Tong-Len

A Charitable Trust

We 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

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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 aim 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. .

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Our Projects

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Every penny we receive makes a difference and we cannot thank you enough for thinking about us and making a financial contribution.

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.

When Jamyang, a refugee Tibetan monk, arrived in Dharamsala, north India, he witnessed young children living in miserable slum conditions. He discovered that none of these children were attending school. Jamyang was convinced that the only way of breaking the cycle of poverty for these children was through 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.

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

Tong-Len School

Dec 8, 2017

Tong-Len opened a primary school on the 21st August within the hostel premises as a pilot project. There are 74 children between the ages of three and ten in the school, 50 from the hostel and 24 are day pupils from the slums. Currently the school has three classes...

Tertiary Education

Dec 7, 2017

We are delighted that all eight of the year 12 students passed the state board examination with excellent marks. Sarika, Poonam and Nisha Devi are now studying nursing at a college near Dharamsala. Mamta is doing her BA degree and then hopes to specialise in law....

Senior Students’ Outreach Programme

Dec 7, 2017

The senior students of Tong-Len who are studying in various colleges around Dharamsala have taken their acquired leadership, management, team work, social engagement and dedication skills outside of the boundaries of Tong-Len. Having realised the benefit of secular...

13th Anniversary and Thanks Day celebrated on the 19th November

Nov 23, 2017

Tong-Len celebrated its 13th Anniversary and Thanks Day on the 19th November, this being the date on which the first purpose-built hostels were opened by His Holiness The Dalai Lama in 2011. This was a very happy occasion, attended by almost 500 people including...

Medusa Dance Company raise money for Tong-Len

Aug 7, 2017

Thanks once again to the Medusa Dance Company (MDC), from the Crawshaw Academy in Leeds, for donating all the profits from their annual showcase to Tong-Len. MDC is a unique and innovative company of committed and inspiring young women who train twice a week to...

Presentation to educators

Jun 9, 2017

Tong-Len students gave a presentation on secular ethics to 300 Tibetan educators at His Holiness The Dalai Lama's residence. Jamyang gave an introductory speech. Teachers and students shared their experiences. The students told of how practicing secular...