Language is the fundamental base of every culture, religion and identity. The Chinese government believes that they have the right to impose its own language and culture on the Tibetan people. Due to this forced Chinese assimilation policy, the Tibetan language is disappearing in Tibet and Tibetan children no longer can learn their own mother language.

For this reason, Gangjong Rigzod Tibetean School was founded in Amsterdam, focusing on providing every Tibetan child an opportunity to study Tibetan and other cultural related activities. As the ultimate advocate for the preservation of Tibetan language and culture, the Dalai Lama personally gave the school its name: Ganjong Rigzod, meaning “land of snow and centre of knowledge.”

The school gives free Tibetans language courses to Tibetan children between 4 to 18 years old. There are currently around 70 students in five different groups with different levels. The classes are held every Sunday morning for three hours and we have an annual final examination to keep us updated on the progress of our students.

We have eight voluntary teachers at the moment and because of their selfless effort and contribution, we are able to preserve our language and pass it on to our younger generation in exile. The school receives no government funding and we don’t have a fixed location, so we are urgently looking for financial or other forms of support to guarantee the continuation of our education.