THE 108 SCHOOLS PROJECT

In 2020, The Dagpo Educational Fund was once again able to provide financial support to education in Tibet by making a donation to The Swedish Tibetan Society for School & Culture. This foundation plays an important role in the field of traditional art education in Tibet, among other things.

Currently, the foundation supports two thangka schools in Lhasa and art schools across Tibet, as well as art students and artists. They also help students from higher education who do not have the resources themselves. The donation from The Dagpo Educational Fund helps them to do their important work.

To view more photos of the students & schools, click here.

In 2010, the Dagpo Educational Fund was also able to provide financial support to education in Tibet through a donation to The Swedish Tibetan Society for School & Culture.
This Foundation, founded by Mr. Soenam Samyangling, has been around since 1988 and aims to:

• Participate in international cooperation in close contact with Tibetan supporters and contribute to building, rebuilding or otherwise supporting 108 elementary schools (class 1-6) in rural Tibet. and provide medical care for the students of these schools.
• To preserve Tibetan culture by giving Tibetan children the opportunity to read texts in their original language, to learn traditional arts and crafts and to acquire the skills needed to participate in the economic and political life of their country.

In 2006 the enormous goal was achieved and 108 schools and libraries were built!
The school project has made a significant contribution to the development of children’s rights in Tibet. The education and training of children is crucial for the survival of the Tibetan language and culture.

After the construction of the 108 schools, the Swedish organization for school and culture has continued to sponsor students in need who want to continue their studies. They also contribute to the maintenance of the built schools. In 2010, the Foundation wrote: “Our main goal now is to support poor students who follow a higher study.”

Because the work of the Swedish Tibetan Society for School & Culture is fully in line with the objectives of TDEF and it is currently the only option for TDEF to help projects in Tibet, it was decided in 2010 to make a donation to the Swedish Society.

In 2009, in addition to the Dagpo Thosam Ling school, The Dagpo Educational Fund also supported The Bauddh Darshan Sanskrit Vidyalaya (Buddhist Philosophic Sanskrit) Keylong School at Lahoul Spiti (H.P., India). It is a Senior Secondary School where lessons are given in the Tibetan language (Bothi) and in Buddhist philosophy. To ensure that pupils are connected to mainstream education, they receive lessons in modern languages ​​(English and Hindi), natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences and also in art and craft skills. The students all come from poor Buddhist families, who mainly live in remote areas of the Himalayas where there are few educational opportunities such as from the Loser and Poh Valleys of Spiti, Tod Tinan and the Miyar Valley in the Lahoul and Spiti district, Pangi in the Chamba district, the Labrang Valley in the Kinnour district, the Sherpa communities of Nepal and from the Zanskar and Kargil districts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The parents of the children are so poor that they cannot contribute anything, therefore the school management offers free board and lodging, books, writing materials and school uniforms.

Click here for an overview of all the projects