Dharamshala:- A residential home for slum children, Tong Len, celebrated its 10th anniversary at its campus on November 19.
Among other dignitaries and guests, the ceremony was attended by former Tibetan Prime Minister, Professor Samdong Rinpoche; Professor Ajay Shrivastava, Chairman of Umang Foundation in Shimla and Anna Owen, Director of Tong-Len UK.
“I derive great satisfaction to see a monk performing an act of compassion,”said Prof Samdong Rinpoche in Hindi, while addressing the gathering who were largely students from Tong Len and their parents from Charan Khad community.
“It is essential that you should learn and continue to use your mother tongue. Giving equal importance to a second language other than your mother toungue is in my opinion misplaced,” he added, stressing on giving importance to their native language and culture.
The organisation, Tong Len was founded by a Tibetan monk, Lobsang Jamyang. Born in Tibet and later came to India in 1997. During his stay in Dharamsala he visited Charan Khad and with the help of other monks and his friends, in 2004, 10 children from the slum were enrolled at the residential school.
Tong Len strives to provide education and safe environment for children of displaced families from poor parts northern India who had migrated to the Kangra valley and is now largely live in Charan Khad.
