February 2021

Happy Losar from Jhamtse Gatsal!

We wish all of our supporters a Happy Losar! At Jhamtse Gatsal, for Losar, our hall is filled with extra decorations. In front of Buddha, we place three beautifully molded center-pieces of monks, surrounded by mandalas and flowers, all in breathtaking colors. The fifteen-day long celebration involves eating sweet Tibetan biscuits and generally celebrating. It is custom to go around to people’s houses, bringing offerings which are then blessed with Yak butter. A Khata, a Tibetan white cloth with auspicious symbols on it, is wrapped around the offerings and given to the host. Of course, during this time of Covid, our celebration looked a bit different this year. The children were sent home on a government-mandated holiday. They are safe at home thanks to strict government Covid-19 protocol adherence in the villages. No outside people are allowed to enter the villages without a negative Covid test or required quarantine. Thankfully, Covid cases are decreasing in our district.  Read more about Losar at Jhamtse Gatsal Lobsang Phuntsok Awarded State Gold Medal On the 35th Statehood Day of Arunachal Pradesh, our beloved founder and director, Lobsang Phuntsok la, was awarded a state gold medal award for meritorious service by His Excellency the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. We are extremely humbled and feel deep gratitude to Arunachal Pradesh's Government for recognizing our efforts and supporting us in our vision and mission. Why I Support Jhamtse Gatsal by Bob Spensley, Jhamtse International Board of Directors The theory that surrounding a kid with love and compassion makes a world of difference is boldly being put into practice [at Jhamtse Gatsal]. We know there are ongoing challenges and complexities even in the happiest place on earth, with some of the most open-hearted, selfless, and blessed people we know. Knowing them and loving them only makes it that much more meaningful. We each come from such different backgrounds and are often living half a planet apart, but we’re in the same boat on so many levels. We all are. Every one of us. We are all figuring out how to live together, bring out the best in each other, deeply accept one another, and have fun together whenever possible. Read more from Bob Spensley 7 Ways to Learn More About Us Watch the Emmy-winning documentary "Tashi and the Monk," which follows Tashi, a wild and troubled 5-year-old girl who joins the community. With a traumatic past, she begins to understand love while living at Jhamtse Gatsal. Read an interview of our founder, Lobsang Phuntsok, on ScooNews, India’s largest media outlet in the education sector. Read an article on Jhamtse Gatsal by Efforts for Good, a platform that shares positive stories across India. Watch a webinar by our founder on Being the best version of yourself in association with the SOIL Institute of Management. Read an article by Daily Good on Jhamtse Gatsal and the film Tashi and the Monk. Watch a video by Mike Libecki, a National Geographic Explorer who visited Jhamtse Gatsal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and visit our website: Facebook Instagram YouTube Website New Video: Reducing Waste The Jhamtse Gatsal Children's Community is very conscious of the waste humans produce and its effects on our environment. They decided to engage the community and raise awareness for the crisis. Every fourth Saturday, groups from the school meet to clean up waste. Sponsorship Attention sponsors! Jhamtse International emailed some letters from the children to their sponsors. We had technical difficulties. The children worked hard on their letters. We want to be sure they are received! If you were expecting to receive a letter from your sponsored child but did not receive one, please check with us by replying to this email, or send an email to sponsorship@jhamtse.org Click to view children in need of your sponsorship Do you shop with Amazon? Sign up to Amazon Smile to get the same items and prices, but Amazon will donate 0.5% back to the charity of your choice. Choose Jhamtse International to support the children of The Jhamtse Gatsal. Your shopping makes a difference! Facebook Website Instagram YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Website YouTube Copyright © 2021 Jhamtse International, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.