FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
THF was established by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in November 1962 with late Mrs. Rinchen Dolma Taring as its first General Secretary. It is a registered charity in India.
2. What is the primary mission of THF?
You are requested to go through the mission of THF at the home page to know the same .
3. Who are the primary beneficiaries of THF?
The beneficiaries of THF are of two categories – children and old aged people. Among the children, it is mostly those escaping from Tibet, orphans, semi-orphan or from destitute families. As for the oldies, they come from both Tibet and Tibetan settlements here in India.
4. What form of support is provided to the beneficiaries?
There are two types of supports –
a) All round care – children and elderly people live with THF
b) Family strengthening programme – THF reaches out to children and elderly people in different families in India and supports education or maintenance.
5. What are facilities THF provides and where?
THF runs Children’s homes, Schools, a Vocational Training Centre, Old people’s homes and other ancillary facilities which are situated at Mussoorie,Rajpur and Rishikesh.
6. What is in a day’s life of a child at the Foundation?
A child grows up in a wholesome environment at the Foundation. The day begins early morning at 5:30 am followed by morning runs, exercises, prayers, study and breakfast before leaving for School which begins at 8: 30 am. The School hours are upto 3:30 pm with a lunch recess in the afternoon. Tea time is at 4:00 pm after which they have free play hours, self study, evening prayers, dinner and bed time is at 9:00 pm. Other than this daily routine, it is the beautiful home structure of the upbringing which molds every child here to become self reliant and productive member of the community. A child learns to take responsibility of cooking, cleaning, looking after younger ones and of-course within the Tibetan culture and traditional structure he/she grows up into a true Tibetan citizen.
7. Is the School education imparted by you to children recognized outside?
The Tibetan Homes School is affiliated to the National Board of Education recognized by the Indian Colleges and universities. The students after graduating from this School have the opportunity to pursue any line of higher education they prefer in India or elsewhere.
8. What are the different languages learnt by children at School and what are the opportunities for them after Schooling?
Children learn three languages – Tibetan, English and Hindi at School. The medium of instruction at School is Tibetan till grade V and English thereafter. After their schooling, the children have a world of opportunities given to them under the counselling of the School Career Counselor. The School has all the three streams of study for the senior grades XI and XII viz Commerce, Science and Arts.
9. Who finances the works of the Foundation?
Since the Foundation is a registered charity, all its expenses are met through charities received in the form of sponsorships and donations from individuals and NGOs. The Foundation has no commercial set up to raise funds for its functions.
10. What is the organisational set up of THF?
At the helm of the Foundation is the Governing Body chaired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama who frames policies and programmes of the Foundation. The General Secretary is the Chief Executive appointed by the Governing Body for implementation of the policies and smooth management of the organization. He runs the Foundation through various departments with respective heads for ease of administration.
11. What happens to children who are unable to complete their School?
Not all children being academically inclined therefore other alternatives of learning vocational tudies or skills are made available for the children within campus or outside.
12. What happens after the children graduate from School?
Children, after graduating School, pursue higher studies depending on their aptitude, interests and marks obtained in the School leaving examinations. THF has a Scholarship programme under which all students can register for their higher studies.
13. Finally where will the child go after completing his or her higher studies, would he or she return to Tibet?
It entirely depends on the individual child. Once the child has completed his higher education, it will be his or her decision where they wish to go. Some return back home in Tibet, while some work within the Tibetan community and some get absorbed in the Indian community or elsewhere.
14. Do the children have any contacts with their parents in Tibet?
Yes, some of them have contacts while some do not.
15. How can I support THF in its activities?
You can support THF mainly in two ways:
a) Financially – by joining sponsorship programme for children or elderly people by making general donations or by donating for specific projects, or by asking friends and potential donors to financially support the works of the Foundation,
b) Services – by donating time and special skills that are needed in the works of the Foundation.
16. How does sponsorship of a child or elderly person work?
The sponsorship programme works in a simple way – a child or an elderly person is assigned to you and you meet the expenses of the beneficiary in part or full. In return you are in contact with your sponsored beneficiary and receive reports and photos and you are also most welcome to visit him or her.
17. What is the cost of sponsoring a child at School and at college?
The cost of sponsoring a child while at School is Indian Rupees 24,000/- per year while in college it is Indian Rupees 45,000/- per year. The above costs meet all the expenses of the child including lodging, boarding, education, medical needs and so on.
18. What is the cost of sponsoring a senior citizen?
The cost of sponsoring a senior citizen is Indian Rupees 18,000/- per year. The cost covers all the needs of the elderly person for a year.
19. Do my donations to THF give me any relief in tax?
Yes,all donations made to THF are exempted under Section 80G and 10(23c) of Income Tax Act 1961.
20. Does taking up sponsorship mean a long term commitment or entire educational support of the child?
21. Can I make small donations rather than the entire sponsorship costs?
Yes! Our system of working is pooling resources thus any amount of support is greatly appreciated.
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