About Lha Charitable Trust
Lha Charitable Trust, an institute dedicated to social work and education, has undertaken the initiative to promote and disseminate His Eminence Professor Samdhong Rinpoche’s profound teachings and writings through a dedicated website and various social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and SoundCloud. This effort is part of the broader Preservation and Promotion of Tibetan Language, Culture, and Tradition project.
The website and social media channels were officially launched on November 5, 2014, in honor of Rinpoche’s 75th birthday celebration at the Central University for Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, Varanasi, India. It continues to be updated regularly, benefiting thousands of Rinpoche’s followers and others seeking wisdom and guidance.
Lha Charitable Trust is a grass-roots, 12AA & 80G non-profit and one of the largest Tibetan social work organizations based in Dharamsala, India. We aim to provide vital resources for Tibetan refugees, the local Indian population, and people from the Himalayan regions. Founded in 1997 and registered as a charitable trust by the Indian Government in 2005, Lha has continuously provided vital resources to those in need for over 25 years.
In 2014, Lha was awarded second place in the “Best Practices of Social Media Usage” category of the South Asia-wide 3rd eNGO Challenge Award.
In 2015, Lha was awarded first place in the “Best use of Website and Internet tools” category in the South Asia-wide 4th eNGO Challenge Award. The Award recognizes the best non-governmental organizational practices of using information and communication technologies. Lha also received numerous awards for appreciation from the Tibetan Administration, local Indian officials, and other NGOs.
Lha plays a crucial role in facilitating the transition of Tibetan refugees from their homeland to the Indian community by providing long-term rehabilitation and education resources. Each year programs and projects are adjusted to meet the conditions and needs of the region. Yet, the commitment remains constant: to help the Tibetan people thrive and prosper in their new home and to preserve their profoundly unique culture. Additionally, Lha offers volunteers and students the opportunity to engage in meaningful community service and social work and also seeks to generate an atmosphere of harmony and cooperation within the community by tending to the needs of the impoverished and underprivileged.
Lha is unique in the range and quality of services it offers. These include free Tibetan, English, French, German and Chinese classes, cultural exchange programs, IT classes, vocational training, health and environmental awareness education, a wide array of volunteer opportunities, distribution of clothes and medicine, a community kitchen, Clean water and many other programs and activities. Through these rehabilitation resources and educational services Lha facilitates an easy transition for the Tibetan refugee community to India.
On a daily basis Lha serves over 250 people, hosts between 15 and 25 volunteers and provides up to 19 different services including on average 50-60 meals per day for people who need it.
Lha allows you to share your knowledge and skills with the Tibetan refugee, local Indian and Himalayan communities and gain hands-on experience working with a non-profit, social work organization. Whilst taking part as a volunteer at Lha you will be immersed in the fascinating culture of the people you are serving, develop friendships, learn about issues facing the Tibetan refugee community and create positive change in the lives of many people. Every day, approximately 15 to 25 individuals and every year 600 individuals from all over the world volunteer their time and energy to Lha. We provide a wide array of long and short-term as well as prearranged and drop-in volunteer opportunities at no cost to both individuals and groups.