Support for impoverished Himalayan children
Although the Siddhartha’s initiative was largely inspired by the needs of Tibetan refugee children, assistance is not limited to Tibetan children alone. Every year, Siddhartha engages in various projects to help the children of impoverished Himalayan communities. Many of these communities do not have access to schools, and other important resources, such as a proper water supply. Some children have to walk three hours per day to go to school other children do not even have the option of an education. Siddhartha works with KRF Development to help establish local schools for the children and to help improve their general living conditions.
For example, in the small Nepali village of Maratika, the only primary school was unusable due to structural damage. Furthermore, the village did not have a secondary school that would enable the children to go on to higher education or ensure future employment. Requesting our assistance, Siddhartha has been working towards building the proper school structures, employing several teachers, and inspiring the government to help take responsibility for the long-term funding of the teachers’ salaries.
The Rescue of Street Children
Another primary concern is in helping to rescue street children, such as in Kathmandu and Boudhanath, Nepal, who often end up being sold into child labour or worse, into the black market or sex trade. Recently, Pema Wangyal Rinpoche started a program in Nepal to help get the children off the streets and to enable them to receive an education. Songtsen works together with their families, relatives, or community (in cases where such links exist), offering the children the option of receiving full board or attending day school without board and staying with their families. In most cases, full board is preferred as it offers the children decent accommodation, food and clothing.
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