News

Scholarship Success Stories

  • Sangay

Sangay’s case history received by TRAS in 2015 from the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre, Dehradun:

Sangay came from Arunachal Pradesh with her parents 4 years ago. Later her parents separated and Sangay, along with her sister remained with their mother. Her mother, a very hard worker,  joined the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre and was able to receive  much needed financial support, however she still needed a sponsor to help with her young daughter’s education. It will be a blessing if a sponsor is found soon.

Sangay was sponsored by Nancy in 2015, who continued to support her until her graduation in June, 2022. Through the sponsorship program she was able to attend the Tibetan Home School in Mussoorie and graduate with top marks. Sangay then applied for and received admission at the Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Medical & Health Sciences College of Nursing, Patel Nagar, Dehradun.

The TRAS Scholarship Fund (TSF), established through the generosity of two anonymous donors, provides bright young students with the opportunity to continue their education after high school. With the knowledge and skills gained from quality universities in India, these students are then able to return home and make a powerful and tangible difference within their communities! The TSF has continued to flourish with generous donations from our members.

The clear benefits and successes of the TSF pilot program encouraged TRAS to invite the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre to participate.  Thanks to the TSF and their own hard work, several students have graduated. 

Sangay applied for and received a three year scholarship through the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre and is now on her way in becoming a nurse.

TRAS is very proud of both programs and of the hard working students.

Please see the delightful letter Sangay has written to her sponsor.

  • Tenzin K

Tenzin’s Case History received by TRAS in 2011 from the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre, Dehradun

Tenzin was born in 2003 and she came with her mother from Bhutan like many other Tibetan refugees. Tenzin’s parents came from Tibet in 1959 and took refuge in Bhutan after the Chinese forcefully occupied Tibet.  Tenzin’s father died in 2005 due to a prolonged illness leaving behind a two year old daughter and her mother. Tenzin’s mother is in poor health and cannot do any hard work. She was hired as a babysitter at the Dekyiling Handicraft Center to look after the babies while their mothers worked in the centre. Since her mother is drawing a limited salary and has no other source of income we are reaching out to find a sponsor. So your kind support is very much needed for her to pay basic education fees and daily amenities.

Tenzin was sponsored by Gabrielle in 2011 until her graduation in 2021.  Through the sponsorship program Tenzin was able to attend school and graduate with top marks. She then applied for and received admission at the Ram Institute of Hotel Management in Dehradun, India.

Tenzin applied for and received a three year scholarship for her Bachelor Degree in Hotel Management through the Trans-Himalayan Scholarship Fund (TSF) and the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre.

The TRAS Scholarship Fund (TSF), established through the generosity of two anonymous donors, provides bright young students the opportunity to continue their education after high school. With the knowledge and skills gained from quality universities in India, these students are then able to return home and make a powerful and tangible difference within their communities! The TRAS scholarship was able to flourish with the generous donations from our members.

TRAS is very proud of both the Sponsorship and Scholarship programs and of the hard working students. 

Tenzin’s sponsor had communicated with TRAS many times before she passed away in 2021 on how proud she was of being a sponsor and how proud she was of Tenzin.

Update on the Scholarship Program

Please read the success stories on Sangay and Tenzin K. Both young women were sponsored through TRAS and after graduation received scholarships to continue their education.

Read about the TRAS Scholarship Fund here.

Please donate today to the Scholarship Fund

Thank you!

Bob Walker Memorial Fund

Dr. Bob Walker of Victoria, BC passed away peacefully on the 30th of April, 2022.

Bob was born on the 15th of May, 1936, in Nottingham, England. He attended Lancaster Royal Grammar school, then Newcastle Medical School. After graduation, his first job was working in Bedford, England. In 1965 he emigrated to Canada, along with his wife Dorothy (nee Cowan) and two young children – Liz and Al. They settled in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where Bob practiced medicine for ten years at the Port Arthur clinic. During that time, a second son, Dave, was born. In 1974, Bob and his family moved to Vernon, BC, where he practiced as a GP. While they were living in Vernon, Dorothy passed away in 1977, and Bob became a widower.

Bob then met his future wife Janice (nee Mann), whom he married in 1980. They welcomed a new addition to the family, a daughter – Szu. After retirement, Bob and Janice moved to Vancouver, BC and later relocated to Victoria, BC.

Bob was a kind, gentle, compassionate and courageous man in his own humble way. He was an avid bird-watcher, enjoyed playing guitar and going for walks in the countryside, and loved British antique sports cars and car racing. He and Janice had the privilege of traveling to many parts of the world, such as East Africa, the Galapagos islands, and India. Bob was a practicing Buddhist and was ordained by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in 2012 with the Dharma name True Profound Achievement.

Bob and Janice sponsored the education of children in the Himalayas through the Trans-Himalayan Aid Society (TRAS) for many years. If you would like to make a donation to TRAS to honour and celebrate Bob’s life, you can do so by:

  • E-transfer to email address: info@tras.ca and add reference “Bob Walker Memorial Fund”
  • Credit card online via CanadaHelps
  • Credit card by phoning the TRAS office at 604-224-5133 (the phone line is monitored regularly)
  • Cheque made out to TRAS. Please note “Bob Walker Memorial Fund” on the bottom of the cheque, and mail it to:

    TRAS
    1183 Melville St
    Vancouver, BC, V6E 2X5

Thank you for honouring Bob’s memory.