Since the 5th March 1984 I have been set on my long journey from a peaceful farming village, in Miyak, in the eastern Tibet. I was raised in a poor family. I went to school for six years, beginning when I was seven years old. I had learnt Tibetan, Chinese languages and as well as Math. Within period of six years I learnt various things which my parents didn't teach me.

After I graduated from my primary school I couldn't attend secondary school even if I passed my examination. It means my family couldn't afford my school fees.

Then I returned to my home, working as a farmer, because I couldn't survive eating grass. I lived with my family for several years. Although I was a little boy I had to work the same as an adult man could because I have only one younger brother to help my parents with work, but I was thirsty to receive some more education. I wasn't willing to spend my whole life as a farmer.

Sometime I suggested to my family what I wanted to be but they ignored my suggestions. They told me I would be a farmer forever, because they didn't recognize the value of education. On the other hand, according to the Tibetan tradition the eldest child despite being a boy or girl must look after their family. In spite of my family's strict rejection I tried to join a school

but I didn't find an appropriate school for my level of education and my age. One day I was told "if you really want to study, then don't waste young precious life, try to go to India where you can get the chance to study," by one guy in my village who was an ex-student of TTS (Tibetan Transit School, in India).

In the spring of 2005 I decided to leave my home. I didn't tell anyone where I was going even to my beloved family. I knew they wouldn't give permission to leave. When I arrived in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet, I phoned my father and he said "you should come back; otherwise your mother would be mad at you." He was also crying in the phone. Anyhow, I didn't change my decision even though they were going to be mad and sad.

I stayed for a month in Lhasa. Because of my relatives aids I could reach the Tibetan Reception Centre in Nepal, within seven days after leaving Tibet even if I didn't have any Chinese passports. I stayed there for twenty days. There, I first saw the Tibetan National Flag which surprised me very much, because I didn't have any knowledge about the Tibet issue when I was in Tibet. I never wondered that Tibet isn't a part of China, but not only me, 70per cent of Tibetan young generations don't know anything about outer Tibet, especially the peoples who living in countryside.

AIn a misty morning I arrived in McLeod Ganj which shocked me because I didn't expect that McLeod Ganj is such a narrow street squeezed among crowded woods.

A few days later I was sent to TTS (Tibetan Transit School) without an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There were about seven hundred students in TTS. All of them were above eighteen years of age. I felt quite weird because that was my first time to live with such a huge number of people in a small environment. However, I began to learn the English language as well as Tibetan. Of course, English isn't my first language so learning a new language is not convenient, but I did my efforts to study for three years.

In fact, Tibetan Transit School was third School for me but I always regarded TTS as my second home, the teachers were my second parents and my fellow students were my second siblings, because they showed me how wide the world is. They handed me a brightly lit torch when I was wandering in the darkness.

After several weeks of my arrival in TTS, I had an audience with His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama in his temple with almost three hundred people. It was 10am, we were waiting for him in a decorative hall. He appeared on

the stage with a genuine smile. My mind was filled by inexpressible joys and I couldn't fight back my tears. He gave us a short speech which washed away my sins.

On the basis of wanting to improve my English language, I left the TTS last winter holiday. My present school, Education Support Trust School is located among a small Indian village which is four kilometers from McLeod Ganj, the resident of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I have been at this school since 11th March 2009. We have twenty three students and our teachers are from western countries. We are learning two subjects; English and Computer. We are provided everything for our studies, besides we are given amount of pocket money monthly.

At the end, not least I would like to acknowledge to our board members, organizers and all the sponsors for their heartened helps. I am very proud to be a student of ES-Trust School. I will do my best to obtain a satisfactory result of their generous contributions.

Thanking you

E.S.Tibet Student
Tenzin