Vleuten, 5-1-2025

Dear sponsors, friends, and supporters of the HNGF,

First of all, our very best wishes for 2025! May you enjoy good health and find happiness in all your endeavours!

Below is the 2024 annual report. This year, we resumed sponsoring our current projects. Once again, we received additional donations this year. Our heartfelt thanks for your loyal contributions and extra support!

In December, during our visit to India, we were able to meet our local contacts and make new arrangements. In 2024, we began funding the salaries of English and Mathematics teachers for the monks in Nepal (see photo below). We will continue this support in 2025.

Monks with teachers, together with their abbot Lama Pasang (the man in the yellow T-shirt, third from the right in the top row).

This year, we will also begin funding the annual salary of a teacher of Tibetan for the nuns in Rumtek, North India. The start of the construction and furnishing of a second classroom in the nunnery, as announced last year, has been delayed. We have indicated that we are still able to sponsor this project. Unfortunately, the education provided to nuns is still of a lesser quality compared to that for monks. We are very keen to support the empowerment process that is fortunately underway. We have reiterated this to Ani Tsultrim, the abbess.

She also requested warm jackets, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. We will assist in purchasing these items.

Nuns recently at an audience with the 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje in Bodhgaya. Abbess Ani Tsultrim is seated in the middle row, third from the right.

Equality between men and women, monks and nuns remains an important focus throughout Asia, particularly in India and Nepal. Wherever possible, we will continue to support these courageous women, even if only on a micro level.

Furthermore, we are still seeking new projects where we can sponsor formal education and training. However, we consider it crucial to personally know and meet our contacts. Unfortunately, corruption is still widespread, making it essential to build mutual trust for a project’s success. We are currently exploring some contacts and will share updates via the website.

There are still card sets available, which we created in honour of our 10th anniversary at the end of 2023. You can order them via info@HNGF.nl! The suggested price is 10 euros per set, but any contribution is welcome!
Would you like to help us gain more donors? We can send you flyers to inform people around you about our work. These can also be requested via info@HNGF.nl!

Once again, we sincerely thank you for your involvement and generosity! We are truly grateful for your support. Together, we will continue making a difference in 2025!

Warm regards,
Mirjam Bezemer, Ursula Heine, and Hans Gerritsen