Educating Tibetan Bon Children and Youth

Creating Hope International’s executive director visited the community in Dolanji February 2010. There have been a lot of improvements completed since a prior mudslide destroyed all the play area for the children. The new grounds for the boys include a basketball court and a paved play yard. The community leaders have completed new bathrooms, extended the size of the meeting hall, modernized the kitchen, added more space in the dining hall, and added lockers for the boys in their dormitories.

The children have new schoolbags with the community logo. The boys’ dormitory has re-organized their sleeping arrangements- the smaller boys sleep together, and the older boys sleep in groups by school class. As before, the older boys care and support the younger ones in daily activities.

In late 2009, the 9th and 10th grade class went on a field trip to Varanasi. Sixteen boys spend eight days visiting museums, holy sites and had activities as the Benares University, where they were housed. All participants had a very good time. Also in 2009, eleven 11th grade students completed their Dolanji education, and are now either continuing their studies or are in training for a job.

To date, 34 Dolanji students are studying in various higher educational institutions. The number of students continuing on to higher education has risen as scholarships have been promised based on good grades and good behavior.