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Who We Are

The Tara Bodong Foundation (Netherlands), registered in the Netherlands as Stichting Tara Bodong (NL) is a non-profit charitable foundation, which supports humanitarian projects in Northern India and Nepal. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to structurally improve the living conditions of the local people in the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal and help them break out of the vicious circle of hardship which often characterises their lives. ​The purpose of our main project, the Lumla Bodong Nunnery and Girls’ School, is to help educate girls so they could improve their local communities for generations to come. 

Our Roots

Tara Bodong Foundation (Netherlands) was registered on 24 February 2011 by Cecilie (Weirum) Stuyvenberg and Martin Stuyvenberg, who now live in Norway. Both Cecilie and Martin remain active supporters of the charity and our events. 
 
Cecilie´s mother Siri Weirum, who used to work for the Red Cross, met Tibetan Monk Geshe Pema Dorjee on one of her many travels and got introduced to the hardship and desperate need of the people in the Lumla region. She decided to help and subsequently founded Tara Bodong Norway, our sister organisation.

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'Tara Bodong'

The name Tara Bodong is a combination of the words 'Tara' and 'Bodong':

 

  •  â€‹'Tara' (Sanskrit, 'star') is a Buddhist goddess and boddhisattva. She is characterised by her compassion and is especially popular in Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia.

  • The 'Bodong' tradition is one of the oldest traditions in Buddhism and practised in Northern India, Tibet and Nepal. It was on the verge of becoming extinct, and Geshe Pema Dorjee was asked by HH the Dalai Lama to revive and promote the Bodong tradition. This forms part of the education at the Bodong Nunnery/Girls' School in Lumla, our main project. ​

Our Organisation

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The Tara Bodong Foundation (Netherlands) is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) as a non-profit organisation (Stichting) under number 52165043. We are also officially recognised by the Dutch Tax Administration as a Public Benefit Organisation with ANBI status (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling). Our ANBI fiscal number is 850325511 and can be used to apply for tax deductions for your donations. Click here for more information.

 

Board of Directors

  • Christian Horn (Chairman)

  • Debbie Wirtjes-Lewis (Board Secretary)

  • Vincent van den Hurk (Treasurer)

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Our activities are managed and organised by a group of international friends in Hilversum who together represent 5 different nationalities. We work voluntarily and aim to keep the organisation as lean as possible by keeping overhead costs to a minimum, thus making sure that every euro donated goes entirely to our charitable projects.

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Click here to see our Annual Financial and Activity Reports. 

The Committee

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