The Story-Carving Carpenter

‘I am from Mongar. I settled here from Phobjikha in 2008. Hailing from a small village in the east, I did not imagine even in my wildest dream that I would end up here. I have never attended any formal schooling except for 6 months of Lower Kindergarten when I was 7 years old. My father was a military personnel who specialized in carpentry and I learned my craft from observing him. In 1990 with the emergence of some insurgent groups in the South, I joined the Militia at the age of around 16 as every male aged above 15 had to enlist. After two months of training, I served for a year at the borders of Phuentsholing and Gelephu. When the dispute was resolved, I returned home and started to work with my uncle.

I arrived at Phobjikha in 1994 to assist my uncle as an assistant carpenter for the construction of houses. I met my wife who was Gangtey Rinpochhe’s cattle herder and eventually married her. After staying together for 2 years, I took over her role and I pledged to look after Rinpochhe’s cattle until the completion of the Gangtey’s Monastery. Between 1994 and 2008 my family migrated between Phobjikha and Lamga in summers and winters.

I also continued to do small carpentry works at Phobjikha which allowed me to keep in touch with the skill. When Tarayana Foundation started the Housing
Program at Lawa and Lamga villages in 2007, I was recruited as the head carpenter tasked with training other carpenters. I was one of the two head carpenters assigned to each group. We have trained about 8 carpenters together and now there are about 12 trained carpenters in the villages of Rukha, Lamga, and Lawo.
I worked in the completion of 8 houses and the remaining houses were completed by my students. My group completed a house within 2 months at a daily wage rate of Nu. 250 which later became the project’s standard. The house that my family was awarded by the Tarayana Foundation was completed in 2008. In 2009 I was also hired as one of the lead carpenters to work on the PeldenLhamo Lhakhang at Rukha. I am very proud that I was able to serve the Foundation, work in the reconstruction of the temple as well as look after Gangtey Rinpochhe’s cattle. I feel blessed for being part of these initiatives and owe my good fortune to these opportunities. Later I moved to Metena for my children’s education as they had a school there. I continued serving the community by taking up carpentry and masonry contracts from the Foundation, local government, other government offices, and local individuals. I also opened a shop there which got razed to the ground in 2018. After my shop at Metena was burned, I returned here. Since I had transferred the ownership of the old house to my son, I built a new house in 4 months with a budget of Nu. 30,000.

I also continued to do small carpentry works at Phobjikha which allowed me to keep in touch with the skill. When Tarayana Foundation started the Housing Program at Lawa and Lamga villages in 2007, I was recruited as the head carpenter tasked with training other carpenters. I was one of the two head carpenters assigned to each group. We have trained about 8 carpenters together and now there are about 12 trained carpenters in the villages of Rukha, Lamga, and Lawo.
I worked in the completion of 8 houses and the remaining houses were completed by my students. My group completed a house within 2 months at a daily wage rate of Nu. 250 which later became the project’s standard. The house that my family was awarded by the Tarayana Foundation was completed in 2008. In 2009 I was also hired as one of the lead carpenters to work on the PeldenLhamo Lhakhang at Rukha. I am very proud that I was able to serve the Foundation, work in the reconstruction of the temple as well as look after Gangtey Rinpochhe’s cattle. I feel blessed for being part of these initiatives and owe my good fortune to these opportunities. Later I moved to Metena for my children’s education as they had a school there. I continued serving the community by taking up carpentry and masonry contracts from the Foundation, local government, other government offices, and local individuals. I also opened a shop there which got razed to the ground in 2018. After my shop at Metena was burned, I returned here. Since I had transferred the ownership of the old house to my son, I built a new house in 4 months with a budget of Nu. 30,000.