By Kezang Choden Residents of Tongla Goenpa Chiwog in Kengkhar Gewog, Mongar Dzongkhag, are struggling with a significant decline in the sales of Bhutanese altars, known locally as choesham. This downturn has sparked fear and concern within the community, as choesham crafting has long been a crucial source of income for many families. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tongla Goenpa was …

When I first heard about the Prime Minister’s ambitious plans for Bhutan’s future, it made me pause and consider: how do these grand ideas translate into our everyday lives? It’s easy to talk about boosting the economy and improving infrastructure, but what does that mean for us, especially in the remote corners of our country? The practicality of these initiatives …

Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay’s recent presentation of the State of the Nation report has brought to the forefront the sobering realities facing Bhutan’s economy. Amidst the achievements celebrated, the report paints a stark picture of challenges that demand immediate attention and decisive action. One of the most pressing issues highlighted is the increasing migration of skilled Bhutanese workers seeking …

Dive into an exhilarating journey through the vibrant world of film with Jigme Ring, a versatile talent celebrated for his skills as an actor, director, and filmmaker. While his adventure began humbly as an assistant director on the set of “Echung Lhamo,” his passion for acting was ignited long ago, rooted in childhood dreams. Amidst his studies in business, Jigme’s …

…𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒚 25 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕-𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔- 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝑺𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔. By Sonam Choki From a tumultuous past plagued by substance use for over two decades, Ugyen Dorji of …

…𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 By Kezang Choden In a notable development for the residents of Mongdokha Chiwog, Dungna Gewog, the persistent issue of drinking water shortage has been resolved with the installation of a new safe water tap. This significant improvement marks a crucial step for the …

The COVID-19 pandemic left an indelible mark on the global economy, and Bhutan was no exception. As the world grapples with the aftermath of the crisis, many nations have managed to reignite their economic engines, restoring vibrancy and growth. However, nearly two years after the pandemic’s onset, Bhutan’s economic activities remain subdued, and the country’s economic pulse has yet to …

Phuntsho Wangchuk Rinzin is the co-founder and President of Gola Gola Bhutan, a youth-led social service initiative established on May 22, 2022, by four enthusiastic youths. The name ‘Gola’ translates to ‘Cloth’ in reference to the initiative’s primary focus. Founded on two core principles, the organization is committed to providing clothing assistance to those in need and minimizing the excessive …

… 𝒂 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. By Sonam Choki In 2006, Chado Namgyel embarked on a journey into substance use. It began with marijuana and progressed to various other substances, driven by curiosity sparked when he witnessed a friend indulging in it. This prompted his first experience at the age of 13, …

…𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗽𝗷𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗿 By Kezang ChodenIn a promising start to Bhutan’s potato export season, farmers at the Samdrupjongkhar auction yard are experiencing higher prices for their produce this year, buoyed by significant government initiatives aimed at strengthening potato storage capabilities nationwide. During a recent session of the …