Frequently Asked Questions About Sponsorship
How much does it cost to sponsor a child's education each year?
|
USD |
CAD |
GBP |
EURO |
CHF |
HKD |
AUD |
MYR |
Boarder |
855 |
820 |
530 |
600 |
750 |
6585 |
875 |
2860 |
Day student |
390 |
370 |
235 |
265 |
350 |
3040 |
360 |
1155 |
Monk |
650 |
620 |
390 |
440 |
600 |
5080 |
625 |
1935 |
Sponsorship rates are based on the Nepali rupee. All our operating expenses come out of sponsorship. Costs are rising about 30% year, much too quickly for us to keep up. Thrangu Rinpoche has given direction for us to start double-sponsoring Boarders and Day students.
-
Day Students Fees cover everything for day students (education, school clothes, school supplies and a hot lunch)
-
Young Monks Fees cover education, room and board. Monks who are studying in ‘shedra’ (= monastic university of higher Buddhist philosophy) need extra. Their texts and study supplies alone cost them $500 US/year.
-
Boarders Fees cover education, room and board on a 12-month basis.
At the main school (Boarders and Days students) Shirley himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
Monks: Gloria: glorialynnjones@gmail.com
Yes, if you are in Canada, the UK, the US, the Eurozone or Hong Kong. Canadians and Americans can sponsor & donate online. Contact one of Thrangu Rinpoche's non-profits for details.
CANADA
Vajra Vidya Foundation
will take you to the Vajra Vidya Foundation page on the CanadaHelps website where you can donate online. CanadaHelps only works with registered Canadian charities. Donations over $1000 can be made by cheque made payable to “Vajra Vidya Foundation, for SMD School”. Please mail your cheque to VVF at the address given below. |
C/O Treasuer Lori Goldman
PO Box 46898, Stn. D,
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 5M4
email: vvfcanada@yahoo.ca
UK
Thrangu Rinpoche Trust
42 Magdalen Road
Oxford OX4 1RB, UK
Phone: 44-1865-24l555
Fax: 44-l865-241555 (0l865 inside U.K.)
www.thanguhouse.org.uk
email treasurer@thranguhouse.org.uk
USA
Himalayan Children's Fund
|
C/O Debra Ann Robinson-Menzies
P.O. Box 15644
Beverly Hills CA 90209
USA
debraannr@mac.comEUROZONE
Karma Kagyu Charity
Vajra Vidya Centre,
c/o Wolfgang Schmid
Wackerstr. 47d,
88131 Lindau, Germany
Tel: 49-8382-6807
email VajraVidya@gmx.de
Hong Kong
Thrangu Vajrayana Buddhist Centre Ltd
c/o Lama Karma Dawa and Secretary Ling
Flat A, 5/F Lomond Mansion
149 Argyle St
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2760-8381
email Thrangucenter@yahoo.com.uk
No. Food and fuel pricies are rising steeply. We have decided to double-sponsor children so we can continue to pay the school's operating expenses...the two biggest items are food and salaries, followed by fuel and medicine.
You can sponsor together with some friends or colleagues. Many of our children have group sponsors.
The nuns’ school fees are handled differently. Several still need sponsors. Please contact Gloria Jones gloriaj@mail.com.np
Why does it cost less to educate a monk or nun than a boarding student?
The monastics live in the monastery.
We go one year at a time. If you start but can't continue, let Shirley know himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
No. Corruption makes it dicey to send anything of value. You can courier things...we've found FedEx to be 100% reliable.
Gifts are welcome, except high-tech gadgets which create isolation (kids listening through earbuds, transfixed by video games) which we think are unwholesome. We are trying to strengthen a sense of community at Thrangu Rinpoche's schools. We advice sponsors to give some small things as well as the main gift...so your child can share with all the other children in his/her dorm...this way, s/he would be practicing generosity, as the Buddha taught. In this way, small gifts which can be shared are meaningful because they allow kids who have nothing to practice generosity.
Yes! There are no difficulties for tourists bringing vitamins, etc. into Nepal. We are always looking for yaks!
What can I bring for the schools?
· • Multivitamins, vitamin C, iron and calcium tablets.
· • Wart medicine
· • Small stuffed toys, board games, Lego, Meccano, matchbox toys etc.
· • Art supplies
· • Warm socks and thermal vests
· • Books for our libraries (SMD & SMD Branch School) Donate through Amazon!
· • Sports equipment:we need skipping ropes & balls
· • 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 schools. Students are the tour guides. Call Shirley's assistants at school 491-5407 to arrange a time. We can also arrange for you to visit SMD Branch School for monks, two hours away from the Kathmandu valley.
Yes, you can . Everything sent through FedEx has reached us. There are no street names or addresses in Nepal, but FedEx knows us and knows where we are and FedEx does not tolerate corrupt practices.
YOU CAN TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT US
Share this website! "Like" us on Facebook and share with friends https://www.facebook.com/ShreeMangalDvipSchool
We are building libraries at both schools. To see our wish list, go to Amazon, click on “Wish Lists” and type in: himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
Why do you use numbers for the children?
Thrangu Rinpoche has hundreds of children in his care and (yikes) Tibetan speakers don't use surnames...we have 52 "Tserings" at the main school. The numbers help us locate and identify the children. (B=boarder, D=day student, M=monk, N=nun). Please use complete Admission numbers in all correspondence.
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.
Tibetan-speakers reckon age this way: at birth, a baby is one year old, at the next Losar (Tibetan new year), everyone gets another year older. This leads to discrepancies in Western-Tibetan ages. The younger children always reckon their age in the Tibetan system. There are no records kept in the high Himalayas. We estimate children’s ages by evaluating their dental and skeletal development. It’s quite an accurate method.
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:
We instruct our children not to ask sponsors for anything.
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.
BEWAREIf your child asks you for anything, please write us immediately.
For More Information or to Sponsor or Donate
Contact us in Nepal
Email at: himalayanchildren@yahoo.co.uk
