October 14, 2025
Tracy Wamarema '28
Desang Tenzin ’28 improves monastery life in Bhutan with Projects for Peace
Desang Tenzin ’28 is no stranger to building community. A computer science and economics double major, she has long been committed to fostering change in her home country of Bhutan.
At the age of ten, Tenzin participated in Design for Change, a program which builds an “I can” mindset in young students. She carried this mentality into high school where, through the Global Youth Action Fund, she led a volunteer project building toilets in an elementary school in Bhutan. Years later, she found herself back in Bhutan through the Davis Projects for Peace program, this time remodeling a monastery.
Projects for Peace invites students at United World College (UWC) partner institutions to design grassroots projects that promote peace. Lake Forest College has participated in the program since 2019, with Foresters carrying out projects ranging from building libraries in Kosovo to destigmatizing Parkinson’s disease in Uganda.
Eutokha Monastery in Bhutan
Tenzin’s idea for her project came to her in the summer of 2024 when she visited the Eutokha Monastery near her hometown and saw it through fresh eyes—the chipped walls, the rickety appliances and the lacking infrastructure.
As a place for prayer, monasteries provide free food, shelter and education for the residing monks. In Bhutan, it is common for parents to enroll their children in monasteries if they cannot afford their upkeep. Monasteries receive government funding for about 15 monks annually, but in total they house over 60 monks. This leads to scarcity of resources.
Improving living conditions
Noting this problem, Tenzin submitted a Projects for Peace proposal to improve monastery conditions, which was approved in spring 2025. Outlined in her proposal were seven goals: introduce modern appliances, source equipment locally, repaint the classrooms, establish communication channels, translate instructions, start a GoFundMe, and create a social media page. What was intended to be a month-long project extended to two months due to the scope of work.
Initially, Tenzin planned to source products locally, but she found that it was cheaper to import them from India. Additionally, they would get tax relief from the government as this was a social project. However, figuring out the transportation and logistics was more challenging and time consuming than anticipated.
Another goal that required a change in approach was starting the GoFundMe. “There were a lot of strict legal restrictions and I'm still trying to work with the monastery on that. It's an ongoing project,” Tenzin said.
On the upside, Tenzin’s team was able to purchase more items than anticipated. “We planned to bring only 60 sets of bedding sheets and blankets, but we were able to bring 90 sets with pillows and extra blankets,” said Tenzin.
This was because they were able to save on certain costs. For instance, the owner of Green Kitchen Bhutan—an equipment supplying company—provided them with a free boiler. Other items such as stoves and rice cookers were obtained at negotiated prices. “A lot of local relationships were formed through the project. The business owners were really inspired to give back, so we were able to get a lot of deals,” said Tenzin. With the monks volunteering to paint the classrooms and Tenzin designing language translation posters on Canva, she was able to stretch the $10,000 budget.
“It was really cute seeing all these kids who were excited to see what's going on,” Tenzin said. “Confused, but still understanding that there is change happening and their lives are about to be easier.”
Working toward the future
Reflecting on the project, Tenzin shared that it also reshaped her own outlook: “I really got to reflect on how privileged we are and how we take so many small things for granted.”
This project gave Tenzin hope that she can continue to make a largescale positive impact. “It encouraged me to work harder towards world peace.”
About the author
Tracy Wamarema '28 is a sophomore at Lake Forest College and a creative communicator with a passion for exploring the human experience in all its forms. Through journalism, film, radio, and poetry, she seeks out the universal threads that connect us while honoring the beauty of our differences.