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
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About Us
Tong-Len Charitable Trust (Charity Number 16284) was set up in December 2004 to support desperately poor communities in the Dharamsala area of Himachal Pradesh. Its prime focus has been in supporting the educational needs of the children from these communities. It has established its own school and provides hostel accommodation. It also engages in health work. The founder and Director of Tong-Len Charitable Trust, Therchin Gyaltsen (Jamyang), had 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 is a separate and an independent organisation from Tong-Len Charitable Trust and is registered as a charity in Scotland (SC036383). Its sole purpose is to raise funds for the work of Tong-Len Charitable Trust in India. It was established in March 2005.
Agir Ensemble pour Tong-Len is a separate and independent organisation from Tong-Len Charitable Trust and Tong-Len UK and is a registered association in France (W061010272). Its sole purpose is to raise funds for the work of Tong-Len Charitable Trust in India. It was registered in 2018.
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.
Our News
Housing Project
Tong-Len is working with The Dharamshala Municipal Corporation (DMC) to provide housing in a new housing development near the old Charan Khad slum as part of the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) under the Government of India Ministry of...
Update on the new vocational training course in tailoring
We are so pleased to be able to share with you photos of our tailoring course within our brand new Vocational Training Centre. We currently have 10 trainees who are learning a host of skills that we hope will lead them to paid work, freeing them from a life of...
The Tong-Len Vocational Training Centre
The Tong-Len Vocational Training Centre has now trained 30 students on its Construction Electrician Course. The curriculum and facilities have been inspected and approved by NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation of India). Our first batch of trainees are...
Flood Update
Work has started on building new shelters for the residents of the Chetru slum who lost their homes and meagre belongings to the flood waters. The local authority has allowed new shelters to be built on a piece of land close to Sarah village, not far from the Tong-Len...
Chetru floods
You may have seen in the news that there has been terrible weather in the Dharamsala area leading to flash flooding and landslides. The Chetru slum has been very badly affected, with many families’ homes and possessions swept away by flood waters. These marginalised...
International Women’s Day 2021 – 8th March
Yesterday, 8th March, was International Women’s Day 2021 and the theme for this year is #ChooseToChallenge. Women and girls are more likely to live in poverty, and the negative effects of Covid-19 have impacted women disproportionately. We must all #choosetochallenge...
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Tong-Len Charitable Trust
Tong-Len Charitable Trust (Charity Number 16284), V.P.O. Mohal Jatehar Mouza Sarah, Tehsil Dharamshala 176215,District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, India, Phone No ( +91 ) 9816314891
Director: Therchin Gyaltsen
Tong-Len UK
Tong-Len UK (Charity Number SC036383), 5 South Charlotte St, Edinburgh, EH2 4AN, UK
Director: Anna Owen
Agir Ensemble pour Tong-Len
Agir Ensemble pour Tong-Len (Association Number W061010272), 1715 route de Biot, 06560 Valbonne, France