In 2006 when I was nearly one and a half years old, Lama Tenzin came to my village and saw our village’s poverty. He offered the opportunity of education to me, my older sister, and a few of the other village children. And so, with permission from our parents, he took us to live at the CED Society in Dehradun, India, where Lama Tenzin made sure we had a safe home, good food, and private education.  

Because I was so young, I was fortunate to have sister Karma, Choenyi Lhamo Gurung’s mother, take extra special care of me. I was blessed to have a generous sponsor arrange for surgery when I needed it, and Lama Tenzin brought me to the U.S. to receive that surgery. I stayed in America with Lama Tenzin’s older sister, Pempa, for nearly six months until I was completely healed and able to return to the CED. I currently attend high school and love learning about science. One of my favorite times is when Lama Tenzin takes us kids on long trips to exciting places like Ladakh, Amritsar, Shimla, Agra, and many other cities during our summer and winter vacations.

Since the beginning of COVID, many more people around the world have become poor. Instead of having three meals per day, people have two and sometimes none and are forced to minimize their water and electricity usage. Yet, despite those hardships, Lama Tenzin has been able to provide the children of the CED with nutritious food, good health, and sports so that our body’s immune system stays strong. Fortunately, throughout the COVID lockdowns, we have been able to continue our education through online participation.

I feel very thankful to Lama for providing us with so many opportunities, and like each child in the CED, I share a mission to rid our village’s poverty and help those in terrible need through my education.