Message to my little brothers and sisters.

My Dear Principal, teachers and little brothers and sisters of Muenselling Institute Khaling,

As I heard from my dear Totsang Kuenga Chhoegyel, 44 years has gone by in the history of Muenselling. The history of MIK started in 1973 with the name (School for the Blind) with 3 confused blind students, of whom one still exist as a great teacher of a great Institute carrying the history of Muenselling on his shoulder. He is no other than Sir Kuenga Chhoegyal. He is the past, present and future of Muenselling.

As I write this short message to you all, great and nostalgic memories flash in through my mind. Although I have travelled the world and met many wonderful people in different places, the teachers and students of Muenselling always took a special place in my heart. It is Muenselling Institute Khaling that has made what I am today. It is teachers and students of Muenselling that provided me with warmth and comforts when I was down and they gave me company when I was high. Muenselling provided me hope and inspiration; Muenselling turned me from a confused and worthless lad to a determined and confident person.

My dear little brothers and sisters, my only request to you is do not be defeated by unexpected challenges. Do not be disheartened by hardships and difficulties. Face one day at a time. We should always hope for the best but also be prepared for the worst. If you want to experience the sweet smell and tender touch of the beautiful rose flower, you should not fear the thorny needles and sharp bushes of the tree. Our blindness should not be the obstacle for the success but the root for the success, as you know out of difficulty comes the solution.

Let me end my message to you on this auspices occasion in the history of visually impaired persons in Bhutan, I quote two of my favourite phrases,

Helen Keller said “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”, and a famous quotation from Vedic literature says, “In the times of darkness, who will be with you, even your own shadow runs away”. These two phrases tells us that we cannot expect that help will be there all the time but we should not mourn for what we cannot do but must find an alternate solution.

I wish you a very enjoyable and interesting day.
Sanga Dorji,
Muenselling Alumni member.