Help us raise money for educational supplies for young monks at a new monastery in Nepal!

We spent seven weeks at Red Monastery Trulsik Rinpoche in Kathmandu, Nepal, while Blake was healing from a severe back injury. During that time, Blake and Sanju taught English and Math classes to monks aged around 6-23.

We'd like to help by gathering funds for English and Nepali books for their library, a small science lab, geography teaching supplies, musical instruments, as well as basic supplies like dry erase markers, duct tape to keep boards up, and games and sports equipment like a good chess set, Scrabble, badminton, footballs, marbles, Rubik's cubes, etc. We'd also like to supply hygienic materials like floss and soap.

The children are about 30 monks who live at the monastery, primarily undergoing training in Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhism. They come from various backgrounds — some are there by choice, others because their parents sent them, and still others are orphans or from underprivileged families who couldn't support them.

When they are older, they choose whether to remain monks or to leave robes and enter the worldly life. Their education prepares them well to be monks, but often not so well for regular life — they generally lack classes in mathematics, sciences/social sciences, and many of the other classes considered core curriculum.

Though they learn Tibetan quite well, their skills in English/Nepali are often quite lacking — languages that are very helpful for communicating with and teaching visitors as a monk, or for everyday living and work in Nepal.

Our plan is for these funds to purchase the materials to fill such gaps, and to develop channels for consistent resupply of hygienic and sport resources, and for growing their available learning materials.

Thank you for your support!