
IN NEPAL
Founding of the Monastery
In 2007, Vajra Master Jigme Dorje Rinpoche launched the Khawalung Foundation, an IRS-certified charitable nonprofit organization in New York. In the spring of 2023, in response to Dalit girls' grave and pervasive poverty and overwhelming demands, he created a Dalit Girls' School. The School is located in Kathmandu, Nepal, at the existing Khawalung Monastery, which was also founded in 2005 by Vajra Master Jigme Dorje Rinpoche to uphold, preserve, and disseminate the Nyingma School of Vajrayana Buddhism's Tibetan Buddhist traditions, teachings, and ritual practices.





Mission of the School
The school is committed to teaching Dalit girls and Lamas so they can find better jobs in the future. Dalit females are categorized as belonging to the lowest and lowest rungs of Indian and Hindu civil and religious life, as well as the Indian caste system hierarchy. Since Dalits are referred to as "untouchables," which implies that they are dirty and impure, they are frequently forced to perform tasks that members of higher castes detest and would not consent to. Women in the remote Himalayan regions are disproportionately affected by the prejudice that these children frequently face, which prevents them from attending public schools and receiving a formal education. These girls are given a place to stay at the Khawalung School, which also teaches them the fundamentals of Buddhism, the value of being people of integrity, and—above all—the chance to thrive to be physically and mentally independent. The Dalit girls and the lamas will not be compelled to remain devout and labor in religious locations throughout their lives. However, the Monastery also offers graduates employment opportunities, such as teaching at the school.






