One of the major projects of TRAS was the Voice of Children (VOC) Education Project run byAMANand VIMARSH, two Indian non-profits in Almora and Nainital districts of northern India. The outcome of this recently completed project in eleven mountain villages displayed remarkable success in reducing school dropouts, child labour, and child marriages. Health, sanitation, community engagement, women’s rights and education for girls have all improved. The project is now self-sustaining.
AMAN and VIMARSH are determined to use their experience and expertise to help more remote villages in the same way and have already consulted the women and the village elders in nine selected villages, who urgently want the Hope for Children project to begin. These villages are mired in severe poverty. There is a notable absence of adequate educational facilities. Hope for Children will provide crucial assistance to children, ensuring their access to quality education. Better health, sanitation and skills training for youth will unlock doors to higher education, employment, and improved quality of life for marginalized sections of society. Empowering women, children, and adolescent girls will reduce the prevalent violence against women, child labour and child marriages.
TRAS is excited to support Hope for Children with its very real chance of building success upon previous success. This is grassroots development at its best. We have agreed to an initial two-year project and are beginning our fundraising efforts to support it.
Many more details will emerge as the programs gear up and we’ll be reporting fully on it in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, we ask our donors to get behind Hope for Children to bring lasting change for the better to nine more villages. It will only happen with your support.
The cost of this project for the 956 children in nine villages is $59,688.00 – a mere $63.00 per child.
The Rinchen Zangpo Society for Spiti Development is a non-government organization registered as a non-profit society with the Government of India, grassroots initiated by the people of Spiti in 1993 and was the first successful non-government organization in the district. The Society was established with a deep commitment to promote and propagate quality education among the poor children of Spiti and neighbouring area. The Society is also dedicated to providing modern educational facilities and to preserving their unique culture and traditions. In general, the Society wants to uplift the living standard for the people of the Spiti valley. Their mission is to offer young Spitians the best possible education as well as spiritual values and particularly to encourage education for girls at all levels.
The Society runs Munsel-ling School, which has approximately five hundred students, a branch school in Kaza with about three hundred students up to Class 5 and the Rewa school in Rongtonga which provides free education for girl children of poor families.
Their selection of students for the TRAS scholarship is based on the financial condition of the student’s family. Each year they receive many applications. In 2013 Rinchen Zangpo selected two students. Each student was awarded $1,000 yearly for three years. Since 2013 TRAS has been able to send $60,000, fifteen students graduated with degrees, and six are still studying.
From 2013 to 2023, four students have graduated with a BA’s, five with a BSc, one with a BSc and a BA in Teaching, one with a BSc in Mathematics, one with her Masters in Anthropology (the first girl in the Spiti valley to study this subject), one with her Master’s in Teaching, one with a Medical degree and one with a degree in Public Administration.
The first two students selected were Tenzin Y. and Tenzin A. Both young women attended Munsel-ling School until Class 10 and the Government School in Dharmsala for Classes 11 and 12.
Tenzin Y, is from a single parent family in Chicham Village, Spiti. Her dream was to become a teacher and she graduated with her Master’s in teaching in 2017. She is now teaching in her village.
Tenzin A, is from a poor family in Lahoul, Spiti. She also wanted to follow her dream and became a teacher. She graduated in 2016 with a Batchelor’s degree and is now teaching at Munsel-ling school.
Tenzin A teaching at Munsel-ling School
Another young lady, Tashi T. was selected to receive a scholarship in 2015 and graduated with her BA degree and is now teaching in her village of Rangrik.
The Voice of Children (VOC) is based in Uttarakhand, North India and is comprised of two NGO’s, AMAN in Almora and VIMARSH in Nainital. In rural villages, education is often under-valued, and families would prefer that their children remain at home to work. Furthermore, the barriers to education including cost and distance are major deterrents. VOC has solved these issues with their Education Support Centres, Tuition Classes, and Computer Literacy programs and through gaining parental acceptance for the value of education. TRAS has supported the VOC Education Project since 2009. You can read more on the VOC under Projects at tras.ca/projects.
VOC scholarship interviews
Since 2016 TRAS has been able to send $58,000 to the VOC Scholarship Fund, fifteen students have graduated and twelve are continuing their education.
Tanuja T. was one of the first students selected by the VOC in 2016. Tanuja is a resident of Village Dangikhola, Ramra District Almora, Uttarakhand. Her father is a private school teacher, and her mother is a helper at the Aganbadi Center (an integrated child development center). Her family’s income is $120.00US per month. Tanuja has three siblings, and her family could not afford the fees for Tanjula’s post-secondary education. Tanjula passed the entrance exam of Polytechnic in computer science and with the aid of the scholarship was able to enroll and graduated with a degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Tanjula says “I am a high performing girl from an underprivileged background. Through the scholarship program, I had the opportunity to continue my higher studies despite financial constrictions. I am thankful to AMAN and TRAS for my education.”
Tanuja T. with her proud mother and brother Soni M.
Soni M. is an inspiring individual who is currently pursuing a degree in the Science stream from SSJ University in Almora, with a focus on Chemistry, Botany and Zoology. Despite being a bright student, Soni faced some challenges due to the language transition from Hindi, which was the medium of instruction during her 12th grade studies, to English, which is the language of instruction in her BSc program.
However, Soni’s dedication and hard work helped her overcome the language barrier. She is determined to excel in her studies and make the most of her educational opportunities. Soni’s academic journey began in a small remote village, and now she has moved to the city to pursue her higher education, showing her commitment to achieving her goals.
Apart from her academic pursuits, Soni has a passion for reading books. She understands the importance of education and literacy, which has led her to contribute to her community. Soni is actively involved in the Community Book Club library on a voluntary basis in Almora. This library is supported by the VOC and other like-minded groups, with the aim of providing access to books and educational resources for underprivileged students.
Soni’s story showcases her determination, resilience, and commitment to both persona growth and community service. Despite facing language challenges and coming from a humble background, she is striving to achieve academic success and make a positive impact on society.
Ruchi B.
Ruchi B. was selected in the fall of 2022 by the Voice of Children. Ruchi’s journey from a humble background in the village of Kesta (Daulaghat) to Almora City, where she is pursuing her BSc degree and aspiring to become a teacher, is truly inspiring. Despite facing financial obstacles, Ruchi’s commitment to education and determination to overcome challenges have been remarkable.
Having achieved first division in her intermediate exams from G.G.I. C. Daulaghat Almora, Ruchi’s academic excellence showcased her dedication to her studies and set the foundation for her higher education aspirations. However, with her father working as a farmer to support their family of seven, the financial resources were limited, making it difficult to afford the expenses associated with Ruchi’s education.
Undeterred by the financial constraints, Ruchi sought out a scholarship opportunity to continue her graduation in BSc. Through her connection with the AMAN organization working in her village, she discovered the TRAS-VOC Scholarship program. Ruchi confirmed her eligibility and started receiving the scholarship in 2022, which alleviated the burden of educational expenses. Her proactive approach and resourcefulness in finding support demonstrate her determination to overcome financial obstacles. Currently Ruchi is in her 3rd semester, studying for her BSc Biology.
The Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre – In 2016, the first two students selected from the Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Center were from poor and needy Tibetan families and had been sponsored by TRAS for many years for their basic schooling.
They each received a three-year scholarship and graduated with a BA in 2019.
Tenzin T. wrote “Your financial aid has made my educational journey easier and possible. I know my gratitude will never suffice for your kindness because I owe you, my future. However, this is all I can say, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart and I assure you that your help and kindness will never go to waste.”
To date, TRAS has been able to support thirteen students with a total of $33,000 and seven students have graduated and six are continuing with their studies.
In the words of Tashi W. (BA, third year), “I am elated to share with you that I scored good marks (70%) in my previous exams, and I will keep trying to do my best in my coming days. I think I am very lucky … I am very thankful to you for your kind help.”
We are also very thankful to Tashi, as it was her hard work and dedication (not luck!) that led to her success!
The TRAS Scholarship Fund is celebrating 10 years of success.
The TRAS Scholarship Fund (TSF) was established in 2013 through the generosity of two anonymous donors. It provides bright young students with the opportunity to continue their education at the post-secondary level. 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.
Two scholarship awardees with their proud parents
Our partners in India select the most passionate and hardest-working individuals to be a part of our program. These promising students have excelled in their studies and look forward to becoming excellent role models for their communities.
The TSF initially started a pilot program in 2013 with the Rinchen Zangpo Society for SpitiDevelopment, which runs the Munsel-ling School in the Spiti valley. Young graduates were looking for a chance to continue their education. Spearheaded by TRAS director, Lynn Beck, TRAS began supporting two students per year with this new fund.
The clear benefits and successes of the pilot program encouraged TRAS to invite the Voice of Children (VOC) and the Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre to participate.
The Voice of Children (VOC) is based in Uttarakhand in northern India, and is comprised of two NGOs, AMAN and Vimarsh. Because of the large catchment area and huge demand for post-secondary education, Vimarsh and AMAN are each selecting two new candidates per year.
The Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre is a charitable society working on behalf of Tibetan refugees. For many years TRAS paid for the creche for the workers' babies and toddlers. Several of these children were then sponsored during their school years by TRAS members. These are now the students applying for the two annual scholarships.
Prior to receiving a scholarship, all students must submit their admission confirmation to their respective NGO. Each student selected receives a three-year scholarship of $1,000 CAD per year.
The recipients have all been happily sharing their excellent report cards with TRAS, allowing us to both see their progress and share in their enthusiasm.
Each year TRAS receives cards and letters from all the current year scholarship recipients thanking the donors to TRAS for the opportunity to continue their post-secondary studies.
The need for post-secondary education is very high in these poor underserved areas. Each NGO has been able to select two new scholarship candidates each year. These are bright, motivated students whose background reveals a picture of poverty, deprivation, ill health and often a single parent. Their stories are very compelling and their ambitions inspiring, including the desire of one student to become a University Professor!
It is thanks to YOUR generous support of the Scholarship Fund that these courageous students have survived adversity, excelled, and are now able to fulfil their dreams.
The Scholarship Fund needs YOUR support more than ever.
Since 1962, TRAS has funded an array of projects in India, Nepal and Tibet. These range from a large ten-year integrated rural development project amounting to nearly $1million, to ongoing multi-year educational and health-related projects of $30,000 to $60,000 each, to smaller projects needing annual or one-time donations of $2,000 or $5,000. TRAS has funded just over 300 projects in the region.
The early thrust of TRAS’s work was directed to supporting Tibetan refugees. Later TRAS funds contributed to the creation of the Tibetan settlements in northern and southern India. In the 1980s, TRAS reached out to Indian villages near and beyond the Tibetan settlements, and gradually was able to take on larger integrated rural development projects in Nepal as well. Current TRAS-supported projects continue to support our belief that communities thrive when their children are healthy and educated.
TRAS works in partnership with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India, Nepal and Tibet. We send no westerners abroad to manage or to work on projects. We value the fact that we are able to assist local NGOs in their efforts to help their own people.
The benefits of working through local NGOs include:
Local NGOs know the needs of their own communities
Their projects are culturally and economically viable
The local NGOs are strengthened in their ability to manage projects
Using local workers and supplies supports the local economy
The current projects are described below. (Click on the link for more information).
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!
Spearheaded by Director Lynn Beck, TRAS began supporting two students per year with this new fund. The successful applicants receive $1000 (Canadian) per year, for three years of post-secondary education. This allows them to pursue their education and reach their full potential.
The clear benefits and successes of the pilot program encouraged TRAS to invite the Voice of Children and the Dekyiling Handicraft Centre to participate. As of November 2017, TRAS had 14 students enrolled in the TSF. Thanks to the TSF and their own hard work, several students have graduated, including Tenzin Yangzom and Tashi Tsomo, who are now both pursuing their master’s degrees!
Tashi Angmo
Our Well-Deserving Recipients:
Our partners abroad select the most passionate and hardest-working individuals to be a part of our program. These promising students have excelled in their studies and look forward to becoming excellent role models for their communities.
Tsering Dolker
In the words of Tashi Wangmo (BA third year) “I am elated to share with you that I scored good marks (70%) in my previous exams and I will keep trying to do my best in my coming days. I think I am very lucky…I am very thankful to you for your kind help.”
We are also very thankful to Tashi, as it was her hard-work and dedication (not luck!) that led to her success!
Tashi Tsomo
Our first two recipients studied to become teachers so that they can give back to their communities. In our second year, the two young women (Tashi Tsomo and Sherpa Dolma) were accepted at the prestigious Miranda College in New Delhi, studying mathematics. As mentioned above, Tashi Tsomo graduated with a BSc (Math honors) and has gone on to an MSc at Delhi University.
Sherpa Dolma
Sonam Dolkar
The TSF recipients have been happily sharing their excellent report cards with TRAS, allowing us to both see their progress and share in their enthusiasm! Through the help of TRAS, its partners overseas, and especially donors like you, the TSF has provided an excellent opportunity to aid these young women in fulfilling their dreams, lifting themselves out of poverty, and improving their homes and local communities. We thank you for your gifts, and we thank these students for their hard work and tenacity!
