Ladakh, or ‘Little Tibet’, is a precious corner of north-western India strongly influenced by principles of community, compassion, simplicity & self sufficiency. Until the last few decades Ladakh was sheltered from outside forces of growth, development & consumerism, regarded by some Westerners as a rare gift of remembrance for the values & qualities our culture is currently in search of. What amazed visitors was that Ladakhis had peace of mind, freedom from many illnesses prevailing in the west, free time, lasting relationships & levels of happiness as an entire culture presently unknown in our nations.
How could these people be happy without education, without travel, conventional medicines, cars, shops, televisions, jobs, fashion, espresso?
What travelers often discover is that communities we visit who value the inter-connectedness of all things; who are self-sufficient, feel belonging & confidence, who are at ease in the world as they are & as it is, who are nurtured by their families – elders & infants – who are living a simple life, are also custodians of an increasingly rare human quality – enduring happiness.
The gift of Ladakh to Girls on Top was an experience of a culture which continues to preserved a life of happiness & integration that we no longer have a reference for in the west. It is a gift directly threatened all over the world – in so-called 'developing' countries, & in our own, by forces which compromise our sense of selves, our community values, our sense of belonging & of being ‘good enough’. In our own culture the incidence of disease, depression, anxiety, childhood attention disorders, suicide, eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, alcoholism, drug abuse, violent crime & many other symptoms of ‘being lost’ are dramatically increasing. The pursuit of happiness has never been more urgent
In Ladakh, the opening of new markets, intrusion of imported foods, arrival of television & Western messages about fashion, sexuality, beauty, wealth, power & our seemingly stress-free life of glamour, indulgence, passion & endless exotic choices presented by television & other western influences have shaken the ancient foundations of the culture & raised similar challenges to those we know only too well.
In this experience of confusion, loss of meaning, self doubt & loss of faith – we are all equal.
In 2006 Girls on Top raised $20 000 for communities in Ladakh. Part of our funds have already been spent on resources and equipment for local school children, in funds to the village of Likir where our team lived & shared in work for a week, & in a donation to the Women's Alliance of Ladakh who work to strengthen the fabric of community & preserve self sufficiency among Ladakhis.
For the first time in our experience, our learnings on expedition & in the country of our travels prompted us to make changes to the original plans for the rest of our cash donation. A previous decision to support a charity organisation working in the capital Leh, and in London & Australia was changed by unanimous agreement amongst our team who all believe the funds will have more direct benefit via an alternative charity. We are seeking advice about how best to share ALL of this money in Ladakh and hope to make our donation there in 2008. In the meantime, the remaining funds are held with Girls on Top in the good faith that ii is better to wait than to give them away without confidence.
On behalf of all those who supported us at our events, and our sponsors and partners Girls on Top, and in what we believe to be the best interests of the people who inspired our journey - the people of Ladakh - the team are now negotiating to fund a project which will provide medical support & benefits to community. Please feel free to offer any thoughts or suggestions on this & stay tuned for news.