Tong-Len
A Charitable TrustWe help displaced communities in North India 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
Taking on humanity, one step at a time...
Tong-Len is a small charity working with displaced Indian communities in the area around Dharamsala. Most families live in a state of desperation within slum camps.
Tong-Len aims to help these homeless communities gain access to basic human rights. The main focus is to break the cycle of deprivation through education. To this end, Tong-Len has established its own school and provides hostel accommodation for those children in most need. .
Our Projects
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
Donate and make a difference today…
Every penny we receive makes a difference and we cannot thank you enough for thinking about us and making a financial contribution.
If you are interested in setting up a standing order, direct debit or for other payment options, please email anna@tong-len.org.
Donate in £GBP
Donate in $AUD
Donate in $CAD
Donate in $USD
Donate in €EUR
About Us
Tong-Len Charitable Trust was registered in December 2004, with a vision to help destitute Indian children, seen begging in the streets and scavenging in the rubbish dumps, gain access to education. Tong-Len UK was founded in March 2005 to raise funds for Tong-Len Charitable Trust.
In some projects, especially health, Tong-Len works in partnership with the Dalai Lama Trust.
Jamyang, a refugee Tibetan monk, was moved by the plight of the young Indian children he saw begging in the street and scavenging in the rubbish bins. He discovered they were living in terrible conditions in a slum camp with no access to clean water, sanitation or education.
Jamyang shared his concerns and his vision to help these children go to school with a few other Tibetan refugees and Western volunteers who helped him establish the charity in India.
The name Tong-Len comes from the Tibetan words meaning ‘give’ and ‘take’, the idea being that through compassion one shares in the suffering and pain of others whilst simultaneously giving out love and kindness. For more of Jamyang’s story, click here.
Our News
Charan slum community is no more
It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we have to tell you that the Charan slum community is no more. On Friday 17th June, around 3pm, the local authority people and the police started destroying the community's homes with their bulldozers. The residents...
Charan Community Eviction Order
The government of Himachal Pradesh has issued an eviction notice to the slum community in Charan Khad. They have been told they must leave but they have no place to go. The senior hostel children decided to act on behalf of their families and their community. They...
International student group raise money to support a slum child
A group of 26 international students from America, Mexico, Germany and China were so impressed with Tong-Len's hostel and the kids themselves on a visit to Dharmasala last year that they made the decision to raise money to sponsor a slum child from Charan for the full...
Children bring in the New Year in the hostel
The hostel children usually celebrate the New Year in their own homes in Charan, but this time the children brought in the New Year at the hostel with a party. The children show pictures and describe this happy event on their own web site makingconnection.org in the...
Christmas celebrations at the hostel
The tent school children from Charan joined the hostel children to celebrate Christmas. Altogether there were more than 300 children at the Christmas festivities. There was much fun and games as can be seen in the video posted by the children on their own...
Hostel Kids hold press conference for 37 journalists
Some of the senior hostel children held a press conference for journalists a few days before the inauguration of the new hostel, chaired by Jamyang, Director, Tong-Len Charitable Trust and also attended by Anna and Gareth Owen (Tong-Len UK). The children told the...
[custom-facebook-feed]
Our Gallery
Experience what we do by visiting our gallery
Get In Touch
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Tong-Len in the UK
Tong-Len UK (Charity Number SC036383),
7 Oak Lane, Edinburgh, EH12 6XH
E-mail: anna@tong-len.org
Tong-Len in India
Charity Number 16284, Tong-Len Hostel, V.P.O., Tehsil Dharamsala District Kangra,
Himachal Pradesh 176215 INDIA
E-mail: jamyang@tong-len.org