Woser

I am a 32 year old monk from eastern Tibet. As a child I witnessed many changes imposed on my region by the Chinese government. As part of these changes I was not allowed to learn about Tibetan history or culture. In 1992 I fled. I had to come to India to really learn about Tibet. Fortunately under the good grace of my root lama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, I have been able to study Buddhism, specializing in Buddhist Tantra, Mantra and Dzogchen, as well as Tibetan linguistics and grammar. Last year I graduated from the Tibetan Academy of Philosophy where I earned my PhD in Buddhist philosophy. While attending the university I wrote many articles about ancient Tibetan culture and the current Tibetan situation. In 2005, I published a book about love and modern society. Since then I have prepared 3 more books for publication and I am currently researching Tibetan women who spent their lives practicing Buddhism.
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Yongdon

I was born 25 years ago in a small village in Tibet. I grew up in a nomadic family and spent my days looking after our animals. In 1999, I left Tibet in hopes of meeting our exiled leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I escaped by walking through the mountains with 25 people, most of whom were monks from Amdo. The journey was difficult because we ran out of food and were extremely hungry. At one point the snow and ice got in my eyes blinding me for three days. One monk carried my bag while another helped me walk. When we finally arrived in Dharamsala I immediately signed up for school. I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn. My experience has taught me that without education we are truly blind. In the future, I hope to return to my village as a teacher where I'll be able to share my knowledge and provide the children with the opportunities I did not have.
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Tenzin

I am from a nomadic family in eastern Tibet. I escaped to India in 2000 by dressing as a Nepali shepherd and walking across the Friendship Bridge. It was quite funny because as a monk I am very pale from being inside all the time and all of the real Nepali shepherds could tell I was a fraud. I was very lucky to make it. I have been an ordained Buddhist monk for 17 years. My main expertise is Buddhist art, such as Thangka paintings, but I am interested in other art forms as well. I also study English and hope to become fluent. I constantly strive for happiness in my life.
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Khamsum

I am a nomad from Kham. As a child I went to school intermittently for three years but could not continue because my family needed help with our animals. When I turned 17 I left home on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. While in Lhasa I found a pin with a photo of the Dalai Lama. At that time I didn't know about the Dalai Lama. When I was born the Chinese army had already collected all the photos of the Dalai Lama and our elders were too afraid to teach us about him. Even though I didn't know who he was I loved this man's smile and always wore the pin. Once the police stopped me and asked me many confusing questions about politics. They asked me if I knew who the man on the pin was. I honestly said no. Another time while I was in a tea shop minding my own business a stranger sat next to me. He told me all about the Chinese invasion, how the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up a community in Dharamsala. He told me he could help me go to India if I wanted. We only have one precious life and need to use it properly so I found the courage to escape. I wanted to learn to read and write in Tibetan and Dharamsala is the best place to do that. I have been in India for several years and have learned so much. However living conditions are not good for us refugees. As nomads we had a good way of life so I hope to return to Tibet soon.
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Choedon

In the 1990s my older brother escaped from Tibet and came to Dharamsala. He was so impressed with the Tibetan community in exile that he sneaked back into Tibet to bring my sister and I to India. He was very brave to secretly cross the border 3 times! We are a nomadic family from Kham and before coming to India I spent my days herding yak, goats and sheep. I had to wake up at 4am to bring them to the hills to graze. In the summer we lived in big black tents made by my father. Summer was the best time of year because the animals were happy and gave us so much milk. Life in India is totally different. Here we live in houses all year round, become pale and have stomach problems. Many Tibetans have health issues because of the strange weather and food. However as nomads we are comfortable moving around and learning from different environments so we know how to make the best of this situation. Thanks to His Holiness the Dalai Lama I have had the marvelous opportunity to receive a good education. In Dharamsala we can go to school for free and learn Tibetan history and language as well as English and computers. Here we can also learn about the real situation in Tibet.
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Sopa

In 1982 I was born into a large family in the Amdo province of Tibet. When I was 10 years old a local lama came to my father and suggested one of his sons become a monk. The same year I joined the monastery. I was trained in many Buddhist rituals such as sand mandalas, butter sculptures, tsampa offerings and religious music. In Tibet I had great faith in Buddha. However I was not really allowed to study Buddhist ideas. I didn't know why or how one becomes a Buddha. I was always using my body but not my mind. I escaped to learn more about Buddhism. Here in Dharamsala under His Holiness the Dalai Lama I learn Buddhist philosophy as well as Tibetan history and language. Now I use my mind. I still use the skills I developed in Tibet to make ritual offerings or play religious horns and drums for my monastery. I am happy with life in exile. I also study English and hope to become fluent so I can teach Buddhism and the real situation of Tibet to those who are curious.
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Dolma

I am 24 years old and from the U-Tsang region in central Tibet. I escaped to India in 1999 with a guide and 20 strangers. The only people I knew in my group were my sister and two nuns who had been in jail for many years as political prisoners. There were many children in our group. The youngest child was 6 years old. We walked for 3 weeks through the Himalayas before we finally crossed the border in secret. The journey was expensive and dangerous. I came to India for an eduction. In Tibet, Chinese school fees were very high and the schools were not good. I wanted to learn about the world and the real history of Tibet. In Dharamsala I have had the phenomenal opportunity to study. I have realized that without education one's brain is like a bird without wings. Life is full of ups, downs and challenges that education helps me overcome.
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Lhamo

I landed on this blue planet in 1983. As soon as I opened my eyes I understood I was a nomad because I was surrounded by yaks and sheep of various colors. When I was a young girl my loving parents sent me to look after our animals. While I heard stories about schools I never saw one. I don't blame my parents because they lacked an education and resources. When I turned 17 I had a new idea. I decided to go to India to study and to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I escaped with 38 people by walking across the Himalayas. The journey took several months and was the most difficult experience of my life. When I arrived in Dharamsala I went to school but after only one year I stopped because I became very sick. I had no relatives here and missed my caring family. When I thought of them tears flooded my eyes. Gradually my health and homesickness became better. Thanks to His Holiness the Dalai Lama we have many facilities and opportunities to study. I have studied here for a few years learning Tibetan history and English. English has become my main focus because it is a universal language. I am also now learning to read and write in Tibetan which was something that I could not learn in Tibet.
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