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Many thanks for your support. _______________________________________________________________ This year in September, Kieran and I will be travelling to Northwest India. We will be visiting many cities inhabited by Tibetan refugees in India as well as embarking on a 6 day hike in the Himalayas. We have been so lucky to see parts of world and travel - this vacation, we wanted to be sure to give something back to the area we visit. Kieran and I have chosen to donate our money and time to Tong-Len Charitable Trust and spend some time with the charity on our trip. We wanted to offer the opportunity to all of our friends and family to help out the Tong-Len Charitable Trust as well. We realise that everyone has various commitments throughout the year, but here is an opportunity to learn more about a culture and help those in need ... but only if it works for you. 1. Please do not feel obligated to donate. 2. Please do read the information below on how Tong-Len helps displaced families and decide for yourself if you might be interested in helping their cause. 3. Please note that you will NOT be contributing to the cost of our trip. Our trip is paid for and any donation made goes wholly and directly to the charity. A bit about our trip: Kieran and I will fly to Delhi and travel almost immediately to Dharamsala (the home of the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees). In Dharamsala, we will meet with Tong-Len Charitable Trust. While also in Dharamsala, we hope to arrange an audience with his holiness the Dalai Lama (This is not uncommon and may of course not be possible - but a big bonus). We will then travel to Bir (another Tibetan colony). We then begin our 6-day trek to Majaj-Shanaj-Bahrua-Bal-Dena Park walking approx 6-7h per day with 3 overnights in tents and 2 overnights in a base camp. The final night we will stay in the Taragarh palace before transferring back to Delhi. Back in Delhi, we will have a couple days to sightsee before going home. A bit about Tong-Len Charitable Trust (more info in attachment): Tong-Len is a partnership of two registered charities, Tong-Len Charitable Trust (Registered in India in December 2004: Charity Number 16284) and Tong-Len UK (Charity Number SC036383), which was established in March 2005 to provide funds for the work in India. Tong-Len works towards goals of universal education and poverty relief within displaced communities in the Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Displaced families in this region, who originate from some of the poorest areas of India, came to Himachal seeking work, but in an already crowded labour market, and amidst a climate of racial and caste-based discrimination, very few have been successful. As a result, many families struggle to survive, subsisting on very low incomes which often fail to meet their basic needs. Children, like their parents, have little or no opportunities for education and many spend their days scavenging, looking for anything that might provide an income. Health and sanitary conditions are extremely poor, and the land on which the communities live is becoming increasingly degraded, further marginalising opportunities for sustainable living.
Tong-Len aims to help these communities achieve a secure and sustainable future by addressing the root causes of their poverty and ill-health through a range of education and health-based projects: Educational ProgrammesChild Education and SponsorshipChildren's Support Hostel Health Care5 Year Integrated Development Plan |
