Other Projects

Tibetan Homes Foundation Mussoorie Supplementary Diet Project

Currently TRAS has agreed to allocate donations from Tibetans in Canada to a food supplement program at the THF.

The Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF) was established by the Dalai Lama in 1962. It takes care of the overall development and cultural upbringing of orphan, semi-orphan and destitute Tibetan children inside and outside Tibet. THF runs four schools (three of them are boarding schools), with 1900 to 2000 children under its care. The Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie, north India, was one of the first two Tibetan children’s homes opened in India and has been supported by TRAS since 1962.

THF Home built by TRAS in 1962

TRAS was recently contacted by a Tibetan Canadian, Khechog, asking if he and his friends could sponsor some children at the Tibetan Homes Foundation (THF) in Mussoorie, north India. TRAS has arranged sponsorships at THF since the early 1960s, and sensing a story, TRAS asked Khechog how he came to hear of TRAS and THF.

Here’s what he told us: “I was born in Tibetan Homes Foundation where my parents served as foster parents in Home 13, one of the 25 homes, each holding 25 children, most of them orphans or semi orphans. As a teenager I was transferred to Home 8/18, a large Victorian building which housed two Homes. It had a plaque indicating it was funded by TRAS. The plaque explains that TRAS donated this home. In 1981, my family moved to Alberta and I graduated from high school and then from university with a degree in Electrical Engineering. There are around 25 THF alumni in Calgary, about twice that many in Toronto and a few in BC. This past April, THF organized an event to express gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala and I attended. On my return to Canada, I decided to help the current students at THF and organized the first fundraising event for THF in Alberta, raising $10,500 and finding sponsors for 16 students. One project we decided upon, during our visit to THF, was to improve nutrition for the THF children and we are very grateful that TRAS has agreed to endorse this project and also to look after the sponsorships.”

It’s wonderful to see the circle completed, as Khechog gives back to help today’s children at THF. Thank you, Khechog, for your generous donation and for entrusting TRAS to carry out your wishes.

By donating to this project, you will help with providing nutritious food to the children – fruit, eggs, meat, cheese – for better growth, better body metabolism, and better health, preventing nutrient deficiencies.

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Dr Yosef Wosk Family Foundation Library Project

Buddhism Library Section

Thanks to the Yosef Wosk Family Foundation and Dr Wosk’s determination to spread the joy of reading and learning far and wide, TRAS is helping hundreds of children with a supply of new books and library furniture!

Hope for Children has been able to set up 7 remote village library centers in the Almora and Naintal regions in the Himalayas. Read their November 2024 report

Sundrawati Basic School, Dolakar, Nepal – A new project to provide books and furniture (tables, chairs, and bookshelves) to Sundrawati Basic School (nursery to Grade 8) in Dolakha, Nepal. 100 boys and girls aged 5 to 15 (girls outnumber the boys) will benefit from a collection of stories, biographies, poetry, essays, Nepali and English grammar, and dictionaries. Most of the children in this school are from the Thami community, one of the most deprived communities in the region. Read their November 2024 report

Tibetan Children’s Village – Lower Chauntra school library – The support of new books for their library will benefit 454 students – report pending

Tibetan Children’s Village – Suja, Bir school library – The purchase of new books for their library will benefit 427 students of all ages. – report pending

Sambhota Tibetan Schools– the purchase of new books will benefit 282 students in Miao, 203 students in Tenzingang and 66 students in Tezu. Their report is due in December.

Rainbow School Library, Zanskar, Ladakh – support in establishing a well-furnished library.  See the report from the school president here.

Read more about this project on page 7 in our 2024 Fall Newsletter

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DONATE HERE

2023-2024 Financial Statements

2023-2024 Audited Financial Statements

There’s an upcoming change to the Accounting Standards for Not-for-Profit Organizations. Previously some organizations (like TRAS) recorded designated donations (e.g. towards a specific project) as restricted funds with revenues recognized on receipt of donations; others recorded them as deferred revenue (it’s not added to revenue until the donation is actually distributed to support the project). Under the new standards, all not-for-profit organizations should record them as deferred revenue. For more information, see this post by Grant Thornton. Accordingly, our auditors recommended that we use the deferred revenue method starting from 2023-2024, and we’ve done so. See “Deferred contributions” on page 3, and the note regarding “Revenue Recognition” on page 6. We still keep track of TRAS’ plans to meet future commitments (projects and scholarships), whether designated donations towards those commitments have been made or not, as shown in note 7.

See all Financial Statements here

2023-2024 Sponsorship Report

The Himalayan region is both spectacularly beautiful, and at the same time, one of the poorest regions in the world. Sponsorship enables these Tibetan children to receive a quality education as well as learn more about their Tibetan culture and language.

The sponsorship program began in May 1964 with 13 sponsors. Today we have 73 sponsors supporting 119 children. Over the years our sponsors have helped over 815 children graduate with many of them going on to post-secondary studies.

In 2023-24 we had 10 children graduate, 1 was selected as destitute and is receiving free education and 1 did not return to school as her father had passed away and her mother wanted her at home.

School reports, letters and cards were forwarded to many sponsors during the year. Many sponsors send cards and letters, and they have been warmly received by the children who love to hear from their sponsors.

Sponsorship disbursements are sent to the schools and settlements twice a year and we thank everyone who has paid for the 2024 year. Sponsorship renewal letters will go out in December via email.

We would like to help give as many Tibetan children as we can, a chance to grow up healthy and with enough education to improve their lives and those of their families and communities.

Please contact us at info@tras.ca or call 604-224-5133 if you would like to sponsor a child