Frequently Asked Questions About Sponsorship
I want to sponsor. How much does it cost each year? (U.S. Dollars)
· Boarder ($805 CAD, 350 GBP, 500 euros, 800 CHF, 805 USD)
· Day Student ($310 CAD, 135 GBP, 190 euros, 305 CHF, 310 USD)
· Monk ($575 CAD, 240 GBP, 340 euros, 550 CHF, 575 USD)
What does this cover?
· Day Students Fees cover everything for day students (education, school clothes, school supplies and a hot lunch)
· Young Monks at the Branch School Fees cover education, but our founder, Thrangu Rinpoche has requested more help…another $200 for each young monk would help us improve the monks’ diet and the standard of living.
· Boarders Fees do not cover everything for boarding students. Each child needs $200 extra for daily needs.
How do I get matched up with a child?
Write to us at the school. Shirley: himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
Please send your addresses (snail and e-mail).
Can I get a receipt for tax purposes if I sponsor or donate?
Yes, if you are in the US, Canada or an EU Country. Contact one of Thrangu Rinpoche's non-profits for details.
CANADA
Vajra Vidya Foundation
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Make a secure on-line donation to the Vajra Vidya Foundation through the CanadaHelps website by clicking on the CanadaHelps graphic to the left. This will take you to the Vajra Vidya Foundation page on the CanadaHelps website.*Donations over $1000 can be made by cheque, payable to "Vajra Vidya Foundation, for SMD School". Please mail to the VVF address below |
Public Fdn Reg. # 888437621 RR 0001
C/O Director Martin Evans
PO Box 46898, Stn. D,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 5M4
martin@mrevans.com
UK
Thrangu Rinpoche Trust
C/O The Treasurer
42 Magdalen Road
Oxford OX4 1RB, UK
Phone: 44-1865-24l555
Fax: 44-l865-241555 (0l865 inside U.K.)
treasurer@thrangu.clara.net
USA
Himalayan Children's Fund
C/O Debra Ann Robinson
P.O. Box 15644
Beverly Hills CA 90209
USA
debraannr@mac.com
EU
Karma Kagyu Charity
Vajra Vidya Centre,
c/o Wolfgang Schmid
Wackerstr. 47d,
88131 Lindau, Germany
Tel: 49-8382-6807
VajraVidya@gmx.de
Does sponsorship cover everything for the child I sponsor?
Not for boarders. It doesn't cover necessities such as:
- Clothing (uniforms, playclothes, shoes, coats, underwear, etc.)
- School supplies (notebooks, pencils, erasers, etc.) and textbooks
- Bedding and linen & a metal box for possessions
- Toiletries
- Vaccines and other medicines
How much extra does each boader need?
Each Boarder needs about $200 US extra every year.
A full sponsorship is too much for me. Can I still help?
You can sponsor together with some friends or colleagues. Many of our children have group sponsors.
Why aren't there any nuns to sponsor on this website?
The nuns’ school fees are handled differently. Several still need sponsors. Contact Gloria Jones gloriaj@mail.com.np
Why does it cost less to educate a monk than a boarding student?
Monks live in the monastery.
I'm worried that I won't be able to sponsor throughout a child's entire school career. Can I still help?
We go one year at a time. If you start but can't continue, let Shirley himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk know and we'll find another sponsor.
Can I safely send things through the mail?
No. Corruption makes it impossible to send anything of value. You or a friend can hand carry things when you visit.
Can I carry things in?
Yes. There are no difficulties for tourists bringing things to Nepal.
What can I bring for the schools?
· • multivitamins, vitamin C, iron and calcium tablets.
· • small stuffed toys, board games, Lego, Meccano, matchbox toys etc.
· • art supplies
· • warm socks and thermal vests
· • books for our libraries
· • Sports equipment:: we need skipping ropes
· • learning games
· • learning software
· • board games
· • hair clips and scrunchies
Someone I know is planning to visit Nepal. Is it ok to visit the school?
We would love to show you our school. SMD kids are the tour guides. Call Shirley's assistants, Karma Yangchen or Mingyur Dorje at school 447-2007 to arrange a time.
Can I order things to be delivered by local companies or by international couriers?
Yes, you can. Please see the next section
YOU CAN DONATE AEROPLAN MILES: Help a Scholarship Kid Fly
Tenzin & Dawa Sherpa (4th & 5th from the left) Celebrate International Day At University In the USA
SMD is working in partnership with Schools Without Borders to provide flights free of charge to the young students who are studying abroad in Canada and around the world. It is crucial that our students make it home during their summer to reconnect with their culture and their community and to share their learnings at home. Donating Aeroplan Miles through the SWB Aeroplan account will allow us to offer this to our youth.
One flight round trip from North America to South Asia costs 130 000 Aeroplan Miles. Before you make your donation please email irolg@yahoo.com and let us know who you are, how many points that you are donating and the date that you are making the donation so your donation can be recorded and stewarded properly. Also, Aeroplan charges flight taxes on each trip, which usually amount to $300(depending on which airport the students fly through). A small cash donation would help to complete the charitable gift.
SEND BOOKS
 Click on the button to see our wish list.
You can also assist us with purchasing books for our kids and the library by ordering on-line from the Snow Lion website. If you place an order with them by following this link, They give us a credit when we purchase books from them for our library and the kids.
YOU CAN SEND GENERAL MERCHANDISE
General Merchandise: http://www.muncha.com Muncha is a Kathmandu firm. They are 100% reliable. You order online and they deliver directly to the school. NO SKATEBOARDS PLEASE. WE'RE TOO CROWDED
Why do you use numbers for the children?
Thrangu Rinpoche has hundreds of children in his care and Tibetan speakers don't use surnames! The numbers help us locate and identify the children. (B=boarder, D=day student, M=monk, N=nun)
Many of the kids have shaved heads, even the girls. Why is that?
Since we are Buddhist, we do not kill, but the children often arrive with heads full of lice. This is the way we get rid of them without killing.
Can I correspond with my child?
We encourage sponsors and children to correspond. Every year, we send a photo and report to all sponsors, along with at least two letters and a card from the child. You can send letters to:
CHILD'S NAME & ADMISSION NUMBER,
SMD CHOOL, PO BOX 1287
KATHMANDU, NEPAL |
We instruct our children not to ask sponsors for anything.
How about email?
You are welcome to communicate by email, if you like. Many (but not all of our children) have email accounts. Internet connections tend to be very slow in nepal.
BEWARE
Corruption is common in Nepal. Since our kids started communicating be email,
we've had four cases of adults posing as SMD students,
in order to extort money from kindly sponsors.
For More Information or to Sponsor or Donate:
Contact us in Nepal
Email Shirley at: himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
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