the results of our continued effort..
I am indebted also to the devotion and hard work of Geshe Lhawang Gyaltsen and my Mongolian team. Geshe Lhawang Gyaltsen has now left for India for an extended period of leave. Meanwhile I am confident the running of the center will be secure in the capable hands of my Mongolian students.
Finally on behalf of the many people we are helping I send you again my deepest gratitude and thanks.


Panchen Otrul Rinpoche.