Guv praises Tong-Len Trust for educating slum kids
Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla today presided over the 20th foundation day celebrations of Tong-Len Charitable Trust which has been working for educating and building careers of children from slums of the Kangra valley.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said, “Tibetan monk Jamyang has devoted his entire life for the welfare of the poor children. Children, who once used to beg and pick garbage on streets, are now becoming doctors, engineers, hotel managers, journalists and painters through the Trust.”
The Tong-Len Charitable Trust was established in 2004 by Tibetan refugee Buddhist monk Therchin Gyaltsen (Jamyang), he said. The monk made hundreds of children self-reliant after taking them out of the slums, he said. Not only this, the Trust also provided free healthcare services to thousands of people from slums, the Governor added.
Shukla praised the passion of Jamyang, who took away the begging bowl and garbage sack from hands of the children of the extremely dirty slum in the Charan Khad area of Dharamsala and gave them books, pens, pencils and bags. The success stories of children are becoming a topic of discussion.
Jamyang first started giving tuitions from a tent in the Charan Khad slums in the year 2004. He taught children about maintaining cleanliness and sitting at one place. After that, he rented two flats in the Depot Bazaar and started a hostel for boys and girls.
When private schools of Dharamshala were refusing to admit children from the dirty slums, the monk did not give up. Then the principal of Dayanand Model School opened her doors for these children. At the school, the children proved their talent in sports and other activities along with excelling in studies.
Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama along with former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar inaugurated the state-of-the-art school and hostel of Tong-Len Charitable Trust at Sarah village in the year 2011. This school provides quality education with residential facilities to slum children till Class X free of cost. Apart from this, there is a provision of buses to ferry children from slums to the school.
Due to efforts of the monk, children are getting higher education and carving out a respectable place in society for themselves. Recently, a girl named Pinky, who used to beg with her mother in McLeodganj 20 years ago, became a doctor after passing the MBBS course.
The Trust has also started courses like electrician, tailoring and driving for unemployed youths from poor families so that they can become self-reliant. Many slum dwellers in the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation area have also got houses under the government scheme with the financial help of the Trust.
Recently, the Chief Minister inaugurated a mobile clinic bus of the Trust equipped with modern facilities. It has complete treatment facilities, including all types of tests and X-rays. Through its already running permanent clinics and mobile clinics, the Trust will provide free healthcare facilities to 20,000 poor people every year.