Choedon: Home in Exile

India is my second home. I fled Tibet because the Chinese government created so many problems there. Tibetans have been seeking refuge in India for 48 years. It is hard to live here because we are not granted legitimate refugee status. However, since I came to India my life has improved in many ways. Here I am offered a free uncensored education and I frequently can see His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is hard to find work but I would like to stay here because I can learn so much and I am truly inspired by His Holiness. We have many hardships but I can say I am happy here.

My Story

In the 1990s my older brother escaped from Tibet and came to Dharamsala. He was so impressed with the Tibetan community in exile that he sneaked back into Tibet to bring my sister and I to India. He was very brave to secretly cross the border 3 times! We are a nomadic family from Kham and before coming to India I spent my days herding yak, goats and sheep. I had to wake up at 4am to bring them to the hills to graze. In the summer we lived in big black tents made by my father. Summer was the best time of year because the animals were happy and gave us so much milk. Life in India is totally different. Here we live in houses all year round, become pale and have stomach problems. Many Tibetans have health issues because of the strange weather and food. However as nomads we are comfortable moving around and learning from different environments so we know how to make the best of this situation. Thanks to His Holiness the Dalai Lama I have had the marvelous opportunity to receive a good education. In Dharamsala we can go to school for free and learn Tibetan history and language as well as English and computers. Here we can also learn about the real situation in Tibet.