Tibetan Children's Village

Tibetan Children’s Village

April 2, 2007: Mary, from Boulder Colorado, and I spent the day at the Tibetan Children’s Village up the hill from McLeod Ganj. Wow, what a day, we had so much fun seeing the houses where the children live, the classrooms, one of the libraries, the canteen, athletic facilities and the administrative offices. Mary decided to sponsor a young girl, Tsering, who had walked from Tibet to Nepal in January. The gig is parents pay travelers to take their children across the Himalayan Mountains through the cold and snow, by foot, to the safety of Nepal. At the border there is a TVC reception area that accepts the children and takes care of them for about a month. Then they go to Delhi for about a month to be processed in and assigned a village. Once they arrive at their village they are assigned a house and foster parents. There are usually about 25 kids per house and they are mixed ages so the older ones help out with the younger ones. They all have chores and the older ones have a younger child sleeping with them. The foster parents are very loving and do all the cooking and management of the ‘family”. We spent a couple of hours with Tsering, Mary’s new daughter, at her home. We got to see her bed, closet area, and actually the entire home. We were served Tibetan butter, salt tea and cookies and got to talk with the parents while watching the kids eat their lunch. Then Tsering took us to her classroom and showed us her desk and supplies. Sponsors are encouraged to come and visit and establish a relationship with their student. It’s very easy to see that the money goes where it is supposed to go - to the child’s clothes, school supplies, tuition, and room & board. The administrative processes seem very organized and well developed. The unfortunate thing is most children never see their parents again because they came across the border illegally (of course, that's the only way they can cross!)

All over the grounds are waste receptacles and signs reminding students not to litter but not in negative terms. The children have to make their beds everyday (actually unmake them) and all their clothes are neatly folded in their cupboard space. Washing up and brushing teeth is emphasized and their uniforms are crisp and neat (and attractive). Boys and girls wear the same clothes and get the same education, they all have the same opportunities. They also have daily chores dependent on their age.

We also spent about an hour in the Junior High Library which was extremely well endowed withbooks and magazines. The younger kids were reading and the older ones studying.

Several kids were sitting reading aloud to themselves and were doing a fabulous job. One little boy sat down next to Mary and read a book to her and then others wanted to read to her as well. None of them made mistakes which reflects well on the curriculum and teachers. They learn Tibetan, English, and Hindi. The library was almost an exact replica of one you would find in the typical American schools. It was arranged by the Dewey Decimal System and students signed out their books using the book accession number on their account sheet. No automation system here! I was quite surprised to see books that were fairly new (within the year) and many reflect what we have purchased for Gardiner Area High. They had all the Harry Potter books, Eragon, and so many other familiar titles. There were tons of easy books, big books, and beginning chapter books.

The classrooms had lots of interesting posters, artwork and rather nice classroom libraries with books and magazines. There seemed to be a predominance of English language projects hanging on the walls but in order to graduate they must pass the Indian National Exams which are in English & Hindi. Classes and activities in Tibetan culture, arts, music and religion ensure that the children will be brought up with their traditional heritage.

My Main Man

High Five with Friends