Tibetan monk’s school scripts tales of transforming lives of slum children

Dharamsala: Nestled in the serene folds of this Himachal Pradesh hill station, where prayer flags flutter in the mountain breeze and chants echo against the majestic Dhauladhar ranges, a quiet revolution has been unfolding for the last two decades.

Inspired by the secular ethics of the Dalai Lama, Tong-Len, a humble charity founded by Tibetan monk Jamyang, draped in red robes, has been scripting tales of the transformation of the underprivileged — one child at a time.

What began as an audacious dream to pull local slum children out of despair has now blossomed into a success story of empowerment. The legacy of Tong-Len isn’t just etched in its classrooms or clinics; it lives on in its students. One of its earliest graduates now manages the charity’s affairs, while others have stepped into society as a doctor, a nurse, and a journalist — carrying the torch of hope lit by their mentor.

As Tong-Len celebrates its 20-year milestone, the founder envisions a future where its legacy isn’t confined to brick and mortar but thrives in the hearts and actions of the very children it once sheltered. This is the story of a journey that began in the shadows of poverty and now shines brightly.

From its humble beginning in 2004, Tong-Len has grown into a beacon of hope for more than 23,200 people of underprivileged, particularly those who live in the slums.

Currently, Tong-Len School in Sarah village on the outskirts of Dharamsala, where the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has resided for over six decades, educates 300 children with over 120 of them living in boarding school.

On February 9, 2005, Tong-Len opened a hostel just three km from the Charan Khad slum, home to migrant labourers from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal. For 35 years, generations had called Charan, now evicted, home.

A turning point came in 2011 when the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Tong-Len Hostel and Campus in Sarah Village surrounded by British-era private tea estates and a resort. The Dalai Lama Trust has provided Rs 75 lakh for setting up the hostel. In 2017, the charity opened its school, a semi-residential institution that offers classes up to Class 10.

Jamyang, who believes himself as a simple Buddhist monk, who founded Tong-Len Charitable Trust, told IANS that students of Class 11 and 12 continue their studies at nearby public and private schools while residing in their hostel.

After schooling, they are trained in skill jobs through the Tong-Len Vocational Training Centre to make them self-sufficient.

Jamyang, 51, who came to India as a Tibetan refugee at the age of 13, said the Dalai Lama Trust has funded education, health and empowerment projects of Tong-Len charity. A large number of foreign donors are also sponsoring education.

Pinky Haryan, who tops every class and was rehabilitated from the Charan slum, is one of the legacies of transformation. She is a doctor and serves humanity. She was in the first batch of students.

“I want to become a doctor and serve humanity,” she had told IANS when she was in Class 6. A Britain-based family sponsored her medical education in China.

“What seemed like an impossible dream for a street child became a reality. The dedication of Tong-Len went beyond academic learning. They nurtured my growth as a compassionate and optimistic individual. This support not only helped me become well educated but also instilled in me the values of kindness and service to humanity,” she wrote in a memoir published by the charity to mark two decades of its journey.

Interestingly, the 35-page magazine was authored and produced by another alumnus, Nisha Golyan, who believes her journey from silence to a voice was for change as a freelance journalist.

After graduating from Christ College, one of the prestigious institutions, Golyan earned a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from New Delhi. Through her writings, she’s educating her community about their basic rights and raising awareness about the injustices that once silenced them.  (IANS)

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