SMDBS (SMD Branch School) monks taking exams at Namo Buddha

SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

As the backbone of our fundraising activity, sponsorship is a way of providing basic needs and education for the underprivileged children, monks and nuns who are in the care of Thrangu Rinpoche’s schools, nunnery and monasteries. You may directly sponsor a boarding or day student, a nun or a monk, which means paying set fees on a yearly basis. It is up to each sponsor to decide whether they want to be in contact with the child they sponsor or if they want to remain anonymous. The fees provide food, clothing, study materials, education and simple medical care.

While sponsorship is extremely important, it does not cover all the costs of running the schools and monastery so we also depend on general, unrestricted donations and contributions for specific projects.

PARTIAL SPONSORSHIP

If a full sponsorship is not within your budget, you may choose to do a partial sponsorship. We will match your chosen contribution with the partial payments of others until we cover the full amount. You may also decide to share a full sponsorship with other friends or family. 

Kindergarten class at SMD

SPONSORSHIP OF STUDENTS

As a response to the need expressed by many families from the remote mountain villages of Nepal, Thrangu Rinpoche created Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School (SMD) in 1987. Unique in its vision, SMD offers equal education to boys and girls, allows lay and monastic children to study together, and provides studies in Tibetan language and cultural arts. The children receive a full academic education as approved by the Nepali government and at the same time can study Dharma and maintain their cultural heritage.

Students attend SMD as either boarding or day students (also called day boarders). Day students receive all the same meals, education and after school activities as boarders, the only differece is that they do not sleep at the school. Both girls and boys need sponsorship. Very few families can afford to send their children to school but they greatly value education and come to SMD and the SMD Branch School for young monks (SMDBS) hoping to enroll their children and to find financial assistance.

Your sponsorship will provide that assistance.

-Full sponsorship for a boarding student is $940 (USD) per year.
-Full sponsorship for a monk's education is $480 (USD) per year.
-Full sponsorship for a day student is $430 (USD) per year.
-Senior sponsorship:
Gap year Seniors: $430 (USD) (Class 10 grads on gap year giving service)
Seniors: $1,225 (USD) (after gap year, living at SMD and finishing high school)

To see students who need sponsors please visit the SMD website: www.himalayanchildren.org

While most of Thrangu Rinpoche's nuns live at Tara Abbey in Swyambunath, Nepal, some are in the traditional three year retreat in Manang while others are studying in various places in India and a few are living and teaching at centers abroad. Sponsorship money is pooled to provide for all nuns equally and the nuns are eager to correspond with their sponsors.

-Basic sponsorship for a nun is $240 (USD) per year.
-Nuns in school at SMD need an extra $240 (USD) per year.

SPONSORSHIP OF MONKS

In addition to Thrangu Tashi Choling Monastery, (Thrangu Rinpoche’s original monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal,) there are now many branches: Thrangu Tashi Yangtse monastic and educational center in the mountains at Namo Buddha, Hinang Monastery, Nubri, Lumbini Monastery, Thrangu Sekar Retreat Center, Bhaktapur. Additionally, Rinpoche has 2 monastic and educational centers in India - Vajra Vidya Institute in Sarnath and Pullahari Drubkhang near Nalanda. The monks are mobile between locations depending on their tasks and the yearly schedule. Monks studying in the Shedra (a monastic college) study part of the year in India and part in Nepal. 

Young grade and high school age monks receive both a secular and monastic education. They may study at Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School in Boudhanath (SMD) or at the branch school in Namo Buddha (SMDBS), these monks may also be mobile between locations spending a few years at the school in Boudha and the rest at Namo Buddha according to how they are assigned by their teachers and Thrangu Rinpoche.

There are three categories of sponsorship for monks:

-Basic sponsorship for a monk is $240 (USD) per year.

-Sponsorship of a monk at SMD or SMDBS is $480 (USD) per year.

-Sponsorship of a Shedra Monk is $600 (USD) per year.