Yangyel Lhaden

Wangsisina, Gawailing Happy Home, Thimphu, July 11: In the outdoor kitchen area, children are busily preparing vegetables for lunch, while others relax on benches around the table. A boy among the group of girls is tying his hair into two sections, cracking jokes, and keeping everyone entertained.

For 27 children—26 girls and a boy—Gawailing Happy Home is more than just a shelter; it’s a sanctuary. Established by Respect, Educate, Nurture, and Empower Women (RENEW), the home provides a haven of physical and psychological safety for these individuals and families.

Meet the only boy, a 13-year-old in grade seven. He speaks slowly and shyly, but his words carry confidence. His eyes twinkle whenever he talks about his ambition.

From the moment he was old enough to dream, he knew he wanted to be Prime Minister of Bhutan. It wasn’t a passing fancy or a childhood whim. As the years rolled on, his ambition never wavered.

“If I can, I will definitely become PM,” he says, his eyes twinkling with a mix of determination and resolve. “If not, I will settle for being a commando.”

Why do you want to become PM?

“It makes all the more sense that I will be able to bring changes and developments in the country only when I am the head of the country, and that I can,” he says, his voice steady and sure. “I see corruption, people wasting government resources, and a lack of punctuality. I want to change that.”

In Gawailing, a place he cherishes as his life and family, the 13-year-old campaigns earnestly. Addressing elders as “azhim” and younger ones by name, he has garnered widespread support, with everyone pledging their votes to him.

“Although my ambition is to become PM, my dream is different,” he says. “My dream is to give back to RENEW. They are my family—my father, mother, sister, everything. Just as you serve your parents when you grow up, I intend to serve RENEW and take care of my elders and juniors, because they are all I have.”

Apart from his strong ambitions, he finds enjoyment in listening to music and watching animations, particularly favoring Demon Slayer at the moment. He is drawn to the profound bond portrayed between Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko in the series, finding Tanjiro’s unwavering protection and love for Nezuko deeply resonant.

“It shows love and care, and that is the kind of brother I intend to be,” he says, “because my sisters here have looked after me like a mother since I was very small when I first came here.”

He was very young, just four years old, when he first came to Gawailing.

“I remember I was wearing a t-shirt, half-pant, and wellington boots when one madam and sir brought me here,” he says. “ For me, Gawailing is everything. It has nurtured my dreams and taken care of me from a very young age.”

He first started learning A, B, C, D, and Ka, Kha, Ga, Nga in Gawailing. He had never seen the alphabet before or heard nursery rhymes.

“To achieve my ambition and dream, there is only one thing I need to focus on: studying,” he says.

Since starting school, he has consistently hit the top three rank among his classmates in every exam.

“I take pride in identifying myself as RENEW’s child, and my sense of pride grows even stronger at school when I excel and bring honour to RENEW’s reputation,” says this very confident boy.