Friendship With People From Land of The Thunder Dragon

2012 is indeed a very exciting year for us. We received a grant from Healthy People 2020 to conduct nutrition education intervention/workshops in the Bhutanese community. Bhutanese are nationals of the Kingdom of Bhutan. Bhutan is a landlocked country in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas. India borders the south, east, and west areas of Bhutan and China borders the north. Nepal and Bangladesh are also not too far from Bhutan.

The ancient traditions of Bhutan have been fiercely guarded as a result of having been almost completely cut off for centuries from the outside world. Bhutan, also known as “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” began to open up to the outsiders in the 1970s. Although ancient cultures and the breathtaking sceneries make Bhutan irresistible, tourism is restricted.

There might be restrictions in traveling to Bhutan, but there sure are no restrictions in learning from our Bhutanese friends who are among the newest members of our community in the United States. This project is a result our commitment in learning and growing together. Bhutanese community leaders identified the need for nutrition education among their people.

“Elders believe that they should drink water only when they sweat.”

“Regardless of whether or not they are in pain, some religiously take pain killers three times a day just like the medicines prescribed by their English-speaking doctors, whom they do not understand.”

“They suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, stress, depression and yet eat fatty food cooked in corn oil which is cheap and comes by the gallon.”

“What do doctors really mean by exercising?”

We not only actively listened to the community but did our part in researching the facts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a severe case of Vitamin B12 deficiency among the Bhutanese, which results in numerous hematologic and neurologic disorders. A nutrition education/intervention is crucial.

We are in the process of developing a culturally appropriate and linguistically competent nutrition education curriculum specifically designed for the Bhutanese. In partnership with Bhutanese Community Association of Arizona, input from experienced Bhutanese medical assistants and staff members from Mountain Park Health Center, we are striving to build a curriculum that will reflect the input from the community leaders, members, and Bhutanese women who do almost all the cooking. The curriculum will be delivered by trained lay health workers fluent in English and Nepali. The curriculum will also be translated in Nepali, which is the language spoken by the Bhutanese resettled in the United States.

For further information, please contact Ms. Kamana Khadka at (602) 265-4598.

- Kamana Khadka, Program Manager, Bridging Cultures