Kailash Hostel of Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement, Odisha, India

In 2011 our Tibetan Medical & Astro Institute at Darchen at the foot of Mt.Kailash unfortunately had to be handed over to a chinese foundation. However, our Tibetan Ngari Korsum Association Switzerland decided to continue with full enthusiasm in supporting projects for education and healthcare for needy Tibetans, concentrating now on projects in the Tibetan communities in India and in Nepal.

Among many proposals the hostel project at the Phuntsokling Tibetan Settlement in Odisha, eastern part of India, was preselected, most deserving our attention. It is located in one of the most remote and poorest Tibetan Settlements. A hostel is however urgently required:

Most of the parents in the Tibetan settlement are in winter working for sweater selling in different parts of India, absent for nearly five months. In summer they are fully busy with farming, though the yields are very low due to small size and poor quality of the land. The children are therefore frequently left alone at home, without parental help and guidance.
The settlement is scattered and students daily loose nearly two hours to reach their school and back home.
In a school hostel the children can be given the urgently required guidance and support.

Opening

On February 2nd, 2012 the Kailash Hostel Phuntsokling was officially opened, after completion of the necessary renovation and improvements of buildings and infrastructure, initially for five years. Based on the achieved excellent school performance of the students, due to much better living conditions and good supervision, and based on the request and wish of parents and of the settlement officer our association decided already two times to extend the support for the Kailash hostel school for a further five years, now until 2026.

Students

Our Kailash-Hostel was planned for around 75 students, both boys and girls, from 6 th to 10 th Class.
41 students are currently staying at the Kailash hostel, 24 girls and 17 boys.

See our students here

In Spring 2023 eleven students completed their 10th class, with excellent result in the final examination. For two more years they joined other Tibetan schools before they will join colleges. In January 6 new students joined the Kailash hostel.

Students leaving in spring 2023, together with the foster parents

Daily Life of the Students at the Hostel

The daily schedule for the students at the hostel is very demanding, with a wake-up call already at 5 am. Detaisl you will find here

Projects for the Improvement of the Infrastructure

Already at beginning of the project most urgent repairs of the existing buildings have been carried out. However, during the frequent cyclones the roofs of the dormitories were often leaking. The buildings were partly damaged and could only provisionally be repaired. In January 2015, the members of the association therefore decided to build new dormitories for girls and boys. Construction could be finished end of 2015. The students have now again good and safe accommodation.

To successfully run a hostel for young students good employees are essential. Fortunately the Kailash hostel has very good staff. They work very hard for the support of the students, but we could offer them so far no suitable accommodation. However, with the financial support by a generous sponsor we could build in 2017 a two storey building for the staff with nine rooms.

Since taking over the Kailash hostel eleven years ago, we have been able to significantly improve the accommo-dations and the whole environment. Safe and clean accommodation is extremely important in this area, which is often ravaged by dangerous cyclones.

Today, the whole complex is like a beautiful garden with an atmosphere of peace, an ideal location for learning. The local people call it today "Swiss Meadows ". The students are most happy to help gardening.