GlobalGiving.org: Educating Tibetan Refugee Children and Youth

More Room and a New Class at School

Toc Dunlap — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:21:27 GMT

In November, I visited both the boys’ and the girls’ hostels at Menri Monastery in Dholanji. There are now 204 boys and 45 girls in the hostels. As the number of children has increased, the hostels have grown in size. The boys’ hostel now has a new wing for storage of clothes, bedding, and food and also has three extra rooms for art and extracurricular classes, as well as office space for the monks who are looking after the students. The play area, which needed to be reconstructed after heavy rains caused part of the play area to slide down the hill, is now under use by the boys and a basketball court has been added.

In the hostel for girls, rooms are now completed and a railing has been added to the staircase for safety reasons. Anticipating even more students, a new addition for rooms is under construction.

The school for the children now has an 11^th grade class which means that students can now complete the 11^th grade without having to go to another city and pay tuition. There are presently 30 students in the 11^th grade class.

Phurba's Story

Toc Dunlap — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:20:19 GMT

The children at the Children’s Welfare Center at the Yungdrung Bon Monastic Centre in Dolanji, India are back in school after the summer holidays. In school they all learn English. Recently one of the students, Phurba Thinley, whose family lives in Nepal wrote this story about himself that we thought we would share with you.

My name is Phurba Thinley. I am 17 years old. I was born in a remote village called Bijer in Himalayan region in Dolpo District, Nepal in 1993. My father, Gyalpo Lama, was a businessman and the headman of the village. Unfortunately, he passed away when I was just one or two years old. I have never seen his face except some photos. My mother Karma Choedon, is a housewife. After my father’s death, my mother got married with my paternal uncle or one of my father’s brothers, Ngawang Jigma. I have two brothers. Pasang Dhodup, the eldest brother, started his study when he was 6 years old and learned how to reach and write Tibetan in the Samling Monastery, situated near Bijer and one of the oldest Bon monasteries. Now he is in a college in Chandigarh, India. My second brother, Yungdrung Thinley, stayed at home to help the family with my mother. But when he was 15, he understood the meaning of ignorance as he was not able to read and write and he left our home and came to Menri Monastery in Dolanji, India and became a monk. He is in the Bon Dialectic School now.

I started going to a small school in the village when I was 5 years old. There was only one classroom, one teacher and less than 20 students. I used to go to the school during the summer and learned the alphabets of English and Nepali. During spring and autumn, I had to help my uncle, mother and brother in the fields. We had some fields and cattle on which our lives depended. We had many yaks and goats and fields when my father was alive, my mother told me, but after his death we had to sell most of them to support the family and became a poor family.

I started to learn Tibetan when I was about 6 years old in the Samling Monastery under the guidance of one of our relatives who was a monk in the monastery. It was really a hard life for a small child like me to have to work in the fields during autumn and spring and have a chance to got to school for only three months during summer.

In 2000, when I was 7 years old, my uncle and mother decided to take me to India for a broader education as I was just able to read and write the alphabet of Tibetan, English and Nepali. My eldest brother had already gone to India three years before. Then my journey through the Himalayas to India began one evening. When I, my uncle and another man were climbing a hill in front of my village, my mother and some villagers came to us and asked us to stop for a while. My mother handed me some notes and advised me to study hard. I nodded and shed tears to express the sadness of my departure from her. Then we resumed our journey. After walking and climbing hills and mountains in the Himalayas for about a week, we arrived a Dunai. From there we boarded a helicopter to Kathmandu then a bus to Solan, India. In Solan, we had to hire a taxi to Dholanji where the Menri Monastery and my ultimate destination was situated. In Dholanji, I felt very happy and lucky to see His Holiness, the 33^rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche, and my eldest brother.

I got admission in the Bon Children’s Welfare Centre, where there were 6 rooms and 96 children living in the centre. Children are getting a modern education in the Central School for Tibetans, Dholanji and religious studies in the monastery. The Bon Children’s Welfare Centre is run under YBMC or YungDrung Bon Monastic Centre, a registered society.

One day I was given the new robe of monk and His Holiness cut my hair and gave me a new name, Phurba Thinley. My name was Tsering Phurba before that. Most of the children in BCWC have come from the Himalayan region and are orphans and semiorphans like me. The construction of a new building had started when I was a new boy and now we have a large building of three floors with two big dormitories, a large prayer hall, a large dining hall and kitchen with modern facilities. I have learned everything I know in this hostel and monastery under the blessing of His Holiness and guidance of the teachers and staff of YBMC and BCWC, except for the alphabets of the three languages I have mentioned above.

I have studied in the Central School for Tibetans, Dholanji, for eleven years and now [as of the date of this writing, September 2010] I am in tenth class. I have been scoring good results/marks in the previous classes in the school. In 2007, when I first got a chance to touch the mouse of a computer, learning computer has become a passion for me and I have decided to be a computer engineer. In 2009, I was made the vice-captain of the school and this year I am the captain.

Today, I am very happy in the centre and I hope I can achieve my ambition of becoming a computer engineer. I am very grateful to His Holiness and my teachers and my eldest brother, who list a light in my life, and my uncle who took me to this place.

Thank you.

The story of Nyima

Nyima Tsering — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:02:21 GMT

June, 2011

The students at the Children’s Welfare Center (CWC) at Yungdrung Bon Monastic Centre (YBMC) in Dolanji, India are currently on holiday for the summer months. Many of the students are Bon children from Nepal. All of these students are very poor and many are orphans or semi-orphans. They would have no chance to attend school in their native villages. Fortunately, they are granted the opportunity to attend the CWC, where they are provided housing and an education. The following is the biography of one Bon student who has attended the CWC for many years. He learned English while attending school:

I am Nyima Sangpo. I was born on the 3^rd of May, 1992 in a small village named Maga gaon in Dolpa, Nepal. I am the fourth child of my parents. I have two sisters, an older brother and one younger brother. My father’s occupation is a farmer and there is no other source of income.

When I was four or five years old, I was willing to attend school, but due to the condition of my family’s finances, I did not get the chance to attend school. Two years later, when I was seven years old, I was admitted to a primary school. At that time, I attended school without shoes and daily school needs like pencils and notebooks, because they are difficult to buy.

When I was eight years old, my father was struck by dysentery near my village. There was no hospital or medical facility available nearby. With the help of a villager, my father attended the closest hospital by walking for three days. Luckily, my father’s life was spared. But, due to his illness, I was not able to go to school for nearly one year.

When I was nine years old in November, my father heard news about studying in India. He heard that they planned to bring six students, and six students were chosen by Shusa Nyima , who was the selector. My father spoke to him and I was finally accepted to attend. There were more problems as we had no money for the journey to India. Sometime later, my father had some land and offered it to Dr. Nyima.

During my departure, my mother told me that, “We only gave birth but we can’t make your future bright.” It made me sad and some tears fell from my eyes. This was my first journey on a bus. I was surprised to see so many things I had not seen before. After a week, we reached Dholanj Mnri Monastary. I was so happy to see all of the students of Dolanji Children’s Welfare Center. and especially His Holiness, the Abbott,, who is my second life given father. In February 2001, I was admitted to school. During first class, I scored a 96.5% and got first position due to the kindness of His Holiness and the staff members. Now I am in class and gain colorful knowledge. This is my biography to date.

More Bon Children Coming for Education

Toc Dunlap — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:06:17 GMT

The Yungdrung Bon Monastic Centre (YBMC) in Dolanji, India reports that the number of students that they are supporting is expanding and that there are presently 246 orphan, semi-orphan or very poor Nepalese Bon children being supported by YBMC and attending school at the Tibetan Bon School. 204 are boys and 42 are girls. The children are from Bon families in India, Tibet and Nepal. The Tibetan Bon School now has an 11^th grade and a 12^th grade will be added this next year. From the graduates of the Tibetan Bon School, there are now 38 children pursuing higher education studies in Masoori, Varanasi, Chandigar and New Delhi. To accommodate the expanding number of children, more rooms are being built for older boys. When they are finished, four boys will live in each room.

Grateful and Committed

Toc Dunlap — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:01:07 GMT

Grateful and Committed

At this time of year, we are reminded of our many blessings and how the people in our lives enrich us and bring joy to every day. All of us at Creating Hope International (CHI) are especially grateful to you, for your generous support of our efforts to help Tibetan refugees in India, especially children, live healthy, happy lives. Thank you!

As you celebrate this Holiday Season and anticipate the approach of the New Year, we hope that you will think of us again and make another donation to help ensure CHI is able to continue our work. Tibetan refugees live in precarious circumstances. Though they work hard to be self-sufficient, often they must rely on the assistance of others to fulfill basic needs. With your contribution, CHI remains committed to help provide needed education and health care services.

When you make your donation, check out the Tribute Card and Gift Card options – and please tell a friend about CHI’s Tibet projects and encourage them to make a donation too.

No matter what our circumstances today, when we work together and support one another, we can be assured that tomorrow will be better. Seasons Greetings and thank you again.

Toc Dunlap

CHI Executive Director

Educating Tibetan Refugee Children and Youth

Toc Dunlap — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:52:19 GMT

The coordinator of the project at YBMC in Dolanji, India for educating Tibetan refugee children writes the following:

“All the children are doing well in the center. Children have just organized a get-together for all the staff and the children on the occasion of Teachers Day and presented many cultural programs.

Recently, four boys and one girl participated in the mathematics relay competition in Mussoorie and the girl took individual third position among the twelve school participants. The girls, who all come from rural areas in Nepal, are doing pretty well in the school.

This year we have purchased new mattresses, bed sheets, pillows and pillow covers for all the children. We have brought one new washing machine and hired one lady for washing the clothes of the small children. Earlier this job was done by the senior children. We have made some changes in the diet of the children and are trying to give more pulses (beans) and fruits to the children. In the month of July, during summer vacation, children had three days get-together, house wise sports and games competition.

We would like to thank all who help us educate and take care of the Bon children in Dolanji!!!”

Update from Dolanji

Sondra Johnson — Thu, 27 May 2010 20:28:54 GMT

Creating Hope International’s executive director visited the community in Dolanji February 2010. There have been a lot of improvements completed since a prior mudslide destroyed all the play area for the children. The new grounds for the boys include a basketball court and a paved play yard. The community leaders have completed new bathrooms, extended the size of the meeting hall, modernized the kitchen, added more space in the dining hall, and added lockers for the boys in their dormitories.

The children have new schoolbags with the community logo. The boys’ dormitory has re-organized their sleeping arrangements- the smaller boys sleep together, and the older boys sleep in groups by school class. As before, the older boys care and support the younger ones in daily activities.

In late 2009, the 9th and 10th grade class went on a field trip to Varanasi. Sixteen boys spend eight days visiting museums, holy sites and had activities as the Benares University, where they were housed. All participants had a very good time. Also in 2009, eleven 11th grade students completed their Dolanji education, and are now either continuing their studies or are in training for a job.

To date, 34 Dolanji students are studying in various higher educational institutions. The number of students continuing on to higher education has risen as scholarships have been promised based on good grades and good behavior.

A Special Giving Opportunity.....

Sondra Johnson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:59:39 GMT

Thank you for your support. Your desire to make a difference in this world has made a difference, and we are so thankful that Afghan people have had their lives changed with your help.

We wanted to share with you a very special opportunity to give more than 100% from November 10 through December 1st. Please share this with those you know who care. During this time, we are privileged to receive additional matching funds from your donation through Global Giving of at least 30%. The need is still great. Afghanistan struggles to become a country of strength and stability.

The Bon are a minority Tibetan ethnic group that fled to India when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959. In 1968, the Bon established a community in Dolanji, India on donated land. Today, 75 Tibetan Bon families (including 300 children) are settled there. Bon families in Tibet, Nepal, and other borderlands of India want security and education for their children. Many families are poor, many children are orphaned or semi-orphaned, and their relatives are unable to provide for them. They turn to Menri Monastery and Redna Menling Nunnery for the children's care and education. Relatives and paid guides make arduous journeys to Menri with groups of children whom they entrust to the care of His Holiness Menri Trizin. No child is turned away, yet beyond the generosity of Western donors, the monastery has few resources for these children. There are now more than 350 Bon girls and boys from Tibet, India and Nepal under the care of YBMC. They stay in dormitories and attend the Tibetan Bon School in Dolanji. Under the education system in India, after the students finish the 10 grade, they can go on to college. There are now 34 students that have graduated from the Tibetan Bon school in Dolanji who are attending college in various places in India. All of the students who graduated last year are attending college now and the YBMC is working to encourage more to attend college after they graduate from the Tibetan Bon school.

This last year, YBMC was able to raise funds to take the 9th and 10th graders on a trip to Varanasi for 8 days. They visited museums, holy places, palaces and other famous places. They stayed in a guest house provided by one of the teachers, who had come from Dolanji, and cooked their own food. As they recorded in the journals that they kept, it was a very excellent experience for all of the students.

Update about Tibetan Bon Children

Alison Hendry — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:40:32 GMT

As of February 2009, there were 212 Bon poor and orphan children attending the Tibetan School in the Tibetan Bon settlement in Dolanji, India and living in two hostels in the small village. 33 are girls and 179 are boys. Almost all of the students are from poor rural areas in Nepal where there are no schools so they attend the school in Dolanji, India.

2008 Update

Alison Hendry — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:08:21 GMT

Creating Hope International is presently helping to support the education of 480 Bon boys and girls in three centers in Dolanji, India. This year the dormitory for boys, one of the three centers for children, was expanded and a new roof was put on. There are now over 30 Bon girls from Nepal who are attending the school along with 450 other boys and girls.

Update on Tibetan Education of Children and Youth Project—August 2007

Toc Dunlap — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:11:21 GMT

Creating Hope International is presently helping to support the education of 461 Bon boys and girls in three centers in Dolanji, India. The centers house the children and provide food and clothing with support from donors around the world. The students attend classes at the Tibetan School for the Bon. There are now 22 Bon girls from Nepal who are attending the school along with 439 other boys and girls.

When I visited in December 2006 and April 2007, the children looked healthy and, as always, happy. The principal of the school reported that all were progressing well. What is quite amazing is to see the support that the children give to each other and the love and support that they receive from the monks and nuns who look after them at the monastery and nunnery.