Lower Hamlet Update
We are delighted to share that there have been many happy developments at Lower Hamlet these past months.
The sisters were able to move forward with some smaller projects in 2020 and early 2021.
They built a new parking lot with 75 spaces, so cars no longer have to park in front of the large meditation hall. The space around the hall is now a quiet environment, where the sisters have taken great care with the landscaping – planting flowers, constructing a bamboo arch - making this a beautiful and restful place to walk, sit, or just enjoy a cup of tea.
They built a special road to allow buses to enter, park, and turn around safely in Lower Hamlet. Previously, buses arriving from and going to other parts of Plum Village were forced to park on the small road next to Lower Hamlet. This work was among those required by local authorities.
In January and February of 2021, the sisters, with help from the brothers and lay retreatants, planted more than a hundred trees in and around the new parking area and along the new road. This is part of a larger reforestation project.
The Lower Hamlet sisters obtained new zoning for building sites. Consequently, they decided to move the Lower Hamlet Happy Farm, located in a future construction area, to the new southwest field. The Happy Farm team did a great job moving the soil and the tool sheds and were even able to grow vegetables this season.
Construction will resume in 2022
We are deeply grateful for your past support of Lower Hamlet and other needs of our community. And thanks to our donors’ timely generosity, we were able to meet a matching gift challenge from an anonymous donor. Your gifts and the match generated USD $375,000 (€330,000) that can go towards the initial design and development phase of Lower Hamlet’s construction. Final cost estimates will tell us how much money is needed in total.
The sisters have selected a French architect who is an expert in sustainable design and passive housing. He is finishing the hamlet’s master plan and design documents; they will be ready to submit to the government in the spring.
Once the government approves the plans and depending on how much funds have been raised, the sisters will work with the architect to prioritize projects for construction. Projects include creating more accommodations for lay friends, a new nunnery, expanded areas for tents and caravans, and new toilet and shower blocks. The government is also requiring significant upgrades to the water, septic, and electrical systems.
Environmental sustainability – practicing our interbeing with Mother Earth -- is a priority for all of Plum Village France. New construction for lay friends and monastics will be more energy-efficient, use sustainable building materials, and lessen the monastery’s carbon footprint. Upgrades to water and septic systems will conserve precious water resources. There are plans to naturally reforest significant areas and revitalize the depleted soil. Our Happy Farms continue to be an important source of local, organic produce. You can read more about our efforts towards saving the planet in future updates.
Fundraising for construction will begin in earnest in 2022. Once the plans are approved, then the sisters can get bids from local contractors to do the work. We should have a clearer sense of the costs and options in the spring.
Thank you for your generosity!
You have helped Lower Hamlet work towards its aspiration of having a beautiful, sustainable community that can welcome all who want to attend and operate in harmony with the planet. The sisters feel your generosity and love for them and in turn, hold you in their hearts.
If you would like to hear more about Lower Hamlet’s plans, please email giving@tnhf.org, letting us know where you live so that staff in the US or Europe can be in touch.
A lotus to you, a Buddha to be,
Your siblings at the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation International
P.S. Plum Village Monastery is re-opening! They just posted their schedule of on-line and in person retreats. Please visit their website for details.
The Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation International is the fundraising arm and a communications hub of the international Plum Village Community. We were established by Sister Chan Khong, Thich Nhat Hanh, and other senior monastics ten years ago. We raise funds for priorities established by the monastic elders and care for our donors from around the world.