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| From April through June, 2007, we will be supporting Amicus Foundation, a volunteer-run non-profit that supports a variety of projects in Bhutan. We will be providing funds for one of their specific projects, the Simtokha school and orphanage. The cost per child at this school is approximately $10 per month. Please use WNF for searching and shopping, and spread the word so we can help the children at Simtokha school and orphanage in Bhutan. | ||
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A Bhutan Treasure 
Of the many projects that Amicus supports, perhaps one of the most compelling is the Simtokha Orphanage in Thimpu, Bhutan. Many orphans in Bhutan are too poor to afford even a free education, and the Simtokha Orphanage takes care of them, providing a unique blend of traditional spiritual education with a modern secular curriculum. Simtokha Dzong was built in 1627 by Shabdrung Rinpoche. It is situated high on a ridge just south of Thimpu, Bhutan's capital, and is the home of the Institute for Language and Culture Studies. At Simtokha, school children study seven hours a day, six days a week. There they learn English along with their native language, Dzongkha. According to Amicus' founder, James Winkler, donations to Simtokha are badly needed. It is run by Bhutanese monks, and funds provided by Amicus are used where needed most, "to buy a stove, repair a leaky roof, get chairs so the kids don't have to sit on the floor, etc... 99 percent of money gets to the people that need it. Oversight is provided by the central monastic body or government that lets us know the money was used properly."
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The number of orphans that can be accommodated at Simtokha School and Orphanage is limited only by funds. Right now there are hundreds of children there, but there are many more who could be helped for appoximately $10 a month. Amicus is sponsoring as many children as donations will allow. Simtokha is an excellent example of a project that takes only a small amount of money to do a large amount of good.