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KYITSEL-LING which roughly translate to a place for growing up in happiness was the name given by His Holiness The Dalai Lama to the education center that we built at Clement Town (1997). Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town, is a boarding hostel for needy Tibetan children that also provides quality educational resources.
Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town, was very well received by the Tibetan community in exile. In its first year itself we had around 40 children and that quickly jumped to over a hundred in the next couple of years. Currently it serves around 120 children.
TCEF wants to build on the success of Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town, by using it as a model to build similar educational centers for Tibetan children wherever there is a real need. Two important criteria has to be met: firstly, we need to identify a place where there is a real need for a Kyitsel-ling and secondly, we need to find a reliable and responsible local counterpart or collaborating partner.
In 2005 we organized a tour here in the United States of three master Tibetan thangka artists. This tour brought Tseten Dorjee into our lives. Apart from being a renowned thangka artists, Tseten is a social worker. Together with his wife, he has started a small non-profit in Sikkim called Save Tibet’s New Generation (STNG). STNG is a registered charitable society that is dedicated to working for the education of needy Tibetan children in his area. We believe that in Tseten we have found a perfect counterpart and that in Sikkim we have an opportunity to create another Kyitsel-ling where there is a real need.
Sikkim is a small Himalayan State lying right at the North east of India. It is the second smallest state in India. It is barely 7,096 sq km in size yet has an elevation ranging from 300 m to 8585 m above sea level.
The children that Tseten and his wife work with are mostly children of surrounding nomadic Tibetans - still steeped in poverty and illiteracy. Tseten says that their lives are unbelievably difficult and that the first time he came into contact with their plight, both he and his wife were moved to tears.
Currently, STNG is providing school fees, medicines and clothing to about 25 very needy children in this area. These children are scattered in various rural and far flung areas and although their school fees etc. are provided, their attendance at schools is irregular and unsatisfactory. Also, invariably all their parents are illiterate and cannot provide them any guidance or teaching at home. In order for these children to be able to go to school on a regular basis and for them to have further support for their education at home, we need to build an education center at this location. Doing so will ensure that all these children ( and hopefully hundreds more over the years) will attend school regularly and also have access to reference materials, computers and teachers to help with their home work and provide the necessary support at ‘home’.
Just like with Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town, the one at Sikkim will also offer quality educational opportunities to children in need. But Tseten’s vision for Kyitsel-ling, Sikkim also includes a place for needy elders - a mutually beneficial generation wrap around ! Although family bonds in Tibetan communities are strong and children take it upon themselves as their karmic duty to take care of their parents and grandparents, there are instances where elderly Tibetans are alone and uncared for. Tseten thinks that if Kyitsel-ling, Sikkim included space for some of these grandparents it would be mutually beneficial. The children will bring companionship and laughter into their lives, while the elders can help transmit traditional values to the children.
Tseten is an experienced Tibetan thangka teacher. Apart from teaching locals, Tseten is also on the faculty of the Naropa University, Boulder, CO, Sikkim Art Program and has been teaching thangka art to many Western students. The study of traditional Tibetan thangka art will therefore be an important program at Kyitsel-ling, Sikkim.
We will draw heavily on our experience at Clement Town to implement this project in phases. At the same time, we will have to factor in local differences that will present unique challenges. For example, Sikkim is a hill station and one of the project’s biggest initial challenge will be to find affordable land to construct the center. In the first phase of the project we need to raise $150,000 to purchase suitable land and build the structure. It is critical to the project that we secure the land as soon as possible. We are delighted to have a green architect and a green builder who have volunteered to design and build the structure. The center will have space for about 50 children and room for elders and staff, kitchen and dinning, study area and washrooms.
The second phase of the project will put in place equipment and facilities of the center. In this phase, we’ll need funds to purchase beds/mattresses etc. in the dorms, kitchen equipment, dinning furniture, learning resources like books and computers and also hire staff to run the center under Tseten’s supervision. Estimated expenses for this phase is around $60,000.
Once the infrastructure is in place, this project will be sustained through individual sponsorship of needy children through our sponsorship program. Our experience with Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town, suggests that this is possible, and we’ve now been successfully meeting Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town’s operational expenses for several years through our sponsorship program. The challenge therefore is to find the initial funding of about $210,000 for the infrastructure and equipment.
We know that Kyitsel-ling, Clement Town has already touched the lives of hundreds of children in need and that down the line, it will impact thousands more. Kyitsel-ling, Sikkim has the potential to change the lives of many truly underprivileged and needy children in a remote area.
TCEF is excited to celebrate its tenth year of service to Tibetan children’s education by launching the Sikkim project. We believe that this is a worthy endeavor and invite you to be a part of this undertaking. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution towards this cause.
