In 2006, when I was 12 years old, Lama Tenzin came to our village with his sister, Pempa Negi, and two senior students of the CED, including my sister Passang Lhamo who has lived at the CED since 2000. The trip reunited the girls with their families in Dolpo and shared their experiences after being away for a few years.

It was exciting to hear about my sister’s new home in Dehradun, India, and everything she had experienced since leaving our small village and family of nine. At the same time, brother Lama Tenzin was having a conversation with my mother, I happened to run into his sister, Pempa Negi while returning from tending our cattle. Both spoke about the benefits of receiving a better education and more opportunities, just as my sister Passang Lhamo had.

Because my father was away from the village working and collecting yarsagamba (a highly sought-after parasitic worm fungus), my mom decided to let me join my sister at the CED to receive an excellent education. So along with a few other children Lama Tenzin had selected, we headed on our trek to India, arriving at the CED in mid-July of 2006, where my life would change forever, and my future became much brighter.

For the first year after arriving in India, I was homeschooled at the CED because I could not speak Hindi and the English language necessary to attend school. Since graduating high school, I am pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in Animation from Chandigarh University, and my dream is to become a graphic designer and create motion graphics.

My success and achievements have been made possible by the unconditional support of brother Lama Tenzin, the sponsors, and my family. I am blessed and grateful to Lama Tenzin and all of the CED sponsors.