Sunday I spent with ICT director Wangpo Tethong and volunteer Yeshe Gelek a visit to the Tibetan Gangjong Rigzod School in Osdorp, Amsterdam Nieuw West.
Dawa Tsering and Karma Ngawang, respectively president and vice-president of the Tibetan community in the Netherlands, warmly welcomed us with a cup of steaming Tibetan butter tea.
After getting acquainted, we visited the six classes of the Sunday school while the students were at work. The youngest class included the 3 to 5-year-olds; the oldest students in the highest class were 16.
Some of the little ones were very open and proudly showed what they had already learned. Others were a bit shy because of all the attention due to adults.
Through this Sunday school operation, Tibetans in exile are trying to maintain their keeping language and culture alive and pass it on to future generations, most of whom are unlikely to have known Tibet themselves.
Yeshe, who as an ICT volunteer helps me plan appointments on my cycling route, also took classes at this school and stressed that this form of cultural transmission had been very important for her identity formation.
Utmost concentration!
Some children come from far away to this Sunday school. There is just so one throughout the Netherlands. While the children study, the parents sit together chatting in the reception hall. In this way, they stay in touch with compatriots from other parts of the Netherlands.
The school is one of the projects that funded by ICT Europe, itself a unsubsidised association which depends entirely on donations.
To conclude this interesting visit, Karma addressed the parents and students in the hall. He thanked ICT for the financial support, myself for the pro-Tibet bike ride and Yeshe for her commitment to her community. He then passed the mic to Wangpo, myself and Yeshe to place a short word each.
The parents were very grateful and donated in total just like that 330 euros!
Thanks-thanks - Thuk ye che!
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
