Jhamtse Gatsal Children's Community

Vision

We believe the course of individual lives and of the world can be profoundly improved through the active practice of love and compassion. We strive to apply these principles to everything we do.

What is Jhamtse Gatsal?

Jhamtse Gatsal (jhaam’-tsay gah’-tsal) is Tibetan for “garden of love and compassion.”

The Jhamtse Gatsal campus.It is a community, a school, and a home for about 90 children ranging in age from toddler to adolescent. Jhamtse Gatsal lies in the district of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, India, and the children come from nearby villages. Each of these children has a background of adversity. Our driving goal is to provide these children with better lives, helping them to achieve their fullest potential.

Our Mission

Our mission is to help the neediest children of the remote villages of the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India and be a model community for the region.

Videos

Please check out the Jhamtse Vimeo page, or head on over to YouTube to find many videos made by volunteers and visitors to Jhamtse Gatsal.

Tashi and the Monk

A trailer for the award-winning, independent documentary about Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community.

On a remote mountaintop of the Himalayas sits Jhamtse Gatsal (Tibetan for “The Garden of Love and Compassion”), a special school and home for 85 abandoned and neglected children.

Founded by former Buddhist monk Lobsang Phunstok, who trained under the Dalai Lama, this unique community gives boys and girls the chance to escape extreme poverty and grow up in an environment where they are free to be themselves and dream about their future.

The inspiring documentary Tashi and the Monk tells the story of Lobsang, whose own dark childhood led him to create this safe haven, and his newest arrival, feisty five-year-old Tashi, who was neglected and abandoned by her parents. It shows how kindness and empathy can transform lives, spotlighting one man’s altruistic vision and the journey of one troubled child who, with the help of a supportive community, is able to overcome her past and
start anew.

Learn more about Jhamtse Gatsal Children’s Community through this beautiful 40-minute film, created in 2014.
For ways to see the full documentary, more clips, and more info about the film please visit the film website at tashiandthemonk.com