Compassion Education

Free Education for young children in upper Tsum

We offer Preschool/Kindergarten for children ages 4-6. Our early education program serves children from the villages of Lamagaun, Burgi, and beyond. We provide play-based learning and pre-literacy. The kids are learning things like sharing, manners, and community building.

Our program began as a pilot project in 2019 and met with great success. Our student population has now grown to over 20, and parent feedback is positive. We are now expanding to add grades year upon year to Class 5 to keep children with their families for as long as possible, so that they aren’t forced to leave for boarding school to obtain reliable, quality education.

Thanks to your support, we have a hot lunch program where kids are provided with a nutritious meal at mid-day.

We have a vision of supplementing education with Tibetan language learning. Tibetan is the Indigenous language of Tsum, as well as the spiritual language of Tibetan Buddhists. Most of Nepal speaks Nepali, but the Himalayan mountain people speak dialects of Tibetan. Government schools use Nepali as the language of learning, so it’s important the children learn Nepali, English, and Tibetan.

Why Language Matters to Culture
We are currently losing about half the languages spoken in our world. When language is lost, so is a part of culture. The Compassion Project aims to protect the beautiful and wise culture of Tsum by helping protect and empower its people through language learning.

Listen to Anthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis speak on the extinction of languages and cultures:

Wade Davis: The loss of language and cultural diversity

Where is the Kindergarten?
Classes are held in a room next to our Compassion Health Centre. As time goes by, the area is beginning to feel like a rich community gathering place. People from nearby villages can come to one place to:

• Obtain free medical help at the Compassion Health Center and

• obtain free education for young children. All within a traditionally styled Tibetan Buddhist monastery building.

This Kindergarten has been created based on the needs of Tsum villagers and their advice. As always, we approach this project from the local level, through the local people. It's so important to us.

Thank you for your support!