Welcome! |
| Thank you for your interest in Arasmas, a non-profit
organization that endeavors to fund the higher education of Tibetan
refugees living in India.
Since Arasmas was founded (informally in 1999 and then incorporated and granted 501c3 status in 2002), Arasmas has funded the educational pursuits of five students with studies ranging from Tibetan Medicine to Computer Science. To date, the organization has been 100% funded by personal donations, largely in response to an annual fundraising letter. We assist as many students as possible at any given time, yet the demand remains overwhelming.
|
Why Tibetan Refugees? |
| Since His Holiness The Dalai Lama escaped from Lhasa
to Dharamsala, India in 1959, the Tibetan refugee community has continued
to steadily grow in the foothills of the Himalayas and throughout other
parts of India. Every day,
refugees of
all ages arrive in India after trekking over mountain passes, a journey that can
take several weeks. They are welcomed and supported by the community and Tibetan government in
exile as they adjust to a new life of religious and political freedom, but
often without their families.
The hardships of life in exile are temporarily
assuaged for students who enter the excellent Tibetan Children’s Village
School system (TCV) – a network of schools in India built under
the leadership of His Holiness’ sister. The cities that serve as homes to these schools
are now
filled with very bright and talented youths who have completed twelfth
grade, are fluent in four languages (Tibetan, Mandarin, Hindi and
English), and anxious to continue their educational pursuits. It
is these same students, however, who are living in a
foreign land without any family support or financial aid to help them
further extend their educations. The
limited demand for high school graduates also hinders their ability to be
a contributing member of society, leaving many to resort to a passive life
despite their desires to continue to grow and progress. It is these students that Arasmas
strives to support. Top
students at the TCV schools are given Arasmas applications by principals
and faculty, as are those who apply for scholarships with the Tibetan
Government in Exile’s Department of Education. We can assure you that the most difficult part of managing this
small non-profit is selecting which applicants will be awarded funds;
there are many qualified applicants each year, and funds are limited. Thank you for your interest. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if we can offer you any
additional information or answer any questions. Tashi delek, |
Arasmas
|