Where to begin?
This is the question that I’ve been asking myself about how I will fully describe our experience at the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV). For me, it was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life; one that I hope will change me forever. Not fully understanding the flight of the Tibetans before coming here I feel that today has given me an inside look into the lives of those affected by this tragedy. It also gave me a real experience in love, compassion and understanding. These children are well cared for, happy and learning to be students of the world. Teachers would be a better way to describe them, teachers that I feel we could all learn so very much from.
Despite their separation from family and treacherous journey through the Himalayas to freedom TCV is educating each and every child to be a servant of the world. There is no entitlement here; what we find here is simply a chance to live a life of freedom and opportunity. To give back through their education, to give thanks for their blessings and understand that there is good in all, even the injustices of the world. The level of acceptance that I witnessed today was overwhelming. With over 1,000 children living at the TCV location we visited; financial support is a must from the outside world.
We were given a personal tour by Niyma who is one of the people in charge of sponsorship. She was quite gracious in answering our questions and providing much insight into the once devastating but now beautiful lives of these children. TCV was breathtaking; situated on the side of a mountain it is pristine in its cleanliness and surrounded by inspirational messages and vibrant gardens. We visited the homes of the children, saw their toothbrushes, face clothes and shoes. Read letters to their parents posted on the walls, parents whom they will most likely never see again. We visited the ‘baby home’ and held back tears of joy as we entered the nursery of cobalt cribs each comforted with a stuffed animal and pink blankets. One of the cribs revealed a sleeping baby whose breath I will never forget the sound of. There were a few of the younger children in the courtyards with their house mothers.
We stood high upon one of the verandas and watched the older kids play in the school yard; soccer, badminton, table tennis; laughing and playing like all children should. Among them were their canine comrades sinking up the joy and living off the message of hope.
A message that I’m not sure I will ever fully process and an experience that I can only hope will change me forever.
Where to begin? Where to end? I have no answer to these questions, but what I know for sure is that today, I learned about beauty.
Tags: India, tibetan childrens village, Tibetan refugees
JessG
