The School's Program • The Curriculum • Further Education • Administration • Teachers • Staff
:Typical School Day • The School's Facilities • Awards at SMD • SMD Branch School for Monks
• Kids at the School • Making a Dramatic Difference • Teachers Give Concert for Kids• Indoor Games for Little Kids
• Milan's Program for Slum Kids • Swimming Programme revived • What We Teach - Gesar of Ling • Dharma Class
Teaching Traditional Musical Instruments • Barefoot Doctors of Acupuncture • Interview with our Vice Principal • ARCHIVE
The Senior's Program

Barefoot Doctors of Acupuncture

A Barefoot Doctor is somewhere between a nurse and a paramedic. The training of Barefoot Doctors began in China centuries ago – The Doctors would train for a minimum of 8 years, but because the need for medical aid in the villages was so great, a training programme was devised to give Barefoot Doctor training for the vast majority of ills, without specialization or even particularly knowledge of why certain treatments cured certain conditions.

On 1st of July, 2010 on Thursday, there was Barefoot Doctors graduation ceremony held at SMD School. The Barefoot Doctors of Acupuncture programme was wholly initiated by Dr.Leilani with the Lama Karma Lhodro assisting in the Clinics. This programme was started from April 20th to June 20th. There were 14 students, Monks and Nuns, mostly doctors of Tibetan medicine. The training was given at Thrangu Yangtse Monastery in Namo Buddha.

Present at the Graduation Ceremony were representatives from Thrangu Tara Abbey, Thrangu Yangtse Monastery and Thrangu Tashi Choeling. SMD School Director Shirley Blair was present and generously hosted the event . The SMD students prepared and decorated the room and organised everything so that the event went very smoothly..


Dr. Leilani with Tsering Gyurme, Medical officer from Vajra Vidya
Institute (Rinpoches' monastery in Sarnath, India)

Dr. Leilani delivered a beautiful speech praising her students and she was very thankful to all the people who were so supportive of her here in Nepal. and she also spoke gratefully of the kindness of her sponsors at home, whom she said facilitated the project in going forward. She was very proud and happy that new Barefoot Doctor Clinics were going to start in the mountain villages Nubri and Tatopani. Each graduate received a 'doctor's coat', a stethoscope and a framed graduation certificate. 
"Lama Doctor" aka Karma Lodro, acupuncturist from Malaysia with Dr. Leilani
A thank-you gifts from the nuns at Thrangu
Tara Abbey

The venue and lovely lunch for Graduation Ceremony was entirely managed by SMD School. Dr. Leilani was very grateful and thankful to SMD School for their assistance towards her and spoke in glowing terms about the maturity and exceptional quality of the students - which she said, came from the poorest Himalayan backgrounds but thanks to SMD rose with a brilliance that was earning them scholarships in Europe and North America. Without exception, she said, the students had a quiet confidence, polite manners and beautifully spoken English which she commented was very impressive.

By Tsering Dhondup B340a