The Loden Foundation

Some Loden Scholars

Sabita Das Lungtenphu School Sabita is ethnically Nepali Bhutanese and her father works in the National Library. A studious girl, Sabita's education is supported by Alan Masson.

Phurba W., Bhutan Wangdicholing School Phurba's father is epileptic and mother illiterate. He has two siblings and lives in Bumthang. Phurba's education is supported by Susan Bowditch.

Tenzin Pelmo Jakar School Tenzin's father is a school cook. She has four sisters and is Loden's first beneficiary. Tenzin was supported by Robert Miles for five years.

Child sponsorship was the first project of the Loden Foundation. Loden started as a programme to link potential sponsors with poor children in the Himalayas. Hundreds of village students in the Himalayan countries do not go to school or abandon it prematurely because their families cannot afford a school uniform or few books. Even if they finish primary and secondary schooling, many promising students cannot pursue higher education due to lack of fund or information on where to seek funding. Such incentives as scholarships and prizes, which encourage innovation and research, are very few indeed and not generally known.

The Loden Foundation was one of the first organizations to support children at school in Bhutan by providing costs for uniforms, stationeries, sports gear, etc. Although school education in Bhutan is state financed, such extra costs can be often too heavy a burden for rural families whose livelihoods are based on subsistence farming. Since Loden's initiative in 2000, many other organizations have actively started child sponsorship programmes. Thus, Loden is now involved more in other projects but we still find a sponsor for a child or a child beneficiary for a sponsor when people approach us.

Given differing levels of need amongst students, we have, under the advice of school masters, set the amount of annual support at Nu.6000 for primary students and Nu.8000 for secondary school students. We also channel funds from sponsors for students in higher education but the amount can vary according to the needs. 

Our work is two-fold:
1. We find either a sponsor or a child as requested,
2. We channel and administer the funds efficiently.

Loden offers some sponsorship from our general funds but most of our students are funded by individual sponsors. We encourage the sponsors and children to build a personal bond, under our supervision, and to write to each other to understand the direct impact of the support.