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Lobsang Jamyang, a Tibetan monk who was born in Tibet but living in exile, is working hard to change the lives of slum children in Sarah village near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh through education.
The monk has changed the lives of hundreds of slum children who, until they met him, were either ragpickers or used to beg on the streets. The Tong-Len Charitable Trust, which he started two decades ago with two UK volunteers, has made a significant change in the lives of those slum children, who now have become doctors, engineers, and journalists. The Dalai Lama Trust also provides them with every possible help. Lobsang Jamyang, founder Tong-Len, opened up on their journey, and said they tried to save the lives of slum children, and now many of them have made good careers. "Initially in 2004, we tried to save the lives of slum children, and then we planned to provide them with primary education. Gradually, they reached middle school and then high school. They are very talented, and they reached college. They are capable of higher studies, and we support them. Some of them have now become doctors and engineers, and many are doing nursing training. One of our students, Dr Pinki, is a great inspiration for many students, and some are preparing for the NEET exam. We are also supporting some students who want to get coaching for UPSC, and some are preparing for allied services. So there are many such students," he told ANI. Mamta, one of the slum student, who was helped by the trust, and is now preparing for the SSCJL exam aiming to do a government job reflected on her journey. Speaking to ANI, she said, "I am one of the first ten students of Tong-Len when it was started in 2004. This institute has transformed many lives. If I had not been here, then I would have gotten married because our community doesn't keep unmarried girls beyond the age of 18. My parents have faith now that our girl is capable of doing anything. I want to get a government job because, as per my knowledge, no one from our community is in the government sector, and I want to bring this change to our community." Tong-Len was started in 2004 with just ten children, and at present, there are more than 340 students. Tong-Len, which means 'Give and Take,' has recently celebrated its 20th founding anniversary on the 19th of November in the north Indian hill town of Dharamshala here. Pinki, another child who used to beg in the streets during her childhood, has went on to become a doctor now. "I have just completed my MBBS degree on July 24, and I am preparing for the FMG exam. I am looking forward to passing this exam so that I can practice as a medical practitioner in India. The entire journey from 2004 to 24 is quite challenging. The change is from the bottom to the top, not only in our education point of view but also in our lifestyle. There is a change in our thinking. There is a change in every field. It was a big challenge for Guru Jamyang to convince and guide our parents, and I am happy that our parents made the right decision at that time. Now many children from our community are appearing in competitive exams as they are capable of all this," she said. Lakshmi, a 9th-grade student also praised the trust and said many of the students have achieved a succesful life with the help of the trust. "Many of the students of this organisation have achieved a successful life, and they are inspiring all of us. Some are doctors, engineers, and news reporters, and some are doing nursing training. We used to live in slums, and there were no basic facilities like food or water, but now there is a big change, and we are living in a social house here," she said. (ANI)
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