In the summer of 2006, the idea of a home for orphaned and abandoned girls began to form in the mind of Dockpo Tra, a native of rural Dari in the Quingai Province of China. He noticed that programs existed to aid boys, but there were none for girls. In an impoverished region where girls are usually the first to be forfeited by overwhelmed families, the problem of girl homelessness is apparent, but culturally swept under the rug. Wanting to help, he went to work to create an “orphanage” for girls. Because the concept of social aid for girls was unheard of, local people called his efforts “crazy.” Still, he persisted. A year later, when the first 24 girls of the Sengcham Drukmo Home marched in uniform to the public school together, it was a local media event. In a short time the girl’s home has gone beyond being one person’s “crazy” vision to become an accepted and even vital part of the community.
We are proud that a one-time start-up grant from Vision Builders helped The Sengcham Drukmo Girls Home become a reality for girls who would be lost to slave labor, prostitution or death. This start-up grant allowed for construction of necessary basic structures, like a dormitory (with heat!) as well as a kitchen and dining hall. Equally important, our grant primed the pump for further grant support from individuals and groups around the world. Now nearly 50 girls live together at the home—in the care of adults who see to their needs for food, warm clothing and medical care. And they attend the local school: a luxury undreamed of in their prior circumstances.