Everything in my life changed one day in early 2000 when I was just four years old and living with my grandparents. It was then that I, along with a few other underprivileged children, were escorted by my uncle Karma Tsewang from our Nepali village to India, where we were offered a chance for a better life by Lama Tenzin.

Lama Tenzin and his family greeted us warmly upon our arrival at his family’s home. We stayed there for one year before moving to the newly constructed CED Society building. Though a little frightened of our unfamiliar surroundings at first, we were also fascinated by this new and strange Indian culture. We were introduced to many new customs, including regular bathing and, of course, school.

We were all sad when in 2008, Lama Tenzin’s mother passed away. She had become a mother to us, and we still miss her. Lama Tenzin la (a term of respect) spent even more time raising us from that point forward. As we grew older, Lama Tenzin assigned each of us CED responsibilities to strengthen our character and learn practical life lessons. Some of our duties and chores included preparing meals, maintenance, and administration. He also began to train us in leadership, community service, and communication skills. With our newly acquired skills, the older children began to oversee and help teach the second group of CED kids.

I have completed my bachelor’s degree in IT (Information Technology) and have begun an M.B.A. program in AI (Artificial Intelligence) to advance my career and future.

It has been a long journey since leaving Dolpo 20 years ago. Our unique family has shared lots of good times and many wonderful experiences. Thank you all for being so compassionate and to our guardian Lama Tenzin for his unwavering.