About Our Students - Students in the Classrooms • Students' Personal Stories • Archive of Earlier Stories
- Preamble • Dawa Dolma • Jai Chandra • Phur Tenzin Sherpa and Pasang Sherpa •
An Appeal from Lhundup Sherpa • Tashi Sherpa • Sonam Dolma Sherpa • Dawa Tashi - A life Changed •
Words from Home -Comers:Unforgettable Moments • A Himalayan Child's Life
-Pilgrimage to Pharping • Kids At Play with Friends • Kid Power Circus • Photos of Circus Day • Photos Winter Vacation
SMDers Make Their First Audio Recording, "Bring Back Peace" • SMDers Help Street Kids • SMD Graduates

Student Success Stories


Pasang is a 16 year old girl from Humla, she joined us in 2002.  She is very energetic and humorous. She makes everyone happy with her jokes!  She loves reading books, especially novels. You can often even see her playing football (soccer) and taking part in cultural shows. She is very happy at SMD because she is getting an education, nutritious food, clothing and loving treatment as well. She does not have to worry about anything.

When she was in Humla, she didn’t get an opportunity to study. Her life was so miserable...she had to work the whole day in the fields, but when she was brought to SMD she was like “Oh my goodness! Where is this beautiful place?”  She could not believe he eyes, there were big buildings and vehicles which she has never seen in her life before. It was like a dream come true, so Pasang Bhuti is very grateful to Our Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche and SMD for changing her life. 

She indicated that when she grows up, she wants to help the school in anyway she can. She has a dream to put her village on the map and work in the field of education.

By Karma Dolma B341

 


Chungda is from Manang which lies in the northern part of Nepal. She has been in SMD for 6 years, she was already 10 when she first came.

Chungda loves playing soccer and is very good at it. Since she is very active and has commanding leadership skills,  she is one of the Hostel captains. She is an enthusiastic and active members of Leadership class and Friday night meditation group.

She declared that when she first joined us, she felt like she was in heaven because back home in her village there weren’t any schools like this. And life in thevillage was so hard. She had to graze the cattle, collect firewood and help her parents in the fields. Even then although she was working so hard, she went to school in her village because her parents know the importance of education but they can’t afford to send her to private school where instruction is good. The school in her village is a public school and in very poor in condition. She couldn’t gain enough knowledge,  no matter how hard she worked.

SMD School is providing her with everything she needs. She can study whenever she likes and she does not have to work anymore. She is very happy to be a SMDer and would like to thank Our Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche for everything.

 


Dolma is from northeastern village called Tatopani which lies on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Now 17, she’s been with us for 6 years. Dolma loves reading books and  is very happy to get a chance to study in SMD. She is very thankful to our Very Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche for providing an education to poor Himalayan children like her. And she would like to thank the SMD family and her sponsor for their kindness and support.

Here she is getting lots of opportunity. She is taking part in Leadership Class and  goes to Friday night meditation which is conducted by our Director (Shirley). Dolma observes, “I am learning lots about dharma from her,  which I did not get to learn while I was in the village. Now I am good at meditating and can even teach others how to do it”.

Almost everyone is uneducated in her village, including her parents.They don’t know the importance of education. When Dolma was small, she had to go to collect firewood instead of going to school. She feels pity for all those children who are working instead of studying.

When she finishes her education she wants to go to her village and help the villagers in the field of education. She wants to share her knowledge with others.

 


Dechen Dolma is now 12. She comes from a part of Nepal called Nubri. She's been at SMD for four years. She likes reading storybooks, about the lamas and about Buddhism. Of all her subjects, Dechen likes English best. Dechen Dolma is very active, she enjoys running and can often be found in our Culture programmes, dancing . Dechen Dolma is thinking that she wants to become a teacher...then she can live her dream of helping kids when she grows up.

She dictated this herself when she first came, four years ago.

"I came here when I was 8 years old. When I first saw SMD, I thought, 'This must be India' because the buildings were so big, but then some of the kids told me, 'This is Thrangu Rinpoche's school', so I knew it was Nepal.

When I was living in my village I had to look after the cows with my little brother. We had to bring water and firewood. Sometimes we were crying because we were hungry. Nowadays when I remember how hard we worked, I think, 'My mother and father must be working so hard in the village' and I feel sorry for them. Now my life is easier than before. I feel pity for my villagers because they are not educated, they don't understand hygiene so most of the babies die from malnutrition or sickness. Six of my brothers and sisters have already died. Now I know about health and hygiene and I know about toilets. I want to get more education, then maybe I can work at SMD, helping kids when I grow up.
Tashi delek!"



Choden Yangchen 14 years, but she would like to be older than that because, "my friends are all bigger than me". She came to SMD when she was 10. Choden is one of the Clinic Kids (volunteering in our school clinic alongside our health workers). She takes active part in Wednesday night Leadership Classes and Friday night Meditation Class with Shirley. She also actively participates in the student-run World Today Class (current events).

Choden Yangchen comes from the northwestern district called Manang.

Choden also dictated this herself.

"My father died when I was small, but I can still remember him. He was looking after the yaks and he slipped on the icy trail. When I lived in my village, I had to look after the goats and fetch water and firewood. In my house I had to clean and cook. The hardest thing was looking after the goats because sometimes they all ran in different directions and sometimes I couldn't find them. I used to cry then.

To all you adults who read my story, please send your children to school. Don't make a difference between your daughters and sons. If you don't send your kids to school, they will end up with a life like the people in my village. I remember my village and of course I miss mum, but I'm never sad because everything is good here. When I grow up, I'll be a doctor. Then I'll earn some money. After that, I'll go back to my village and treat people for free."

Choden still wants to be a doctor.


Tsomo has been with us for three years. She is now 14. She really likes it here at SMD because she's getting an education and food and clothing as well. "And here at SMD, at Thrangu Rinpoche's school, I get a chance to learn the Tibetan language (her favourite subject) and the teachings of Lord Buddha."She likes to read English and Tibetan storybooks and she likes to play basketball.

When she grows up, Tsomo wants "to help the poor people, the ones who don't have clothes and food". She wants to go back to her village in Nubri (in the north of Nepal) to help her villagers.

Her mother died in childbirth when Tsomo was quite young (about 10). Tsomo was alone in the mountain village because the father and all the other able-bodied people had gone to the lowlands for the winter. Tsomo and the other children stayed with their mother's body for ten days. Finally, some of the villagers helped the children with their mother's body.

Their father remarried, which left Tsomo and the other children at greater risk. In the years that followed, Tsomo looked after her siblings as best she could.