The Bhutanese Community of New Hampshire (BCNH) honored 104 seniors from three different cities-Concord, Manchester and Laconia amidst a special function in New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord, NH, Tuesday.
The high school going student volunteers from the BCNH honored the seniors with Khada (a traditional ceremonial scarf which symbolizes purity and compassion) and ceramic cup with the logo of BCNH inscribed in it. The audience was graced with the documentary film, Pathetic Exile including other dances and songs.
Speaking in the program, the Board Chair of the BCNH expressed that the event of honoring senior citizens was organized to acknowledge the life-long contributions of the Bhutanese seniors to their community and country.
He further said that it was paramount for the younger generations to demonstrate their gratitude by making sure that their communities are better places to live in where the senior citizens could participate to the fullest and can find the encouragement, acceptance, assistance, and services they need to continue to lead lives with independence and dignity.
The BCNH also formally launched its website: www.bhutanesecommunitynh.org and requested the readers to offer genuine feedback for further improvement.
The website was launched by Doug Hall, who served four terms in the NH House of Representatives. Long-time volunteer to the Bhutanese community, Doug Hall thanked the senior citizens for their presence in the event and encouraged them to live a healthy life.
Meanwhile, BCNH Executive Director, Tika Acharya, while introducing the newly appointed staff, thanked the recipients of the awards for their life-long support, hard work, guidance and love and requested them to bear zero tolerance to domestic violence if any.
Raffle was also drawn in the event to raise fund for the high school students who would be going to Washington DC for their educational tour in upcoming summer.
Over three hundred resettled Bhutanese, some American guests including schoolteachers, social workers, volunteers and friends from Nepal attended the program.
The program which was undoubtedly the first of its kind in the city and the state was facilitated in anchoring by Mr Rohit Subedi, Shyam Gautam and Bikash Bhattari who are the emerging youth leaders and future torch bearers for the community.
Rudra Timsina, the Secretary of BCNH, who despite his tender age wasted no opportunity to show his true mettle reaching his moving words to one and all involved in making the program a grand success, delivered vote of thanks.
The program was coordinated by Rohit Subedi, Rudra Timsina, Bikash Bhattarai, Shyam Gautam, Bishnu Niroula including other selfless volunteers from the community.
Bhagirath Khatiwada, one of the BNS contributing editors, contributed this report for BNS from NH
