Tibetan Girls’ Education
Established in 2018, the Tibetan Girls Scholarship Program provides full scholarships to girls from low-income families pursuing higher education. With your support, promising Tibetan girls can access these life-changing opportunities.
Tenzin Chemi’s world was shattered in eleventh grade when she faced the unimaginable loss of both parents, one to cancer and one to pneumonia. Forced to put her studies on hold, she faced a future that suddenly felt entirely uncertain. Yet she remained undeterred, and eventually finished high school. She then applied to The Tibet Fund and received a full scholarship for college tuition and living expenses. With this support, she completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Banaras Hindu University, and is now taking the next step toward a career in graphic design. “Art was where I always felt confident, where I knew I could become something,” she says. Today, Chemi is building the skills and experience to tell meaningful stories through her art while celebrating the richness of Tibetan culture for future generations.
Lhumtso Choedon was born in Ladakh, India, to a nomadic family. As the youngest of six siblings, she grew up witnessing her family’s struggle with financial instability. Their situation worsened when her father was diagnosed with kidney failure, which brought immense emotional and financial strain to the family. As a result, Lhumtso put her education on hold and took a gap year to care for her father. Despite these challenges, she remained determined to be the first in her family to pursue higher education. This year, with support from The Tibet Fund, Lhuntso enrolled in a three-year general nursing and midwifery program at the NITTE Institute of Nursing in Mangalore.
Sonam Choetso was born in Tibet, and was just five years old when her family faced the difficult decision to send her sister and her to India. Sonam has always had a deep passion for helping others and a curiosity about medical science. Therefore it was no surprise when she chose to pursue a career as a nurse. With support from The Tibet Fund, Sonam was able to follow her dream of becoming a nurse. She enrolled in the prestigious St. John’s College of Nursing in Bangalore, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Nursing, a four-year program, without any financial burden.
Tenzin Tsomo was born and raised in Hunsur Tibetan Settlement in India. Her parents worked various jobs but struggled financially and lacked stability. Witnessing their hardships inspired her determination to succeed academically and attain a better future for herself and her family. Tenzin dreamed of working in the healthcare sector. She is currently in her third year of pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at JSS University School of Life Science in Mysore. On weekends, Tenzin volunteers at a local NGO, teaching English to underprivileged children.
Tsewang Yangzom was born in Tibet but had to flee to India when she was just five years old. She is the youngest member of her family and currently lives in India on her own, while the rest of her family remains back home in Tibet. Tsewang loved reading from a young age and was always fascinated by literature.
With support from the TGSP, she was accepted and enrolled in Indraprastha College for Women at Delhi University, one of the oldest and most prestigious women’s colleges in India, to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She says that the scholarship made her academic journey smoother and more meaningful, and studying literature has increased her confidence and broadened her career prospects.
Tsering Lhamo drew inspiration from films to pursue a career in law at a young age. While the portrayal of lawyers in movies sparked her interest, she had no knowledge about the practicalities of studying law and becoming a lawyer. During her twelfth-grade year, she attended a career awareness session organized by the Tibetan Legal Association that cemented her decision to pursue law as a profession.
Tsering’s parents work as farmers in the summer and sell garments at an outdoor market during the winter. Despite the exorbitant cost of tuition that her family couldn’t afford, Tsering was determined to study law. Thanks to support of the TGSP, she enrolled in a bachelor’s program at JSS Law College in Mysore. In addition to excelling academically, Tsering interned at the Karnataka High Court in Bangalore, where she gained valuable insight and experience in court proceedings and judgment writing. She says she is particularly keen to pursue a career in corporate or human rights law.
Raised by a single mother, Pema Kiden grew up in Lachung, a small town in North Sikkim. After the untimely demise of her father when she was five, her mother became the sole breadwinner and struggled to support the family. At school Pema developed a deep passion for Tibetan language and culture, and after completing high school was accepted by Namgyal Institute of Tibetology to study traditional Tibetan medicine, also known as Sowa Rigpa. As the first generation in her family to attend college, Pema was highly committed to her studies, and completed an internship at the Bangalore branch of the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute. She says she hopes to open her own Sowa Rigpa clinic one day.
