The Rogpa Festival (Rogpa -Trusted friends & helpers in Tibetan)
by Graeme (Rogpa volunteer)

On Sunday 15th October, in the courtyard of TCV (Tibetan Children’s Village) Day School in McLeod Ganj, an event was held which is sure to become a regular feature in Dharamsala’s calendar; The Rogpa Festival. Founded in 2005 by Rogpa Charitable Trust, the Rogpa Babycare Centre (BCC) was opened to support Tibetan families and empower working parents in their daily lives. Now providing free day care for 32 Tibetan children, the centre has proved invaluable to many families in the McLeod Ganj area. Indeed, this inaugural festival was organized not merely to raise funds and awareness but also to celebrate the community spirit that characterizes the Rogpa ethos.

Starting with a bang, the festival was not ten minutes’ old before racking up its first success of the day. The opening of the clothes stalls sent the ladies, both young and old, into a fever pitch of excitement. The frenzied scrambling for bargain finery lending further weight to the old adage ‘women love to shop’! Meanwhile, on the other side of the school courtyard, the men were flexing their muscles - and egos – and engaged in the altogether more important business of knocking down pyramids of toilet rolls with little balls, or with whatever else was at hand. The game had added significance because the entire pyramid comprised of the slogan, ‘Just say No to 2008 Beijing Olympics.’ Those passers-by looking on from the vantage point of Temple Road were clearly transfixed by the prowess on display.

Well, the ladies may love to shop and the men certainly delight in breaking stuff, but it seems we are truly united in one common passion - our love of bingo. When the announcement came over the P.A. system that the first round would shortly commence, the tireless and charming vendors couldn’t sell those bingo slips quick enough. Within minutes a reverent hush had descended upon T.C.V. Day School as one and all we sat, pensive and hopeful, pens at the ready. And for the rest of the day all other activities would be periodically suspended for another round of number calling. At least a dozen lucky souls would enjoy the rare privilege of raising their hands aloft and shouting ‘Full House!’

Of special importance to the festival was the Art and Drawing contest open to all Tibetan children and held on the day in a classroom adjacent to the main courtyard. Fifty-five children participated, each were asked to create something which reflects what their Tibetan homeland means to them. The overall standard was very high and the ideas and impressions were innovative and wide ranging, but special mention must go to Rinchen Dolma, winner of the Class III category (9-12 years) for his portrait of a Tibetan monk and an unarmed Chinese soldier standing on opposite sides of a bridge. This was particularly moving and many will be encouraged that His Holiness’s pragmatic principles of The Middle Way and non-violence are finding expression in a new generation of exiled young Tibetans.

A new feature unveiled at this, the first Rogpa festival, was The Rogpa One Rupee Project which invited everyone who attended to donate one rupee per month to Rogpa - or more if they wished - the philosophy being that if enough people were to subscribe, then just a little could make a huge difference. About 160 people signed up on the day and it will be especially pleasing to a charity that champions the idea of ‘Tibetans Helping Tibetans’ that approximately 80-90% of those who pledged their support were from within the Tibetan community.

Allied to this project was another fresh and inspired initiative, The Tree Of Hope. All who had pledged donations to the One Rupee Project were then asked to make a wish, write it down on a paper leaf, and then attach it to the bare branches of a beautifully painted tree. By the end of the day this tree, a symbol of life and that which gives shelter, was resplendent in bright yellow leaves containing a heartwarming array of hopes and wishes.

This festival would not have been possible without the help of the parents whose children are cared for during the day at the Rogpa Centre. Their endeavors throughout a long day both underlined their appreciation for Rogpa and their desire to contribute to its continuing success. Whether manning the food and clothes stalls, selling bingo cards and coupons, erecting banners and bunting, or watching over the children, everyone had an important role to play in what was an impressive team effort. Working alongside them were a group of young Korean women presently volunteering on a daily basis at the Rogpa Centre. Their hard work and irrepressible good spirits during both the preparations and the festival itself deserve special praise.

As the day drew to a close, everyone who had volunteered their time to ensure the festival’s success gathered in a large circle in the courtyard for the final activity of the day; the Net of Hope. By throwing balls of wool to each other and allowing them to unravel in the process, a net of many different colours gradually began to take shape within the circle. Then, a large papier-mâché heart was introduced, placed on the net and propelled repeatedly into the air amidst whoops of delight and much laughter. The heart represented the community’s hope for the future autonomy of Tibet. This uplifting spectacle, requiring once again the light-hearted and spirited co-operation of everyone taking part, provided a fitting finale to what was a very special day.

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