Getting people on board

H.E. Ambassador Tenzin Rondel Wangchuk, Claudio Zingg (co-president SSB), Leanna Schoch

​After confirming with Dasho Kunzang N Tsering that they would like me to do a volunteering project at ABS, the next big step to be able to implement this project is getting the visa. 
 
Bhutan is one of the hardest countries in the world to get a work visa. But I need to take the risk and still plan and book everything beforehand. But the executive director is optimistic that I will succeed. I have handed in all the documents for the visa application. Now all I can do is wait and hope that they will grant it to me. In the meantime, I must start with a lot of planning. 

The next big task is deciding what will be needed for the project. My plan is to fundraise so that I will be able to provide the children at the ABS with assistive devices.

I have the great privilege that Nelleke Bos, a physio colleague I currently work with at the Vivendra foundation, is very enthusiastic about my project and has offered to be my partner for the fundraising. This means I will have a contact person in Switzerland to support me while I am in Bhutan, a crucial advantage! Together, we looked at different options to organise the necessary assistive devices for the children at ABS.  The first idea was to collect assistive devices in Switzerland, but organising a bigger shipment to Bhutan turned out to be very complicated. Therefore, we decided to fundraise and use the collected donations to buy the assistive devices locally in Bhutan or in India. 
 ​
It's great to get so much support for my project from all different sides. The people at work are very encouraging and I'm also looking into possibilities for the foundation Vivendra to support my project. But what I'm most grateful of is the support I get from my parents who discuss the different steps with me and give me advice based on the experience they have gained from travelling the world. 
All the different points of view and aspects have helped me a lot to work out the details of the project. It is very valuable to have many people support me on my project as it allows me to accomplish more during my volunteering in Bhutan and therefore, I can be of more assistance to the Bhutanese children and families at ABS. Many thanks for all that wonderful support!