About Our Students - Success Stories- Dawa Thukmo and Dawa Lhamo - Students in the Classrooms -Students' Personal Stories
Scholarship Winners- Preamble - Dawa Dolma - Tsering Dorje Still With Us - Jai Chandra - Phur Tenzin Sherpa and Parsang Sherpa
Tsewang Bhuti Lama - Sonam Dolma Sherpa - Activities-Pilgrimage to Pharping - Kids At Play with Friends - Kid Power Circus
Photos of Circus Day - SMDers Make Their First Audio Recording, "Bring Back Peace" - SMDers Help Street Kids - SMD Graduates

Testimonials


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.