Year of the Fire Horse 2026!

In the Tibetan calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse and at the Lumla Bodong Nunnery, the girls took time to celebrate with special treats and prayers. In keeping with our custom, we are pleased to share this news update on what’s been happening at the Tara Bodong Foundation – both here in the Netherlands and, of course, at the Bodong Nunnery!

Education first

In 2025, six girls successfully completed high school and received the Indian School Certificate (ISC) or Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) qualification — equivalent to an International Baccalaureate or pre-university certification. This is four years more than India’s mandatory education requirement. After graduation, the girls will remain at the nunnery to continue their Buddhist studies as Tibetan nuns. Those who choose to, may go on to pursue the Geshema degree — the highest academic qualification in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. With this academic certification together with their Buddhist training, they will be better able to chart their own futures.

In this remote Himalayan region where access to girls’ education remains limited, this achievement reflects Tara Bodong’s mission in action — made possible by your continued support!!

Planning for the future

Eventually, all girls currently residing at the nunnery will complete their education, with the youngest expected to graduate in eight years’ time. As we look ahead, we are exploring opportunities to extend our work to other under-served Himalayan regions. One of our committee members, Vartika, is from Kinnaur, a remote district in Himachal Pradesh, located near Kashmir. Much like Lumla, Kinnaur lies in the rugged terrain of the middle Himalayas, where access to education remains a challenge, especially for girls. With the help of Vartika and her family, we have reached out to a small local charity with a similar mission. For many years, this organisation has been providing young girls with housing and financial support so they can go to school. The facility is not tied to any religion and we hope to be able to mobilize some additional financial support here in the Netherlands so thay can continue their good work. We will provide more information as that develops.

Fundraising

Graduation party (September)

To honor our graduates and say thanks to their sponsors, we hosted a party at the Tolhuis Café in Hilversum. As always, it was a great moment to reconnect and update everyone on what’s been happening at the Foundation. One of the main topics discussed was the new project in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Vartika showed some pictures of daily life in Kinnaur Village where young girls face a similar situation of limited access to education.

Buy a Tulip – Help a Girl (October)

Students from several schools came together to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, raising more than €2,000 through our annual Buy a Tulip – Help a Girl campaign. Proceeds have been allocated to Tara Bodong’s maintenance and contingency fund.

Hummingbird Choir Christmas Market (December)

We are also grateful to the Hummingbird Choir Hilversum, which selected Tara Bodong as beneficiary of its 2025 Christmas Market. Together, choir members raised €1,170 in support of our work. Special thanks to choir Director, Natasha Parry for her continued commitment.

Your support matters!

As usual, we end with our gratitude for your continued support and financial contributions. This money helps cover essential costs including food, housing, schooling and care for the girls. Since COVID, the prices of goods and services have increased by double digits and we have had to increase our monthly payments to cover salaries and living expenses. In the meantime, we would like again to thank you for your support and wish you the very best to you and your families.

With gratitude,

Christian, Vincent, Debbie, Tatjana, Renee, Vartika

Keep checking our website for more news and updates!