March 26, 2025
Himalayan Children’s Fund News
Dear Friends,
Repairs are still ongoing in Namo Buddha from the storm damage last fall, the Arya Kshema (nun’s spring teaching and debate) has concluded and Class 8 students at SMD are testing in preparation for the government board exams next month. It has been a busy time with many different activities.
Also, HCF has just received the 2025 Seal of Transparency from Candid (formally Guidestar) and you are welcome to explore our posting on Candid.
We still need to encourage more sponsorship of nuns and monks and general support for SMD and SMDBS, so please share the newsletter with others who may be interested and give us a wonderful review on: Great NonProfits!
Thank you for your kind support.
*We will always accept any amount toward sponsorships and find additional sponsors to complete the full fee amount.
For more information, or to arrange a sponsorship please contact HCF.
himalayanchildrensfund@gmail.com
SMD
The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) for Class 10 students in Nepal began on March 20. The government exam will finish on April 1, after which the students will wait nearly 3 months for the results at which time the school will be able to hold their graduation ceremony. What will they do during the interim? Go home to their families for a long, overdue visit. Wishing everyone an excellent result!
A ground breaking ceremony was performed at Tara Abbey in preparation for building a new dormitory. More rooms are needed to help with over-crowding and to provide supportive living spaces for elderly nuns. The puja was presided over by Chöje Lama
ARYA KSHEMA
The 9th Arya Kshema, (Winter Dharma Gathering for Kagyu nuns) and Spring Teaching by HH 17th Karmapa, began February 16 with teachings by Kyabgön Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche. Debate competitions, Losar observances and many other rituals were performed leading up to teachings by the Karmapa from March 12-17. The annual meeting concluded March 19th with prize distribution by Drupon Dechen Rinpoche. 340 Kagyu nuns and staff from 7 monasteries were in attendance, including 60 nuns from Thrangu Tara Abbey. All nuns received certificates for debate attendance, and winning teams were given medals. Two Tara Abbey nuns, Sangye Lhamo and Chonzom Yangki won first place for debate. Hover for videos.
THRANGU TASHI YANGTSE STORM REPAIR UPDATE
It is a massive project, reinforcing hillsides around the monastery at Namo Buddha. There are several sites under construction at the same time including directly under the main Gompa, near the school, along the main road and the entrance. HCF was able to provide nearly $100,000.00 immediately, last fall and many other centers and donors are supporting the work. An entrance gate of concrete, currently under construction, has been sponsored by Mr. K.C., one of Thrangu Rinpoche’s students in Malaysia. The monastery is working hard to complete the wall renovations before the rains begin again.We are unsure at this time if more support will be needed.
Hover for videos.
Urgen Tsomo was born in the Brok Village of Nubri in 2004 and joined SMD in 2012 after studying for a time in a government school. She says it was a big moment to arrive at SMD ~ a bit hard to cope with new faces, classes, and learning Tibetan but teachers that were amazing. She notes one striking difference was the serving of food ~ at SMD not only more on the plate, but she could have more too! Urgen says she was too shy to join activities until she joined Helping Hands in Class 6, then became coeditor of Thrangu Express in Class 9 and in Class 10 opened a Poetry Club with the help of her teachers. Due to COVID the SEE exam in 2020 was eliminated and students were granted ‘All Pass’ so Urgen joined online study through Edulift where she had the opportunity to interact with poets and artists outside of Nepal. From 2021 to 2022 Urgen gave service at Nubri Hinang, teaching and looking after the well-being of 25 monks with another SMDer. Next, she attended Heartland in the education stream (11 & 12) and after graduating in 2023 returned to Nubri to teach. Now she is back at SMD and works ce while studying online with the Asian College of Teachers to earn a degree for teaching primary and secondary education. Urgen would like to reach in remote areas of Nepal. She says SMD has taught her how to be open, less shy and engage
Nyima Lhamo was born in Lhi Village in 2003 and was enrolled in the nursery class at SMD in 2007. She has an Aunt that graduated SMD at the top of her class and her Uncle is a Thrangu monk in Taipei. When Nyima was brought to school it was rst time seeing tall buildings, vehicles on the road and everything seemed to be moving. She could not yet speak Nepali so rst found it difficult to adjust and make new friends but the staff were comforting and made her feel like she was in her own family. As an SMD student, Nyima was a room captain for small kids, and a Health Club member from 2015-2019 working with GDR each year. She sat for the SEE exam in 2019 and at first felt it cult since at the government school the attached chair cult to write, but was she was able to adjust. Nyima volunteered for a year of service at Hinang monastery which turned into a year and a half because of COVID and she says it was good to be in the village teaching English, Math and Nepal for the young monks. In 2021 she joined the three year HA program (Health Assistant training) at Stupa College and eld work in Sindhupalchowk. Nyima Lhamo returned in the fall of 2024 to volunteer in the SMD library. She plans to continue her studies in the medical field, perhaps a Bachelor in Public Health (BPH), Bachelor of Medicine or Surgery and/or a Bachelor in Pharmacy.
Pasang Dawa was born in Bhojbur District Tintale in 2003 and joined SMD in 2011 with the help of an uncle. He had been studying in a private school in Kathmandu but found the lack of Dharma study disappointing. During visits to SMD he was inspired by the Mani and other pujas and after a few months hoped to become a monk, but his family did not give him permission. During his years at SMD he participated in Helping Hand group, was a Global Dental Relief (GDR) volunteer twice, wrote news for Thrangu Express, played drum in the school band, was prayer captain one year and also sound manager for the school and during pujas. After graduating in 2021, Pasang Dawa spent his gap year volunteering at Pemi Nguyu Choling Monastery, looking after the monks and teaching English and Math. From 2022-24 he studied management at Heartland and during holidays volunteered at Namo Buddha and Osel Choling. Since graduating class 12 in April of 2024 Pasang has been living and working at SMD while also attending Bajra International College for a Bachelor of Social Work. He attends class in the early morning and works in the Director’s Office for the SMD school day. He is passionate about continuing to study Buddhist Philosophy and leadership books.
Tsewang Nyamgyal was born in Umla in 2006. He says he was excited about SMD, hoping to study and meet new kids so he prayed everyday to be admitted. In 2012, at the request of his grandmother, he was able to enroll and enjoyed school until COVID interrupted. Tsewang says lockdown made it difficult to study and it was hard not being able to meet friends. He was able to get books, study and advance to 1st and 2nd position. After returning to school he joined Eco Club, was Vice House Captain for blue Sagarmata House, played football in the inter-house competition and was basketball captain. Tsewang felt that the SEE exam in 2024 was quite a pleasure and his class had a competition going, hoping to get more A+’s than the 2023 grads. And yes, they got 9A+ grades. With the blessing of his parents and from his own desire, Tsewang has been volunteering during the 2024-25 school year at SMDBS, teaching Math, English and Nepali for grades 1-5. It is his childhood dream to be a teacher and he feels he is in the learning phase of his dream and likes being with other experienced teachers at Namo Buddha. He says it is a good environment and enables him to also study Buddhism. After this year of service, Tsewang will study in the Science stream at SMD for 11 and 12 and would like to attend University for Biology, earn a Phd and become a professor. He feels it was the best decision of his life to volunteer and is grateful for being able to study at SMD and only wishes he had the confidence he has now during his younger years in school.
Dorje Phurba was born in 2007 in Tsum, Nubri Village, Gorkha District. As a child he had experience with monks and thought it would be good to be a monk. When he was about 6 or 7 years old his uncle brought him to Boudha to request acceptance in Thrangu Monastery. His first year of training was in the Boudha monastery after which he joined other rst year monks in Sarnath, India at Vajra Vidya Institute. When he passed the reading exam at VVI he came with the other young monks back to live in the Boudha Monastery and attend school at SMD. Dorje Phurba attended art and other classes with Edulift during Covid and says he was very shy but during the lockdown the Assistant Principal, Tenzin Norbu, helped him quite a lot by encouraging him in many ways through games and speaking in groups. When SMD returned to in-person classes he also played basketball and was the Songsten House captain. He was captain in the monastery as well, helping to look after the younger monks on the walk back to the monastery after school, during self study and puja time. After taking the SEE exam in 2024 Dorje has been volunteering at SMDBS, teaching computer for grades 2, 5 and 6, and basic Tibetan language for new monks. He says it feels like one stage of life is over and he is coming into more responsibility, that volunteering is a good opportunity. He is learning a lot from and about teaching and thinks teaching is wonderful. When he is finished giving service, Dorje Phurba will return to SMD for grades 11 and 12 in the Gompa Stream (Buddhist studies) he then hopes to enter the Thrangu Shedra.