Projects

1. SERA JE SCHOOL NEEDS YOUR HELP
2. CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMME
3. FUNDING SUPPORT REQUIRED FOR
4. SPONSOR AN EVENT
5. MAKE A DONATION
6. PROJECTS
7. HOW CAN YOU HELP US
8. PAP APPLICATION
9. CONTACT US

1. SERA JE SCHOOL NEEDS YOUR HELP

1. Background
2. Ground Situation in School
3. Increased number of new comer
4. Fund crunch
5. Can you help us?
6. You can help us in any of the following ways:

1.1 Background

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Sera Je Monastic University, situated at Bylakuppe in Mysore District of Karnataka State is one of them. Today it houses over 3000 monks here in Bylakuppe, Mysore, and South India. Thousands of Tibetans of all age still continue to escape from Tibet. Most of these join Monasteries in India. Sera Je School was started to provide proper formal education to the School-going-aged novice monks admitted to Sera Je Monastery. Most of them are newly arrivals from Tibet having left behind their parents and family in Tibet. The School provides them precious opportunity to get sound modern education while receiving Monastic training and religious education.

First established as an experiment in synthesis of modern and traditional system of education within the frame work of Monastic system, which has proved to be of huge success over the years as hundreds of novice monk students kept pouring in from parts of India and from Tibet and hundreds of them have successfully graduated from the School. After initial trials and tabulations, the School progressed into become a top-ranking Monastic School in exile. Here, students are provided quality education in all modern subjects compatible with universal Secondary School Educational system besides being taught Tibetan language, culture, and Buddhism as very strong subjects. Currently, over 450 hundred students are on its roll studying in Classes standard one to standard ten. Majority of the students comprised of those newly arrived from Tibet followed by children from less privileged section from Himalayan regions.

We Tibetans, being displaced people in true sense of it, have a very sacred responsibility to ensure proper upbringing and education of our children who truly are the future seeds of a free Tibet whether they are in refugee camps or in the Monasteries. So far hundreds of novice monks have joined Monastic College after having successfully completed their Secondary School Education from this School.

This has proved to be of huge advantage to the aspiring Geshes in today's shrinking world at a time when value of diverse knowledge is ever more recognized as essential tools to catalyst true peace, happiness and harmony in the world. For the aspiring Geshes, education received in this School prepare them well for embarking upon the sacred mission to disseminating teachings of Lord Buddha and Tibetan cultural heritage across the world.

We assume that in the coming years the scope of educational and academic services based on Tibetan Buddhism would increase considerably in view of heightened acceptance, recognition, interest, and inclination shown towards studies of Tibetan Buddhism & culture. In the emerging global scenario there is a growing interest in spiritual knowledge and new awakening of ethical values for universal harmony, as a result the demand for Tibetan Buddhism and cultural studies is ever on increase. With this as the background, this unique School and its future potentials as the ambassador of universal responsibility, compassionate wisdom, peace and harmony as taught by Buddha occupies immense importance and relevance in the field of educational scenario the world over.

Therefore, it is not only our wish to ensure constant growth and qualitative progress of this School but also to ensure a bright future for all future generation novice monks who will receive educational support from this School by working out a firm financial security to the School for its future sustenance.

1.2 Ground Situation in School

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Many of our students arrive at Sera Je School are new escapees from Tibet. Almost all of these new arrivals had trekked through treacherous snowy peaks and passage weeks often with scarce food or without food. On arrival in India, sudden changes of climate and food also have had adverse effect on their already weakened health. Most of them suffer from malnourishment, exhaustion and are in poor state of health. Those children who came from Himalayan region they hail from less privileged section of families. Thanks to the partial lunch sponsorship received from FPMT, so far, we have been able to provide our students a well balanced, nutritious mid day meals. However, we could provide only a simple dinner at present due to scarcity of funds. We very much wanted to improve it as well and make it also as nutritious and whole-some meals as our present Lunch provided to our students.

1.3 Increased number of new comer

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Since early nineteen eighties till now, Geneva based Swiss organization has been main donor patron of this School on whose sponsorship & financial support this School continue to remain fully dependent. Each year scores of newly arrived children from Tibet and other children from Himalayan region seek admission to Sera Jey Monastery and these are necessarily admitted to School so that they are benefited from the modern educational opportunity available at our School. Unfortunately, we are unable to find all these new students sponsors to support their educational expense in the School. A large number of students are still without sponsorship support from any quarter and all the expenses are met from the fast shrinking main financial resource of the School.

With each passing year the relevance and importance of our educational work in the School and the value of this School is ever on increase and the constant need for making further progress and to cope with changing time and new challenges, withstanding our insecure financial prospect, there is no way we can reduce expenses on our essential services, such as retaining and recruiting Teachers to meet our high standard of academic work, provide quality education and food for the children under our care.

1.4 Fund crunch

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At present, the annual total fund we receive from our donor organizations and individual sponsors increasingly become difficult to meet the actual annual expenditure of the School. We are deeply concerned by this, because School does not have any capital reserve fund. No Corpus has been created yet. To compound this problem, due to high inflation rate in recent years, the recurring cost of running the School and maintaining all the services have shot up almost doubly over the years, leaving School to struggle to maintain a balance between incoming fund and expenditure.

1.5 Can you help us?

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We hope you have become fairly well acquainted with our multi-academic and cultural activities and our vision. While constantly striving to meet our future challenges and expectations, It is but imperative that SJSS needs funds to maintain its infrastructure, facilities and staff and also to sustain its vital educational services, and also to implement various Projects afoot.

1.6 You can help us in any of the following ways:

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• Tell a friend about the Sera Je School
• Sponsor a child at US $300 annually.
• Send a donation towards following FUNDS and PROJECTS:

2. CHILD SPONSROSHIP PROGRAMME

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1. Sponsor a novice monk in the school
2. Case sheets on request

2.1 Sponsor a novice monk in the school

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As mentioned above, Individual student sponsorship program is the backbone of the School fund and financial resource. Sponsorship support is sought for the students for the period of their stay in the School, which means, in case of a Class One boy, maximum 10 years. Once students complete School education and leaves School to join main Monastic University, the sponsors have the option to accept a new boy as replacement or to discontinue the support altogether. There are still a large number of students for whom we are looking for sponsorship support from kindhearted prospective sponsors from any part of the world.

The standard sponsorship support request for one year is US$300.00. EURO 250.00 This amount is good to take care of all the normal expenses incurred on a child a year. However, the School does not insist on this standard sponsorship amount if it is not affordable. We leave it up to the individual sponsors to decide how much he/she will want to send in a year depending on his/her financial position. Any amount of donation towards children’s educational fund is most welcome and solicited.

The sponsorship money can be sent in six month’s period or annually in the form of a Cheque/ International Money Order/and Draft, or by money transfer through bank. The name of our Banker is: SYNDICATE BANK, Branch Bylakuppe. Our Account No. is 1708/220/4950

As of current roll strength, there are total 410 students in the Classes 1 to ten. Older students having sponsors had either joined Monastic College or are pursuing further Buddhist studies for their Geshe Degree or had left School for other destinations. Majority of the students are new comers and consequently most of them are without any sponsor. In fact, the number of student without sponsor is higher than the ones having sponsors. This has become a matter of concern for the School administration as the students sponsorship support and fund is the backbone of the financial resource of the School. The school is hugely reliant on sponsorship money for all its recurring and non-recurring expenses. We would like to solicit our prospective sponsors to send US$300 / Euro 250.00 annually for @ student for the period of his education in the School.

Please make your Check in favor of ‘SERA JE SCHOOL’ Syndicate Bank, Bylakuppe Branch. Account No. 1708/220/4950 (For your kind information the first 4 digit 1708 represent Bank Code; second 3 digit represent, Saving Category; and third 4 digit is the actual : Account Number) The whole digits put together form Account Number of the School. This is the new system practiced by the Bank for better efficiency, before they used only account number so we had only four digits then).

Any amount is welcome and most valuable to the School. There is no upper or lower limit for the amount of money to be sent as sponsorship support by a sponsor. We welcome any amount with much gratitude as any amount of money makes a difference to resources and therefore is helpful to us immensely.

2.2 Case sheets on request

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Case Sheets of the children who need sponsorship support are sent by School office to the interested persons, directly or through our support organization ‘Les amis du Tibet’, Geneva, Switzerland. Once School received confirmation of acceptance of the boys from the sponsors, School will start sending news and reports on educational progress of the boy on regular basis. The sponsor will also receive personal letter and artwork from his/her godson, and there will follow an uninterrupted direct correspondence between the boy and sponsor till the boy graduates from School. Personal communication is facilitated to give authenticity to the sponsorship programme and to bring in transparency in our work with regard to the sponsorship support programme and also as a means to enable the students practically to improve English writing skill through correspondence with their sponsors. This also helps to keep sponsors abreast of student’s academic progress and life in the School.

3. FUNDING SUPPORT NEEDED FOR:

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Make a contribution towards following Essential FUNDS:

1. Teachers' salary fund
2. Staff quarter building fund
3. CORPUS FUND
4. Health & medical fund
5. Emergency medical fund
6. Children’s education fund
7. Office maintenance fund
8. School publication fund
9. Science laboratory renovation fund
10. School dinner improvement fund

3.1 Teachers' salary fund

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Unlike grant-in-aid Indian Schools, SJSS does not receive any kind of financial grant aid either from the Karnataka State or the Central Government. Hence, it has to rely fully on NGOs and Supporters for Salaries to be paid to its huge contingent of Teaching, administrative & Non-Teaching Staff.

Currently, School boosts a strong Team of 33 Teachers (24 regular Teachers + 9 Scripture Masters) 10 Administrative Staff and 17 general non-Teaching staff (School Guest House & Canteen, School Mess, and Stationary Shop) on its pay roll. As of present we only have a partial funding support for paying the huge staff salaries. The rest if met from School's own resources. The School desperately needs financial supports from interested NGOs and supporters to meet the huge annual expense incurred on salaries.

3.2 Staff quarter building fund

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Over the years number of Teaching and non-Teaching staff has swelled. The old staff quarters have completely become inadequate. All the staff quarters have become overcrowded with two staff sharing a single room and many having no access to this essential accommodation facility. Currently there are no separate staff quarters for lay staff and monk staff. All share same rooms, which have been causing much inconvenience to the monk staff as well as to the lay staff. It is desired that there be a two separate block of Staff quarters: one for the lay staff and another for the monk staff located in the decent distance. This has become important to facilitate privacy for the lay staff while maintaining spiritual atmosphere and sanctity of the monk staff.

3.3 CORPUS FUND

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All these years School is being funded and supported mainly by Madam Josiane Tallon and Nicole Jaccoud's Les smi du Tibet, Geneva, Swiss. We also receive second line supporting funds from Hamburg based Tibetan Buddhist Center, Germany, Institute Lama Tsongkha pa, Pomaia, Italy and AET, Paris, France and Zotpa Rinpoche's FPMT Organisation in the US. To augment these incoming funds, earlier School used to earn very good money in the form of interest generated by capital money deposited with local Indian Businessman. Unfortunately, when the Bylakuppe people suffered bankruptcy, this income also stopped generating which has put lots of strains on financial resources of the School. We are seriously concerned over the future sustenance of the School under the present situation.

We have at present over 600 children (plus over 60 staff members) under our care in the School to whom we provide lunch and dinner for full 10 months a year. Unfortunately, only little over 270 children are supported by sponsorship assistance at the rate of Rs.700/- per head per month. The rest of the children do not have the benefit of the sponsorship support. Whatever funds we accumulate from this we have to meet the cost of food and salary expenses. As it is clear, it is very difficult to maintain the balance in income and expenditure. But whatever money we are able pool together from the sponsorship fund, we have been providing food and all other facilities to the children all these years. This is the reason why School has not been able to build up a corpus fund to this day as the funds we receive from our donor organizations and sponsors get consumed to meeting the expenses of running the school and maintaining the services.

Over the years while sponsorship support has also come down and to worsen the situation not only we no longer earn interest on money invested with local Indian businessman. On top of that, in recent months the prices of commodities rocketed like never before. Until July 2006, we used to receive partial food support money in the tune of Rs. 700,000.00 (Seven Lakhs) annually from Lama Zotpa Rinpoche's FPMT Organization. Unfortunately the FPMT stopped giving this fund to our School since July 2006 citing their own fund crunch as the reason for not continuing with the support.

Notwithstanding the continued support from various organizations led by our Chief Patron Donor Organisation, Les amis du Tibet, Geneva, Switzerland, due to unprecedented inflation that resulted in steep hike in prices of food commodities, we are greatly concerned as the School struggle to cope with the sudden surge in its expenses beyond manageable level which is sure to upset our Budget and cast serious threat to future sustainability of our services unless we are able to raise the extra money required to cope with the increased expenditure.

Hence, we call upon all our supporters and sponsors to lend us their most sympathetic consideration to this urgent plea for financial assistance to overcome the imminent financial crisis in the near future and solicit your support to help us raise funds specifically to build a CORPUS FUND for the School, so that in future the annual recurring expenses for providing daily food (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) all and everything including teachers and staff salaries could be met from the interest money generated from this CORPUS FUND in order to permanently become self reliant and only this can ensure a continuity of funds to support all future recurring expenses of the School without having to encroach on the students sponsorship and other funds, which will remain as the School's Core Recurring Fund to ensure perpetual functioning, maintenance and educational services in the School.

The CORPUS FUND is aimed to create a permanent secure source of financial income in order to become self supporting in the future and will not have to depend on financial supporters from outside endlessly. At present School is heavily dependent upon sponsorship and other donation for meeting its maintenance and running costs.

The School will maintain a complete data of donors and benefactors, individual or organization that will make donation or contribute for the CORPUS FUND. THE ‘CORPUS FUND DORNOR’S LIST’ will be prominently published, unless otherwise requested to remain anonymous, in School Newsletter, website soon after accumulating enough funds and shall be displayed prominently in all School communications. The School can also arrange to channel the donation through any reputed Non-profit Charitable Organization in Europe or in US having tax exemption status from their respective government.

3.4 Health & medical fund

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(Health Care Services and Medical Treatment Support Fund)
For want of funds, School still does not have its own Dispensary. Even to receive basic medical services students have to visit main Monastery’s Hospital during class hours. For cases that are more serious, one has to avail medical treatment from City Hospitals costing huge money. Majority of students being newly arrived from snow land Tibet, they frequently suffer from various minor health problems and disorders resulting from sudden change of climate and food habits and life style. Since, it is vital for each and every student to maintain good health in view of their requiring pursuing a rigorous daily schedule of prayer, study, debate, scripture memorization, and recitation from dawn to mid-night.

Hence, School needs to create a special HEALTH CARE FUND for the students so that it is able to support medical expenses of those who fall sick and also is able to provide good nutrition supplementary Vitamins and other health booster tablets to compensate their loss of energy. For example, in case of more serious medical case, School can support the expense of outstation treatment of a serious ill student without losing precious time, as very often, for want of money, students requiring special treatment could not avail special medical treatment from reputed Hospitals on time leading to aggravation of condition of the ailing student

With a special HEALTH CARE FUND created School can pay immediate attention to medical needs of its students in case any fall sick besides being able to maintain good health of all the students with proper care given systematically and professionally from time to time. This includes purchase and distribution of Vitamins and essentials medicines free of cost.

3.5 Emergency medical fund

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In event of serious medical cases, monks requiring major surgery face big financial problem because majority of them have barely enough financial means to live. Often they are forced to take loan to pay for medical treatment. Then they accumulate huge interest on loan and difficulties mounts as they find it difficult to the pay back the loan. This greatly hampers their religious studies and practices in the Monastery. For example, recently, a monk required emergency by-pass surgery and it cost him over INR. 150,000.00. so the School paid the money for him, as it is impossible for the monk to arrange that much money on his own. However, since School does not have a specific medical fund, the money had to be chipped from General Fund of the School, which has a weakening effect on overall financial position of the School.

In order to avoid this kind of financial risk, we want to create a separate EMRGENCY MEDICAL FUND. All the donations and contributions received under this scheme shall be deposited in this specific account and the money shall only be utilized for the purpose of helping poor monks clear their medical bills.

3.6 Children’s education fund

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To cover student’s tuition fees, teaching aids and study materials, textbooks and notebooks, games and sports and co-curricular program expenses including various club activities and educational excursions, etc. In view of increasing cost of providing education to a large number of students, we feel that we must generate a separate CHILDREN’S EDUCATION FUND to ensure that educational services is not affected under any circumstances in the future and that this School remained in tact for all time catering to educational, physical and mental needs of the novice monk students so as to facilitate a healthy overall mental, physical and intellectual and emotional growth and development of the students under care of this School. The need to have this EDUCATIONAL FUND has become very important in view of the fact that not all the students admitted to School each year get foreign sponsor to support their educational cost borne by the School.

We created this fund to cover expenses incurred on student’s tuition fees, teaching aids and study materials, textbooks and notebooks, games and sports and co-curricular programs and activities organized in the School.

3.7 Office maintenance fund

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Unlike other School, the cost of office maintenance is relatively high because of enormous amount of correspondence we do with various foreign organizations and sponsors across the world. To keep in tune with changing world, we need to employ latest communication system and other mode of communication plus huge amount of paper work to keep everything up to date and in order. For this, we also need to generate separate OFFICE FUND so that we can meet the office maintenance expense from that resource and not required to chip off from School’s capital resource.

3.8 School publication fund

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In today’s fast changing world, the vital role played by communication cannot be ignored. School system and education concept keep changing very fast and in such a situation, if we are unable to keep ourselves abreast of current changes taking place in other Schools-it takes just a little time to lag behind mainstream School system and academic trend. It is same with the case of our own School being unable to communicate with other Schools, if concrete steps are not taken to keep in tune with changing winds of educational scenarios. For this, School Magazine is a vital link to remain connected with the rest. Secondly, School magazine plays significant role in inculcating natural interest and inclination towards literary activities and trait among the students and is also the best means to preserve ones cherished ideals, values, culture and traditions, not to speak of the language. A means to reflect on one's achievements and shortcomings.

School brings out two Magazines annually in Tibetan and English separately. That the expense incurred on these publications is not little. For this reason, we need to generate separate PUBLICATION N FUND in order to lessen the burden on School fund as well as to facilitate a variety of publication projects in future apart from publishing annual School magazines in Tibetan and English.

3.9 Science laboratory renovation fund

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To undertake renovation of Science Laboratory and to upgrade Physics, Chemistry and Biology Lab Equipments plus purchase of furniture. Science education is one subject wherein this School needs to pay special attention because of the very important fact that in recent times a close link has been established between the scientific knowledge and the Buddhist concept of mind and matter. To be able to confidently correlate the two knowledge, our students needs to become well versed in scientific knowledge while trained in Buddhist philosophical studies. Apart from facilitating well-qualified science Teachers, the School needs to up grade its science laboratory so that all sorts of scientific experiments could be conducted without any hindrances.

3.10 School dinner improvement fund

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Majority of our students arrive at Sera Je School are new escapees from Tibet. Almost all of these new arrivals had trekked through treacherous snowy mountains and difficult passages weeks often with scarce food or without food. On arrival in India, sudden change of climate and food also has adverse effect on their already weakened health. Most of them suffer from malnourishment, exhaustion and are in poor state of health. Those children who came from Himalayan region they mostly hail from less privileged section of families. Many of them are orphans and destitute. Hence most kids are prone to one kind or other health related problem as a result of family poverty.

Here in the School, in addition to physically remaining active from early morning to late night they have to follow routine school activities non-stop with little recess. The monk students in our School live a very demanding and rigorous school life. They do not have the advantage of freedom to indulge in games, sports, and entertainment that otherwise act as good healer from the intellectual exhaustion and strain and give much needed relaxation to body and to mind. While we cannot introduce games, sports, and entertainment activities as these are prohibited under general Monastic rule, we can certainly do something to improve the quality of food provided to the students and in this regard we would like to improve DINNER by making it well balanced and nutritious.

So far, we have been able to provide our students a well-balanced, nutritious lunch. However, we could provide only a simple breakfast and dinner at present due to scarcity of funds. We very much wanted to improve it as well and make it also as nutritious and whole-some meals as our present Lunch provided to our students. This improvement of dinner is to be accomplished by supplementing dinner intake with more nutritious items and only by adding a variety of vegetables and increasing frequency of egg and fruit with meals can do that. This supplementary nutrition is imperative in view of the fact that meat consumption in any form is strictly prohibited in the School. Only pure Veg food is prepared in the School Kitchen. Therefore it has become important to provide high quality Veg. food containing sufficient supply of vegetables, poultry items and items of diary product including milk.

Justification:

The main reason for the need to improve School dinner to the nutrition level of lunch is that the general state of health of our students as explained above and the amount of mental, intellectual, and physical activities and academic workload they endure and carry on in the School is not entirely compatible. There is a huge gap. Consequently usually our students are over worked and greatly strained often resulting in various health related problems and also easily succumbing to various ailments, a situation which is further aggravated by rigorous tied daily schedule and lack of leisure activities and proper system of civic amenities and sanitation facilities. In addition to physically remaining active from early morning to late night they have to follow routine school activities non-stop with little recess. The monk students in our School live a very demanding and rigorous school life. They do not have the advantage of freedom to indulge in games, sports, and entertainment that otherwise act as good healer from the intellectual exhaustion and strain and give much needed relaxation to body and to mind. While we cannot introduce games, sports, and entertainment activities as these are prohibited under general Monastic rule, we can certainly do something to improve the quality of food provided to the students and in this regard we would like to improve DINNER by making it well balanced and nutritious.

However, without your financial support, we have no other means by which we could realize this humble wish. Due to limited capital financial resources, School cannot risk falling into bankruptcy by spending more on food without seeing an increase in fund generation

4. SPONSOR AN EVENT

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1. Sponsor a meals
2. Sponsor a supper

4.1 Sponsor a meals

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School provides three times meals to its students round the year. The cost is exorbitant. We open our meals programme for individual sponsorship by interested benefactors and donors as a means to earn merit and to help School save its precious resources.

We have 600 novice monk students in the School in the Age Group of 6 to 20 studying in Class I to X. It costs Rs.10.00 per head per meals. You can offer meals to whole children for Rs.6000.00. Else you can sponsor meals for any number of students, one-time, one week, one month or one year.

4.2 Sponsor a supper

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We have 600 novice monk students in the School in the Age Group of 6 to 20 studying in Class One to Ten. It costs Rs.7.00 per head per meals and Rs..4200.00 for one-time meals for 600 students. You can sponsor meals for any number of students or one-time meals for whole students, one-week meals for whole students or one-month meals for whole students.

5 MAKE A DONATION:

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1. Make a donation for text book purchase
2. Make a donation for novice monks’ robes
3. Make a donation for novice monks’ shoes
4. Make a donation for school picnic & sports

5.1 Make a donation for text book purchase

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Each Year School spends at least Rs. 50,000.00 to 60,000.00 for new textbooks with starting of new academic session. You can sponsor certain amount of money to pay towards this expense, or you can sponsor the entire cost of TEXT BOOK expense for a specific academic year or more number of years.

Each Year School spends at least Rs. 40,000.00 to 50,000.00 for students Note Books. You can make donation, any amount, for purchase of students’ Notebook and other stationeries for the students.

5.2 Make a donation for novice monks’ robe

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It cost only Rs.580.00 for one complete set of monks’ robes consisting TONGAG, ZHEN and SHAMTHAB. It cost Rs. 3, 48, 000.0 to sponsor robes for entire novice monks in School currently numbering 600 Else, you can donate for one, two, five, ten, or ten or more. You can make donation, any amount of money, towards purchase of ROBES for novice monks in the Monastic School.

5.3 Make a donation for novice monks’ shoes

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It cost only Rs. 500.00 for one simple pair of SHOES. You can donate for one pair, two pairs, five pairs, ten pairs, or ten pairs or more. It cost Rs. 300,000.00 to sponsor shoes for entire novice monks in the School. -You can make donation, any amount of money, towards purchase of PAIR OF SHOES for novice monks in the Monastic School.

5.4 Make a donation for school picnic

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Three-Days Annual School Sports Day-Cum-Picnic is the most looked forward to by our students. It is also SPORTS DAY for the students and various events and games are organized that keep all the members from old to young busy and involved. The School spends a huge amount of money to provide special foods, gifts and other costs for the three- days event. According to rough estimate on average School spends over 150,000.00 for the three-day picnic and sports events. You can donate any amount of money earmarking as PICNIC FUND. We do not have separate SPORTS DAY as basically games and sports are prohibited under traditional Monastic rules and regulations. As such, we organize the sports events during the picnic by clubbing the two together. Donors may also request for a copy of DVD of the PICNIC later on.

6. PROJECTS:

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1. Computer education extension project
2. Tibetan Language Class Project

6.1 Computer education extension project

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The use of powerful educational tools created by Information Technology is increasingly being taken as something indispensable in all the progressive academic Institutions anywhere. For an educational Organization, its students cannot make real headway in their career without having latest and up to date knowledge through the help of Information technology and its usage. There is a great career scope in this field and we shall be lagging behind if our students do not have access to this latest scientific boon. To keep in tune with current educational trend, which is increasingly transformed into, electronic -education, the School plans to extend basic COMPUTER EDUCATION to maximum number of its students.

So far only students from standard VI onward have access to computer class. We now want to extend this facility and opportunity to students in the lower Classes as well. For this we need to purchase more Computer systems and also will need to employ another Computer instructor. In addition, since we need to install 10 to 15 PC systems to properly launch this project, we need to have a separate COMPUTER EDUCATION FUND from which we can purchase all the required hardware and software and meet the maintenance and recurring costs.

6.2 Tibetan language class Project for foreigners

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Bylakuppe, being the seat of many large Monasteries of different traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, (co-incidentally Bylakuppe also has the largest concentration of exile Tibetan community settled in its two of the largest and oldest Tibetan Refugees Settlement Clusters housing nearly Fifteen thousand Tibetans striving against all odds to maintain and preserve their unique national identity and cultural heritage) many western students and in particular western Buddhists flock to here annually in search of Tibetan language and Dharma Teachers. Unfortunately, the School does not have any special Classes being provided to such Western students even though many keep coming to School asking for such a facility. Hence, it is felt, that it is in order for the School to introduce a separate Tibetan Language and Dharma Classes for western students and also to have a separate Hostel and Mess facility where these western students can stay for a given period for a nominal fees. By doing so, the School will be doing a marvelous Dharma service while fulfilling the precious aspiration and needs of the western students who prefer to stay within the intellectual ambience of the School while attending language and Dharma Classes. When it materialized, it can extend to providing meditation classes to any interested group of students.

We trust this venture would prove very successful as there is no dearth of highly qualified and experienced Dharma and Meditation Masters available within the Monastery and the western students stand to benefit tremendously from the reservoir of their knowledge and practices in the path of Buddhist studies and practice. The Building project may be in three phases: First phase, Kitchen, Dinning Room, Staff Quarters and Hostel; second phase, Classrooms & Library; and the third phase, Meditation Hall. We fervently appeal to all the compassionate Aid Organizations, NGOs, Philanthropists, Friends of Tibetan Culture, Dharma Supporters, Benefactors & Sponsors world wide to make liberal contribution towards materialization & realization of above visionary Projects. Needless to say that these Projects are crucial to further continued dynamic progress, expanse and growth of this unique Tibetan Monastic Educational Venture where the young novice monks receive best of the modern education and traditional Buddhist education and Monastic training in an innovative & highly stimulating educational set up ensuring all round development of the students. The main objective of this unique educational venture is to prepare the novice students not only for the modern challenges unleashed by rapid advancement of science and technology but also to inculcate ancient values and training's that will prepare them to become torch bearers of universal brotherhood and global peace in this fast shrinking 21st Century and beyond so as to help evolve a happier and safer world. For further & more details and for any other information on above Projects or on School and discussion, please feel free to write to:

7. HOW CAN YOU HELP US?

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SJSS needs funds to sustain its educational and other services and to meet school maintenance costs.

Are you interested to support the running cost of existing services?
Are you interested to fund any Project or Projects detailed above?
Please send your donation/sponsorship/contribution, Cheque /International Money Order/ Demand Draft, made in favor of " SERA JE SCHOOL" SYNDICATE BANK, BYLAKUPPE BRANCH, SB A/C No. 1708/220/4950, and mail it by certified post to official address given below, and also for any further information, project details, and case histories for sponsorship support, please feel free to write to:

Ven. Acharya Rinchen Tsering
PRINCIPAL/DIRECTOR
SERA JE SECONDARY SCHOOL
BYLAKUPPE-571 104 MYSORE DIST. KARNATAKA STATE SOUTH INDIA

Tel: +91-08233-258771
Cell No. 9880016347
E-mail: seraje_school@yahoo.com
Website: serajeschool.org

Alternately, you can also make a donation to cover the recurring annual expenditure on following listed Essential needs:

S.No.	FUND required for	For 583 children in the School, details of their requirement and cost	INR.
01	Notebooks	@ student needs note books for EIGHT subjects and needs at least 3 note books for @ subject	44,000.00
02	Tibetan Text Books	Tibetan text Books published by TRCPP & EDRC	75,000.00
	NCERT Text Books	NCERT (National Council for Educational Research & Training) Government of India, published Text Books for Class I to X	50,000.00
03	Stationeries	Writing materials, pens and pencils, colors, rubbers, etc.	10,500.00
04	Tooth Brush	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	32,400.00
05	Tooth Paste	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	43,500.00
06	Soaps	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	25,500.00
07	Towels	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	50,500.00
08	Slipper	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	1,85,000.00
09	Shoes	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	2,50,000.00
10	Vests and Shorts	To be distributed freely to the children to maintain their health and hygiene	56,000.00
11	For Library	For Purchase of Children's Books, Comics and Story Books	90,000.00
12	For Library	Tibetan Literary works & Books on Tibetan Buddhism	80,000.00
13	For Library	English and Tibetan Periodicals and Magazines	10,000.00
14	School Newsletters	School Publication expense of Annual School Pictorial Magazine in Tibetan and English	80,000.00

8. PAP APPLICATION

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About PAP (Protected Area Permit)

IMPORTANT: PAP (Protected Area Permit) must for all visitors to Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlement Tibetan Settlement at Bylakuppe where Sera Je School is located is a restricted area. Hence, under government India’s law, all foreigners require PAP to enter and stay in Bylakuppe. Any SPONSOR wishing to visit Sera Je School, must, therefore, apply, through School office, for (PAP) PROTECTED AREA PERMIT from the Government of India, New Delhi.

PAP Application Forms can be had from Sera Je School Office by writing to us by e-mail or calling us at office numbers on any working day School hours. (Mondays half day only and School is closed on all Tuesdays instead of Sundays). Completed PAP Application Form with three Passport size photos and Xerox copy of your Passport must be sent through School office to the concerned Indian Office in New Delhi well before you decide your travel dates.

Please keep minimum three months time to obtain the PAP (Protected Area Permit) from New Delhi. Normal process time taken for getting the PERMIT is two and half to three months. But often time taken is more than this period so kindly sends us your PAP application forms much earlier to avoid unnecessary hassles.

You can download PAP APPLICATION FORM HERE. If any problem, please write to us.

Deeply appreciating your kind attention and support.

Sincerely yours, Acharya Rinchen Tseriong (Rev.)
PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR
Sera Je Secondary School
Bylakuppe
Mysore, INDIA
Tel: +91-08223-258771

9. CONTACT US

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We hope you have become fairly well acquainted with our multi-academic and cultural activities and our vision. While constantly striving to meet our future challenges and expectations, It is but imperative that SJSS needs funds to maintain its infrastructure, facilities and staff and also to sustain its vital educational services, and also to implement various Projects afoot.

You can help us in any of the following ways:
- Tell a friend about the Sera Je School
- Sponsor a child at US $300 annually.
- Send a donation towards following purposes:
Corpus Fund
Food Corpus Fund
Educational Fund
Educational Publication
Science Laboratory
Library Book Purchase
Computer Class
Medical Fund
General fund - to be used where the need is greatest
Maintenance Fund

Will you kindly become a sponsor to one of our novice students?
Kindly express your intention to sponsor a child by writing to:

Ven. Acharya Rinchen Tsering
PRINCIPAL/DIRECTOR
SERA JE SECONDARY SCHOOL
BYLAKUPPE-571 104 MYSORE DIST. KARNATAKA STATE SOUTH INDIA
Tel: +91-08233-258771 Cell No. 9880016347
E-mail: seraje_school@yahoo.com
Website: serajeschool.org