A group of 13 students and 2 teachers from Tec de Monterry University, Mexico lead by their group leader Naidel and Lillian, visited Lha as a part of Lha Culture Exchange Programme.

This is the third time that Lha have worked in partnership with this university for the exchange programme. The group arrived in Mcleod Ganj on 11th December and was received and introduced to the organization.

During their time in Dharamshala, the Mexican students participated in various programs and contributed by teaching Lha’s English and computer classes, helping in the soup kitchen, and at Rogpa Baby Care Centre. The group was also paired with Lha students for the Mutual Learning Program and they also met and heard from reputable and eminent Tibetans in the town.

On 18th December, Lha invited the honorable speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Mr. Penpa Tsering as a guest speaker to the group on the Tibet issue. He explained about the current situation in Tibet, the structure and the working of the Central Tibetan Administration, democracy in exile and the Tibet-China issues followed by a question and answer session.

On 20th December, Lha organized an informal discussion between the visiting group and the officials from different offices and departments of the Central Tibetan Administration. The students interacted with Tibetan parliamentarians, secretaries, directors and principal of Tibetan schools, researchers, etc.

The discussion continued over a delicious dinner. Mr. Karma Chungdak, Director of Sambhota Tibetan Schools Society, made a presentation on “A Glimpse of exile Tibetan Education” our student group from Mexico on 26th December. Mr. Karma Chungdak talked about the aims and the working of the Basic Education Policy.

Another informal discussion was organized on 27th December with the representatives of Tibetan NGOs in Dharamshala. The students met directors, researchers and media person from several organizations and got the opportunity to learn about the Tibetan NGO’s, their roles and works in the exile community.

The students from Mexico visited different places in Dharamshala, including the Central Tibetan Administration, Tibetan Parliament complex, Norbulingka, the Tibetan Library. The students have learned a lot about Tibet, its people and the current situation and problems faced by the Tibetans across the globe.

Sharing about their experiences, one of the students, Mauricio Baez, said “Every single minute we were learning something. It is overwhelming to think about the details of life, the beauty and hardships that come with being humans. We found Tibetan culture to be one of the most compassionate, pacific cultures in the world, and we are shocked to see that even where these values are most practiced, money, power and the military are stronger.”

On 29th December Lha bit farewell to the visiting Mexican student group from Mexico with a wonderful dinner. They left the town early morning on 30 December to explore the magical beauty of the historical and touristic sites in Amrisar, Haridwar, Japura, Agra and New Delhi. They flew back home on 8th January to Mexico.

We thank the University for working with us for this program and a special thanks to Ms. Naidel Ardila to arranging the group visit for the last three years. We look forward to work with you again.