Scouts Supporting Community, Culture and Cleanliness During the Tshechu
The project was inspired by the community’s celebration of the first-ever Tshechu at Gatshelling Lhakhang, Dorokha, Samtse. As Scouts and members of the local community, we saw the festival as an opportunity to contribute to an important cultural and community event. The Tshechu brought people together to celebrate Bhutanese traditions, and we wanted to give back to the community by supporting the preparations and ensuring that the event was clean, organized and welcoming for everyone.
The project was implemented at Gatshelling Lhakhang, Dorokha, Samtse, in preparation for and during the Tshechu. Preparations began on October 2, when three Scouts worked alongside community members to wire the fence, clean the surroundings of the Lhakhang and collect waste. These activities continued until October 5 to ensure that the venue was clean and ready for the festival. On October 6, the day of the Tshechu, Scouts and volunteers from the school, together with Desuups and local police, supported the smooth conduct of the event. The Scouts helped serve drinks and manage waste, while the Desuups supported crowd management and public safety. Through these combined efforts, the volunteers helped create a clean, safe and welcoming environment for the community.
The project had a positive impact on both the community and the environment. The Scouts contributed to keeping the Lhakhang premises clean before and during the Tshechu, while also supporting the smooth organization of the festival. Their involvement encouraged young people to actively participate in community activities and helped strengthen the spirit of volunteerism and teamwork. The project also supported the preservation of local culture by enabling Scouts to contribute to the successful celebration of an important traditional event. Most importantly, it demonstrated that Scouts can play a meaningful role in bringing people together, protecting the environment and serving their communities.
Through this project, we learned the importance of teamwork, community participation and shared responsibility in successfully organizing a large community event. We also gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of preserving our cultural traditions and creating a clean and respectful environment for such occasions. The experience showed us that even small contributions from Scouts and volunteers can make a meaningful difference. In the future, we would involve more Scouts and community volunteers from the beginning, assign responsibilities more systematically, and strengthen waste management and environmental awareness activities throughout the event.
