The Kidu Program

His Majesty the King offers free education and boarding to students coming from financially insecure families, called the kidu program. Homelessness is almost non-existent in Bhutan but there are lots of people living in poverty. The Kidu committee consisting of Wangdi, Loepen Ugyen Norbu and myslef are responsible for documenting each families situation and determining whether the family is in need of government support.

On weekends we drive to the villages nearby to document the living conditions of the student in the kidu program. We interview the family and get information about the amount of people living in the house, how many acres of land they have and their lmain source of income. The kidu families usually live on small plots of land (less than an acre) and since farming is the main source of income, the families have a hard time sustaining themselves. Other problems facing these families are alcohol abuse, too many children or the loss of a parent either due to abandonment or death. The family pictured above has six children and lives on .8 of an acre, they also run a small shop inside their house for extra income.

Most Bhutanse houses are just one large room with a kitchen built onto the side. I was shocked at how few possessions these families had and how old everything was. There is no TV, no sofa, no chairs, no bed. In the one large room the whole family eats sleeps and prays.

The most valuable thing in this families house was a wooden cabinet turned into an alter. Buddhism is so important to the people here that even when they have nothing at all they still find time to pray, share and help.

We had to drink a glass of ara (local alcohol in the red/brown container) at each house we visited. As a part of their culture it is rude to reject an offering of food or drink.

The kitchen is separated from the rest of the house and usually blackened by smoke. There is a gap between the ceiling and the wall to circulate the air but without a chimney it gets quite smokey and the walls become blackened.

This is the traditional wood burning clay stove usually reinforced with steel rebar. Again the few possessions in the kitchen is astounding. The only object requiring power is the rice cooker.

The three families that we visited live in Lephu and Shokang, two very small villages next to each other about 40 min to one hour walk from Gongthung. The students who aren't boarding at the school have to walk this steep hour long trek there and back everyday. It's good practice for when they are older and have to carry baskets (shown above) full of produce up the hill to sell at the local shops.

The tap in a lot of Bhutanese households is located outdoors. Water can be sporadic depending on the season and it's not unusual to go a couple days without water. With only one source of running water the family uses it for washing dishes, cleaning clothes, drinking and bathing.

The toilet is also located outside. Although this particular toilet is an extreme example of how some of the poorest families in the area live outdoor toilets are quite common. When other teachers or villagers come over to my house and see my indoor toilet and running water they always comment on the luxury. After seeing the conditions of other houses my perception of where I live has completely changed. I realize that I am lucky with what I have and i'm grateful for not having to wash and poop outdoors.

One house looked abandoned as we approached it and did not have a roof over the kitchen. This was the worst of the kidu families.

They don't even have a stove and have to cook their food on an open fire exposed to the elements.

These families have so little and it's a great initiative by the king to help the poor.

I am just so glad to have the amazing wealth and opportunities given to me by my family and country.