A dream for Galay
Twelfth grade is nearly here!
A big thank you to all of Galay's kind supporters! Thanks to your help, he successfully completed 11th grade at Tenzin Higher Secondary School in Paro, Bhutan (now renamed RigZom Academy after a change in ownership). After summer break, he changed high schools so that he could be a boarding student and avoid the distractions of being a day student in a large city, so while he spent the fall at Nima Higher Secondary School in Thimphu.
His marks improved this year compared to last year and also to midterm, so that's a big win! (Overall percent of 61, which doesn't sound that great, but the pass mark here is 40% and 60s are somewhat average.) At midterm, he was able to earn an average of 58.5, which is not outstanding but still respectable. 
It emerged towards the end of the year that he has a heart problem. At this point, it does not seem to be life-threatening and he has been referred back to see the cardiologist in six months. Bhutan being a developing country, the medical technology available is not always available to make accurate diagnoses. For now, the doctor is taking a mostly "wait and see" approach, but prescribed some common heart medications that will lower Galay's blood pressure.
Galay's dream continues to be to gain a high school education and he thinks of joining the police force. In his native country, the "dragon kingdom" of Bhutan, education is free and provided to all only until 10th grade--although this looks to be changing for the current rising 11th grade class! To continue in government schools, students must achieve to a certain level on a standardized test. Otherwise, private school is the only option for eleventh and twelfth grades.  The son of farmers, Galay is passionate about learning, but he fell behind on the early grades as he struggled to stay on top of homework, chores at home and a long walk to his school from his village.
After 3 years of teaching in Bhutan, I spent 2017 in the United States. Despite the distance, Galay kept in touch--doggedly asking for help with his homework and projects, to clear up points of confusion before tests, and to clarify all manner of things he did not know. Galay has the drive to succeed in high school, but his scores are still inching up. Please help him have a chance to continue in the school next year.
His tuition at Tenzin Higher Secondary School is Nu. 65,000--about $1000. I also would like to send him a small monthly allowance, as it's very difficult for his parents to do more than survive. (The fundraising goal is double last year's, because the funds raise previously and used for his 11th grade year are included.) With your help, he can keep his dreams alive. Galay's dream is such a small dream, but it's still so difficult.  Please donate what you can. Small donations add up.
School begins the tenth of February. He will be grateful to you beyond words if you can help him. I am still here in Bhutan, prepared to continue to teach in the same government school in 2019 where I have been posted for four of the last five years. I will keep an eye on him, although mostly through his teachers, as my school is a 2-day journey from his.
