Social Services

Students of Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India.

Since 2012 the Social Services Fund has been supporting disadvantaged schools in Nepal and India that have students of Tibetan, Nepali, Sherpa, and Indian heritage. Approximately 1,000 children in orphanages, hostels, and Tibetan refugee communities benefit from this aid.

We invite you to rejoice in the ways we offered educational support to these children this year, thus helping break the cycle of poverty in impoverished areas and to help facilitate both a modern education and Dharma education for those in need.

Schools Supported in 2021

Students of Ngari Institute, Ladakh, enjoying a meal together.

Ngari Institute in Ladakh, India, helps disadvantaged children from remote regions of Ladakh and arranges to send them to, currently, three different schools. The Institute arranges all the costs related to offering this education, including the facility fees, food, uniforms, etc. The Social Services Fund has been covering all the costs of the food for the children and the teachers for eight years. This offering started in 2013 at US$15,720.62, and this year we were so happy to issue a grant for US$33,232.

Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School, established in 2010, educates thirty-two children from poor families across the Dolakha District of Nepal at the primary school level and provides free boarding, medical attention, clothing ,and other needs to its students with the help of four teachers. A number of monks from the local monastery also attend this school. Many Kopan monks come from Rolwaling, so FPMT’s relationship with this school is quite special. It is a free school that also teaches Dharma.  We were very happy to send a grant of US$19,187 for the operating costs of this school this year.

Some of the students of Sangag Dechholing Gonpa School, Taplejung, Nepal.

Sangag Dechholing Gonpa School in Taplejung, Nepal, was established in 2007 to serve the Buddhist community in the area. Seven teachers currently educate 105 students, starting at age three. The curriculum is taught by eleven staff in English and Nepali and focuses on modern subjects such as math and science, while being grounded in Buddhist teachings and culture. In 2021, US$29,908 was sent for operating expenses, which is the annual cost of this free school. Kopan Monastery is now taking over responsibility of this school and FPMT is helping to raise the annual costs through our Social Services Fund.

Students of Sagarmatha Secondary School in Chailsa, Nepal.

Sagarmatha Secondary School in Chailsa, Nepal, is located on what was once a Tibetan refugee camp. It currently serves 170 students, including 79 young lay students who live at the school hostel and 25 young monks who live at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, which is a branch of Kopan Monastery and shares the school grounds. Eleven teachers and one additional employee support these students. Since 2015 we have offered annual grants to the school that covers the salaries of teachers in addition to yearly text books and one set of school uniforms per year for the students.  We are very happy to continue this commitment  with the very year kind help of Yeshe Norbu Association and Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.).  The annual cost is US$30,000 and will be offered at the end of 2021.

A young student of Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India.

Maitreya School, which is a social service project of Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, is a free school benefiting impoverished children from neighboring villages. The school offers children living in one of India’s poorest states a precious opportunity. Not only do they engage in a traditional education but, more importantly, they receive life skills in compassion, honesty, and loving-kindness presented through Buddha’s teachings. The core of the training and vision of the school is: making lives meaningful. The school has a total of 305 students. Since 2012 we have offered yearly support toward the operating costs as well as two new buses for transporting students. In 2021 we offered US$39,200 toward the annual costs of operating the school. The last year the school has been operating in various ways online.

Students of Samtenling School, Khathmandu.

Samtenling Monastery provides the young monks of the monastery a modern, progressive, secular education in Kathmandu, Nepal. Out of 140 monks, 120 of them are aged 6-26. Samtenling School provides education from kindergarten through grade eight. Most of the monks are from Nepal and are primarily Sherpas and Tamangs, but Tibetan monks also attend the monastery and school. The school has been operating without proper facilities. To help with this need, we have been issuing a grant raised from Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.) in installments over the past two years to build new classrooms and debate courtyard.

In 2021 we offered US$40,402 toward Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in South India for their educational program, covering the salaries of all the teachers and staff, as well as textbooks, stationary, and other resources.

Please join us in rejoicing in another year of support offered to these beneficial schools due to the kindness of so many. Incredibly, US$161,930 was offered toward education this year. Thank you to all the kind donors, including Yeshe Norbu Association and Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.) who made it possible to offer this substantial support.

The Social Services Fund, established to support Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Vast Visions for the FPMT organization, focuses efforts primarily in India, Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia. Funds help children, the elderly, sick, and very poor. 

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure we can continue to offer support to the education of children in need.

Food ready for distribution, Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, Himachal Pradesh, India, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created hardship around the world. Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, located in Paonta Sahib Himachal Pradesh, India, has lost a significant source of income due to lockdown restrictions. The settlement recently reached out to Lama Zopa Rinpoche for assistance with food.

Banner at food distribution site, Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, Himachal Pradesh, India, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement.

On the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 86th Birthday, Mr Gelek Jamyang, the settlement officer, wanted to make an auspicious offering to help 125 families with food. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was extremely happy to be able to offer support in this way and through FPMT Social Services Fund. The food offered to the 125 families included essential staples of rice, atta (wheat flour), cooking oil, dal, and eggs.

According to the settlement officer, ninety percent of the settlers earn their livelihood through winter sweater sales in different states of India. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, winter sweater sales have not happened for two years. The settlement relies on the sales income to support their daily expenses.

Please rejoice that we were able to join in this offering made on the occasion of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday.

Images of the food distribution on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday, Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, Himachal Pradesh, India, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement.

Images of the food distribution on His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s birthday, Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, Himachal Pradesh, India, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement.

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure we can offer direct support to Tibetan refugees in need.

An elder of Dhondenling Old People Home, Kollegal.

Since 2015, the FPMT Social Services Fund has been offering support to hundreds of Tibetan elders residing in elderly homes throughout India. Tibetans have been living in exile since 1959 when Communist China invaded Tibet, forcing 100,000 Tibetans to flee to India, Nepal, Bhutan and eventually elsewhere around the world. Many of the Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal are now elderly and many are rendered destitute and in desperate need of care at this critical phase of life. Tibetan families traditionally provide for the elderly and sick among them. However, when a family itself is in deep poverty, or if the elderly individual is alone and without family support, help is needed.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has encouraged us to not only address residents’ material needs such as food and shelter, but also their spiritual ones. With this in mind, we’ve also sponsored holy objects such as stupas and prayer wheels on the premises of some of these homes as well, encouraged the recitation of sutras and mantras, and provided grants to ensure the elders have adequate and appropriate space for Dharma practice and merit-making group activities.

In 2021 we sent US$286,887.28 to support seven elderly homes in India. Please join us in rejoicing that these grants were used in the following ways:

Elders of Jampaling Elder’s Home, Dharamsala.

Elderly Homes Supported in 2021

Jampaling Elder’s Home, Dharamsala, provides food, shelter and medical services to 156 residents. US$13,914 was offered for shortfall of their 2021 operating budget.

Lugsam Samduling Home for the Aged and Disabled, Bylakuppe, looks after 46 elderly individuals who are living in extremely modest conditions, many with health issues due to the advanced age. US$39,354.65 total was offered to this home to cover budget shortfall for 2021 and for an ambulance for the settlement’s hospital, Tsojhe Khangsar Hospital. This ambulance will be used by the people of two Tibetan Settlements and there are around 20,000 people, including Himalayan monks and nuns, residing in the various monasteries. 

Sera Je monks consecrating new ambulance sponsored for Tsojhe Khangsar Hospital.

Elders of Dhondenling having morning prayer before breakfast.

Doeguling Home for Elderly and Disabled, located in the Doeguling Tibetan Refugee Settlement in Mundgod, cares for 103 elderly residents. US$41,745 was offered for food, medical expenses, and an investment into the corpus fund which contributes to the sustainability of the home.

Dhondenling Old People Home, Kollegal, is in one of the most remote and underdeveloped Tibetan settlements in southern India. The elderly home has a capacity for 32 elderly Tibetans residents. US$28,314.63  was offered to cover 70% of their annual operating budget and a separate grant from Buddha Union of Italy of US$48,628.87  was offered for the final costs of community hall that is being built.

Rabgayling Tibetan Family Welfare Association, Hunsur, has an elderly home serving 20 residents. US$25,813.33 was offered this year for their medical fund and recurring expenses.

Elders of Rabgayling Tibetan Family Welfare Association home in front of prayer wheels.

Chauntra Dhonden Old People’s Home, Bir. US$69,570 was offered this year for installation of new metal roofing sheets and repair and maintenance. Support to this home was requested on behalf of the Tibetan government and this was our first year supporting this home.

Old People’s Home Odisha Phuntsokling Settlement, Orissa, is a home caring for sixty Tibetan elders. There are also five monasteries on this settlement as well as two primary schools, one middle school, and a nursery for babies. US$19,546.80 was offered for their annual budget which they desperately needed after losing their main sponsor of ten years. This is our first year supporting this home.

The Social Services Fund also provides charitable giving to children, the sick, and the very poor through a variety of grants every year.

Thank you to all the donors who make this most urgent and critical support for Tibetan elders possible.

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure we can offer direct support to the elderly.

A Tibetan elder from Lugsum Sanduling, Bylakuppe, reciting the Diamond Cutter Sutra on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice.

Advice for the Elderly

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently offered extensive advice on different ways to help and benefit the elderly, particularly Tibetans in Nepal and India, who are Buddhist. Rinpoche has made the point that as Buddhists we shouldn’t only give charity of food and shelter to the elderly—we also can offer Dharma to them as well. In this recent teaching, Rinpoche mentioned the importance of using the time when one is in an elderly home to create merit and purify as much as possible, for example by listening to Dharma teachings and reciting sutras. Rinpoche explained the importance of displaying certain mantras and images of holy objects, buddhas, deities, and Buddha pure lands so the elders can look at beautiful images and pray to be reborn there.

Rinpoche also composed a text for the elders to recite, similar to the Method to Transform daily motivation practice.

Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, located in Kollegal, India, is the most remote and underdeveloped Tibetan settlements in southern India. The settlement consists of twenty-two villages, and an elderly home. The elderly home has a capacity for thirty-two elderly Tibetans residents which FPMT Charitable Projects has been supporting since 2015. Rinpoche requested that the elders recite the Vajra Cutter Sutra regularly and also, from time to time, to receive Dharma teachings. After receiving this advice they immediately arranged for two weeks of teachings on the Vajra Cutter Sutra from a qualified teacher. This advice was also shared with Lugsum Samduling Home for the Aged and Disabled, a home in Bylakuppe, India, which cares for thirty-seven aging Tibetans. They were very happy to receive this personal advice from Rinpoche and sent photos and videos of the elders reciting the sutra and also receiving teachings and the oral transmission of the sutra.

Please enjoy this video of the elders of Lugsum Samduling reciting the Vajra Cutter Sutra:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snLBD48GRlM

Rinpoche always advises elderly homes and hospices to have beautifully framed holy images at the facility so the elders can always see them and create merit. Rinpoche also suggests to always display Namgyalma mantras in every room so that even mosquitoes, ants, and insects get purified while they are in that particular room. In addition, to have an image of the deity Amoghapasha for the people in the home. Seeing this deity purifies the five heavy negative karmas without break and the negative karma of abandoning holy Dharma. Rinpoche also advises having thangkas of different pure lands, so—depending on the pure land you have an affinity for—one can look at that particular image of the pure land and make prayers to be reborn there. Rinpoche also has explained the benefits of playing mantras, sutras, and Dharma teachings, and if possible to go around holy objects or turn prayer wheels. All of these activities leave positive imprints on the mind and this is so important, especially when one is close to passing.

President of Tibet, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, with others in front of the stupa being built in Hunsur.

For six years, FPMT Charitable Projects has been supporting Rabgayling Old Aged Home in Hunsur, India, which is part of the Rabagayling Tibetan Settlement and serves twenty elderly residents. Over several years, funds have been offered for daily food for the residents, for the annual operating costs of the elderly home, the building of accommodation for the residents, medical needs, and a community hall. Most recently, a 35-foot stupa has been sponsored near the elderly home on the settlement. This stupa is being built for the all the people in the Tibetan settlement, but in particular for the elders, as it is close to the elderly home and they can circumambulate it without much difficulty. This is an easy way for the elders to collect merit and purify negative karma by going around the hold object. Recently the previous President of Tibet, Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, visited the stupa.

Advice for Those Who are Dying

Rinpoche has also offered extensive advice for those who are dying or have recently died including how to make the environment very beautiful and uplifting so that people can enjoy and not feel depressed as well as general advice for what thangkas, mantras, prayers, or books are most beneficial.

Please rejoice in the various ways we are offering direct support to elders, such as completely covering or helping with the annual expenses for a number of  elderly homes in India, and also how Rinpoche is helping with offering advice for ultimate support, such as inspiring the elders to use their time creating merit and offering advice on how to help at the time of passing.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered details about the recent advice he offered to Tibetan elderly in the thought transformation teaching “Some Ways in Which Rinpoche is Benefitting People.”

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure we can offer direct support to the elderly.

Cows being cared for by Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society.

Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society is an animal care facility located in Taru, Leh, Ladakh. Tsering Dorjay Malik first developed the idea in 2013 to help the animals in the village by drawing inspiration from Buddha’s teachings that every living being has Buddha nature and is deserving of care and kindness.

In the village, abandoned donkeys, cows, and other farm animals were running around loose, many of whom were victims of road accidents or could not find the necessary resources to survive. Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society started by rescuing these animals, offering care, and feeding them. In the beginning there were many challenges due to there not being enough food, shelter, and medicine for the animals. Slowly, concerned animal lovers in the area began supporting this project, but even with this interest, and also due to the increasing numbers of animals needing care, the available resources were exhausted and it was not possible to accept more animals. 

Cows of the Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society.

Currently there are fifty bulls, twenty cows, ten sheep, and five donkeys being cared for at Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society, many of these animals have been saved from death and now are able to live the rest of their lives for on the land.

Thanks to the kindness of a generous donor, the Animal Liberation Fund recently offered a grant of US$20,000 for the continual care of all the animals at the facility including for food, medicine, and shelter; and for upkeep of the premises. Some of these funds will also be used for essential needs such as:

• Building ten new animal sheds
• Compound walls for the center which is nearly 54,000 square feet
  
• Staff accommodation on the premises and salaries for four caretakers
  
• Medical care for sick and injured animals
  
• Food for all the animals (the total for this alone is US$59,000 a year)
  

Additionally, Lama Zopa Rinpoche personally asked that eight stupas (5-feet high) also be built on the land, so that the animals can circumambulate the stupas. Through the Stupa Fund we were very happy to offer the cost for all eight stupas. In this way, we are not only supporting the animals with essential material needs required to live, but also offering Dharma imprints to help purify negativities, create merit, and plant positive seeds for their future lives.

Thank you to all the kind donors of the Animal Liberation Fund and the Stupa Fund who enabled us to make these grants, and  benefit over 100 animals. 

All are welcome to support the Animal Liberation Fund and Stupa Fund and help ensure beneficial grants like this can continue. 

Community prayers and recitation of Amitabha mantra at Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, under tents without a community hall.

Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, Kollegal, is in one of the most remote and underdeveloped Tibetan settlements in Southern India.

There are 46 Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, home to most of the 100,451 Tibetan refugees. These Tibetan settlements originate from the wish of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to set up settlements where Tibetan refugees could live as an exclusive community in order to preserve the unique Tibetan culture including language and the religious practices.

Dhondenling Tibetan settlement is located in the majestic Biligiri Rangam hills in Karnataka; it was established in 1974 with over 3,500 people.

The current population of the settlement is now 4,500. The settlement is scattered in 22 village clusters. There are eight small monasteries, a school, and a small care-home for elders (FPMT Charitable Projects has been supporting the elderly home for the past three years by providing 70% of the annual budget.) The elderly home has a capacity for thirty-two residents. There is also a hospital and a traditional Tibetan medicine clinic. These establishments cater to the religious, educational, and health-care of the residents of the settlement. The residents have formed a cooperative society to cater to the agrarian needs of the members. The principal livelihood occupation is agriculture raising mainly corn, with millet, potato, and garlic as optional crops.

Most Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal, and Bhutan have a multi-purpose community hall, as a central gathering place for all within the settlement to hold special religious and cultural functions. However, Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, being one of the poorest settlements, did not have a community hall and any gatherings held for the 4,500 residents would happen outside under tents or tarps.

Community prayers continue at Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement despite the lack of proper accommodation for participants.

The community gatherings that happen throughout the year consist of:

• Public prayers for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and other religious heads, and world peace
• Annual OM MANI PADME HUM recitation retreat and 100,000 Praises to Tara that require public attendance for over 45 days
• Celebration of religious and social festivals
• Dharma teaching discourses for the residents in general and the younger generation in particular 
• Cultural programs and events by students to encourage children to participate in extracurricular activities
• Parent-Teacher interactive sessions to exchange ideas and development of partnership perspective concerning child upbringing and education

These gatherings and activities are vital for preserving the Tibetan cultural heritage and lineages and for providing community support for those living in the settlement.

Seeing the incredible need for this multi-purpose community hall in Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, and recognizing how important it is to preserve the unique Tibetan cultural heritage, in 2020 we applied for and received a grant for the purpose of building this community hall.

Site of the new community hall for Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement.

We were very happy to be a part of offering this support and US$158,741 was given to Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement for the building. In April 2020 they started the building process, buying necessary supplies for the foundations but quite soon due to COVID-19 restrictions which were strictly enforced by the government in South India, including in Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement, all building work was stopped in May. The lockdown was lifted after a few months, but there were still building restrictions and also restrictions in regards to outside people entering the Tibetan Settlement.

There was particular concern due to the fact that many people in the Tibetan Settlement live in very poor conditions and in close proximity. It was decided not to continue the building work of the community hall until the end of year (December 2020) due to precautions and to ensure not having too many outside laborers entering the Tibetan Settlement. All the building supplies that had been bought were carefully secured and protected during this time.

Work begins on this important community hall for 4,500 Tibetans.

From December 2020 to February 2021, the building work again commenced on the community hall. The work is going slower than expected, but is progressing.

We are extremely grateful to all who support the Social Services Fund, so that we can offer support such as this to Dhondeling Tibetan Settlement multi-purpose community hall for religious and cultural preservation and for the benefit of the 4,500 residents. Thank you.

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure beneficial grants like this can continue. 

Some of the young monks of Samtenling School.

Samtenling School is part of Samtenling Monastery and provides the young monks of the monastery a modern, progressive, secular education in Boudhanath, Nepal. Out of 140 monks, 120 are age 6-26. The school provides education from kindergarten through eighth grade. Most of the monks are from Nepal and are primarily Sherpa and Tamang, but Tibetan monks also attend the monastery and school.

The school has been operating without classrooms or even a debate courtyard since it started. Education and activities have been held under tin sheets without windows, walls, and doors. Due to the climate, classes regularly have to be cancelled. During Summer, it is extremely hot under the tin roof and in Winter, it is extremely cold, with only one wall providing protection from the elements.

Samtenling monks performing ground blessing during the building process for success.

Seeing the incredible need for this small school to be able to provide basic needs for education for these young students, in 2020 FPMT’s Social Services applied for a grant from Unione Buddhista Italiana (U.B.I.), to build the school. In October we shared an update on the project, rejoicing that they had received permissions to start the building.

Work begins on the new classrooms.

In November 2020, many of the COVID19 restrictions were officially lifted in Kathmandu Valley and Samtenling School also received the final permissions from the building department to begin the school construction. As soon as the building was able to begin we issued grants in the amount of US$66,432. We will continue to administer the grants based on updates of the building work and work progress. The construction of the school is now well underway and the foundations have been poured.

Foundations are poured and construction begins on the new Samtenling classrooms.

Please rejoice that we are part of providing the students of this monastery with a much needed school building so that they can study and practice to the best of their ability. We look forward to sharing continued progress as this project reaches completion. 

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants to schools can continue. 

Lamp of the Path beneficiaries enjoying a community meal in 2019.

Lamp of the Path NGO (LOP), part of Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup Ling, has offered social services to some of the poor and homeless living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for the past seventeen years. The soup kitchen, which is its main program, offers food to those in need and free medical support is offered through a health clinic. LOP also helps bring awareness to the epidemic of alcoholism in Mongolia and offers tuberculosis checkups for the disadvantaged in the area.

In 2019 the soup kitchen offered to 50-70 people a day totaling 14,793 bowls of soup. Their vegetable garden expanded and they were also able to sell some of the vegetables in the market as well as using them in the soup kitchen.

Also in 2019 they distributed clothing and blankets to women and children in need as well as toothbrushes and toys. On the new year, all of their beneficiaries were offered a pair of winter boots; and the health clinic expanded and provided home visits, medical help and also transportation to local hospitals. 

Please take a few minutes to watch this moving short video of a day in the life of one Lamp of the Path’s soup kitchen beneficiaries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7-zsdFcmpU

In Mongolia, the quarantine came into effect on January 27 and impacted Lamp of the Path immediately and directly. They were not allowed to operate the soup kitchen. In February, they arranged a “window soup kitchen” with distribution of food (mainly bread and instant noodle soup) through the window. They also shared a substantial amount of food with another NGO who is providing shelter for former alcoholics and people with disabilities. Since March, in cooperation with government social workers, they initiated a home visit project. Every week those from the NGO, or caseworkers, visit five poor families and distribute food. They have increased the number of beneficiaries since April by allowing one representative of a family to receive takeaway of soup from the premises once a week. In addition, they have distributed many items of second-hand clothing that were received from Switzerland to members of the Mongolian Blind Association.

The Social Services Fund was honored to offer US$29,400 to this incredible project this year. Since 2012, thanks to a generous donor and the support of many, we have offered over US$246,000 to the Lamp of the Path NGO.

Please rejoice in the ongoing work of this extremely beneficial social service project in Mongolia. 

The Social Services Fund contributes to many beneficial charitable projects as funds allow. You can learn more about these activities, or make a donation of any amount. 

You can offer directly to FPMT Mongolia to help ensure services such as these continue in Mongolia in the future. 

Goats being cared for at the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, Nepal.

Every day around the world millions of animals are killed and mistreated needlessly. In countries like Nepal, the care and management of animals is very poor and animal sacrifices are common creating tremendous suffering for the animals and those involved.

In his concern for the welfare of all living beings, Lama Zopa Rinpoche initiated the purchase of land near Kopan Monastery for the Animal Liberation Sanctuary to provide shelter and care for animals rescued from being killed, so that they may live out their natural lives in peace and attain a higher rebirth. The sanctuary benefits rescued animals, not only by freeing from impending death, but also by exposing them to Buddha’s teachings. They regularly hear mantras and are led around holy objects. The animals (seven cattle, 46 goats, and one sheep) are receiving shelter, food, veterinary care, kindness, and Dharma. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ven. Shenphen and his brother, Pema, who is the caretaker of the Animal Liberation Sanctuary, Nepal.

In 2019 the sanctuary’s cow shed floor was replaced. The floor was concreted many years ago to improve cleaning, but unfortunately it has lead to lameness in most cows to varying degrees. Every attempt to soften the floor (mats, straw, new bedding, etc.) had not been successful so a complete replacement was needed.

A few goats were lost to illness in 2019, including the oldest goat, Mahakala, who was the last of the original goats at the monastery from before 2006. The other goats are doing well.

This year on World Animal Day (October 4), His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in a recorded message from his residence in Dharamsala, urged people around the world to move toward more compassionate and sustainable ways of living that rely less on the exploitation of animals. “It is very useful to promote vegetarianism,” His Holiness said. “We should pay more attention toward developing more vegetables [in our diet].” His Holiness likened animals to the ornaments of the world, lamenting the extreme exploitation of animals and the growing consumption of meat from industrial-scale livestock farms in countries such as the United States, which are “environmentally very harmful.” His Holiness also noted that, “In modern times, some people are really showing concern about animal rights. This is very, very encouraging.”

Please enjoy this video of the goats circumambulating the stupas on the sanctuary property:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnIoKRN2XaI&feature=youtu.be

Current goals for the sanctuary include: following up on some more much-needed construction and maintenance, extending the stupa landing area for the goats (to make it easier to circumambulate and providing a dry, leech-free area during monsoon); replace and improve the fencing around the goat shed; fix the internal pens for the safety of the resident animals; and add new fencing to allow the planting of fodder trees and shrubs (to increase locally available food sources, reduce imported food, and improve condition of the land).

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommended that the animals at the sanctuary get more blessings so he gave co-directors Phil and Tania a red bag full of holy items with which to bless the animals. Photo by Ven. Thubten Choying.

The sanctuary has a main animal shelter designed to provide a healthy environment throughout Nepal’s seasons, it has facilities to separate weaker animals from the main flock, and it is designed to reduce water use and waste. The sanctuary has an animal shed, treatment and isolation building, quarantine area, and caretaker house. 

Since 2012, a very kind benefactor has worked with the Social Services Fund to issue annual grants for the ongoing work and care of the sanctuary. In 2020 we were very happy to be able to offer US$9,800, and since 2012 US$69,600 has been granted.

Thank you to all who work for the welfare of animals. May this small support toward the animals in Nepal create the causes for all animals to be free from suffering.

The Animal Liberation Fund supports weekly animal liberations and extensive dedications offered by Sangha at the residences of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in addition support is offered to the Animal Liberation Sanctuary in Nepal, MAITRI Charitable Trust in India and elsewhere. You are welcome to offer any amount toward this ongoing work. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting MAITRI for World Leprosy Day, 2019.

Since 1989, MAITRI Charitable Trust has been operating as a beneficial example of Dharma in action. MAITRI is a registered charitable trust in India working to support the poor and disadvantaged in the province of Bihar, India. This year, MAITRI continued their hugely impactful program benefiting those with leprosy and tuberculosis, and offering care to mothers and children, as well as animals in need.

Tuberculosis patients receiving their monthly food and supplements from the MAITRI.

42 new cases of leprosy were registered and help was given to 645 people total with this disease including education on self-care to prevent the risk of deformities as well as medical care for ulcers and other conditions. They also continued very important education program to raise awareness in identification and treatment of leprosy, going directly to 2,543 isolated villages, as well as addressing 28,822 school children.

They continued their annual blanket drive with 297 blankets offered to individuals with leprosy and 255 to mothers in need.  

Dogs being cared for at MAITRI.

The animal care turned shelter program continues to be vital for so many animals that are fortunate enough to find care at MAITRI.

The very important mother care program directly benefited 264 mothers, providing care and treatment and the safe delivery of 165 babies. The child care program helped 275 children with medical check-ups and treatment as well as milk powder. MAITRI also provided support to 71 young sick girls with monthly check-ups.

In a recent newsletter to supporters of MAITRI, director Adriana Ferranti reported:

The pandemic has meant a number of our generous benefactors are no longer able to give what they have in the past, while the demand for our services in Bodhgaya has increased.
 
COVID-19 has made Bodhgaya a deserted place, full of fear and despair. So many NGOs and charities are closed and the poor don’t know where to go. Government services have always been unreliable and inconsistent and the lockdown has exacerbated their ability to respond to the crisis.
 
MAITRI has continued to operate its hospital and animal shelter throughout the long, strict lockdown, as well as distributing food packages to villagers. However, it is clear that MAITRI’s normal programs are more important than ever. Our paramedical workers continue to go into the poorest areas and they report that the need is dire. We are desperate to find ways to meet this humanitarian tragedy. Our staff members are local people and simply bearing witness has never been the MAITRI way. We all want to help where it is most needed.

Please watch this short very moving video about the compassionate work of MAITRI: 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqLTXsodMvo&feature=youtu.be

The annual budget for Maitri Charitable Trust is $189,686 and donations can be made directly through their website. The Social Services Fund was honored to offer US$49,000 to this incredible project this year. Since 2012, thanks to a generous donor and the support of many, we have been able to offer over US$510,100 to MAITRI. 

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants to beneficial projects such as this can continue. 

Learn more about MAITRI Charitable Trust: www.maitri-bodhgaya.org/home 

Young monks of Samtenling Monastery.

Samtenling School is part of Samtenling Monastery, providing the young monks of the monastery a modern, progressive, secular education in Kathmandu, Nepal. Out of 140 monks, 120 are age 6-26. The school provides education from kindergarten through eighth grade. Most of the monks are from Nepal and are primarily Sherpa and Tamang, but Tibetan monks also attend the monastery and school.

The school has been operating without classrooms or a debate courtyard. Classes and debates are held under tin sheets which functions more like open space without windows, walls, and doors. Due to these conditions, disturbances of noises are common and students can easily get distracted. Due to the climate, classes regularly have to be cancelled as well.

Students of Samtenling Monastery have been able to continue philosophy classes during COVID-19.

Last year, FPMT Social Services Fund raised a substantial grant for the school to build actual classrooms. They were waiting to receive the permission from the building department for construction and then, unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred and these plans were put on hold. The monastery was able to continue Tibetan philosophy and some language classes because those teachers live at the monastery, but the whole program of the school is not currently operating due to the lockdown and restrictions.

We are pleased to report that they have now received the building permission and will start building once restrictions are lifted in Kathmandu Valley.

Students of Samtenling Monastery, outside memorizing.

The school is taking the necessary precautions in response to the crisis such as: closing the main gate and asking other people not to visit and monks not to leave the property at this time and placing soaps and sanitizers in every corner of the monastery for accessible use. 

We look forward on updating you on the progress of the school classrooms as soon as they are able to continue this most important project. 

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants to schools can continue. 

FPMT Charitable Projects will continue updating you on how schools supported by FPMT Social Service Fund are navigating these challenging times.  

Students of Sangag Dechholing Gonpa School in Taplejung, Nepal.

Since 2012 the Social Services Fund has been offering substantial support to different schools in Nepal and India that are offering education to students of Tibetan, Nepali, and Indian heritage. Investing in education through schools is one way to help break the cycle of poverty in impoverished areas and we are pleased to offer support to nearly 1,000 children each year at this time.

2020 has been an unusual year for the schools due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the schools were required to temporarily close in March and April of 2020 and have remained closed due to local restrictions. Some of the schools have been able to offer some form of online schooling or direct limited support to older children who will be sitting in on exams in 2020. Some of the schools that have hostels associated remained open and offered restricted classes to the children still living there.

Here we invite you to learn about some of the schools we currently support and also those we have offered grants to in the past.

Students of Sambhota Tibetan School, Bylakuppe, India.

Sambhota Tibetan School, located in Bylakuppe, South India, was established in 1971 to serve the children of refugees living at Dicky Larose Tibetan Settlement. 24 staff help educate 217 elementary, middle, and secondary students.

Since 2015 we have offered sponsorship for daily vegetarian midday meals, salary for one person to help look after the children after school for a year, and sponsorship of new kitchen. In 2020 we were happy again to offer US$6,706 for midday meals for all the children.

Students of Sagarmatha Secondary School, Chailsa, Nepal enjoying a meal.

Sagarmatha Secondary School in Chailsa, Nepal, is located on what was once a Tibetan refugee camp. It currently serves 170 students, including 79 young lay students who live at the school hostel and 25 young monks who live at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, which is a branch of Kopan Monastery and shares the school grounds. Eleven teachers and one additional employee support these students.

Since 2015 we have offered annual grants to the school that covers the salaries of teachers in addition to yearly text books and one set of school uniforms per year for the students. Grants are also offered for prize distribution for exams and sports competitions. The grants are offered at the end of each year, and in 2019 we were happy to offer US$30,495 for this purpose.

Students of Maitreya School, Bodhgaya, India.

Maitreya School, which is a social service project of Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, is a free school benefiting impoverished children from neighboring villages. The school offers children living in one of India’s poorest states a precious opportunity. Not only do they engage in a traditional education but, more importantly, they receive life skills in compassion, honesty, and loving-kindness presented through Buddha’s teachings. The core of the training and vision of the school is: making lives meaningful. The school has a total of 305 students with 12 full-time teachers including the principal. 

Since 2012 we have offered yearly support toward the operating costs as well as two new buses for transporting students. In 2020 we offered US$39,200 toward the annual costs of the school.

Tara Children’s Home, Bodhgaya, India, was also a social service project of Root Institute, Bodhgaya, but has now closed. The Tara Children’s Home was a small orphanage for about 20 HIV affected children. For six years, starting in 2012, we offered over US$172,290 in grants toward the annual operating expenses of the orphanage. 

Some of the Ngari Institute students, Ladakh, India.

Ngari Institute of Buddhist Dialectics is located in the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh, India, in a small village called Saboo. The campus is spread over twenty hectares of deserted land. The Institute helps children in need from different remote parts of Ladakh, and sends them to three different local schools, by covering all the costs for the children to attend the schools. The aim of the Institute is to empower and enrich the poor and remote-area students by offering them a combined learning of both modern scientific knowledge and ancient Buddhist wisdom. It was founded by the Ladakh alumni of Sera Je Monastery in South India.

You can watch this video of the children of Ngari Institute enjoying breakfast:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWj03fV9Lk8&feature=youtu.be

Since 2014 we have offered lunch every day of the year to the children and staff of Ngari Institute. There are currently 62 school children, including young monks, and 21 teachers who benefit from this offering. In 2020 we were happy to offer support in the amount of US$30,741 toward all the lunch expenses for the year.

Rolwaling Sangag Choling Monastery School educates 15 children from poor families across the Dolakha District of Nepal at the primary school level and provides free boarding, medical attention, clothing and other needs to its students.

The Social Services Fund raised a substantial grant to assist with a desperately needed hostel for the children in 2015. After raising this money, Nepal suffered the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and the school also endured considerable damage. As a result, the grant offered to the school was not only used to assist with the hostel, but also to help with repairs needed elsewhere on the property.

Students of Sangkpa Dechhholing Gonpa School.

Sangag Dechholing Gonpa School in Taplejung, Nepal, was established in 2007 to serve the Buddhist community in the area. Seven teachers currently educate 80 students, starting at age three. The curriculum is taught in English and Nepali and focuses on modern subjects such as math and science, while being grounded in Buddhist teachings and culture.

In 2018 we offered a US$53,587 grant to support the work of this school.

Young monks of Samtenling Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Samtenling Monastery desperately needed classrooms and a school building to provide the young monks of the monastery a modern, progressive, secular education in Kathmandu, Nepal. Out of 140 monks, 120 of them are aged 6-26. The school provides education from kindergarten through grade eight. Most of the monks are from Nepal and are primarily Sherpas and Tamangs, but Tibetan monks also attend the monastery and school. The school has been operating without any classrooms or a debate courtyard and the Social Services Fund offered a grant of US$166,090 in 2019 for the school to be built. The actual building will begin soon.

Sera Je Monastery, India needed new science classrooms and in April 2013 the Social Service Fund offered US$100,000 toward building the new classrooms .The classrooms are used primarily to teach subjects such as science and other fields of knowledge within the monastic curriculum. This offering came as a direct request from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was a long-term objective of Sera Je Monastery to align with the vision and recommendations of His Holiness to integrate this kind of study into the monastic education.

Since 2012, amazingly over US$1,042,644 has been offered to these schools and institutions. These grants have had a direct effect and changed many children’s lives for the better. All of this is due to the kindness of the donors of the Social Services Fund who make it possible to make these offerings. We hope that more substantial grants can be offered to these and other beneficial schools offering education to youth in India and Nepal in the future.

All are welcome to support the Social Services Fund and help ensure grants to schools can continue.