Dateline Dehradun: We tell ourselves so many stories.. so here’s to telling ourselves a beautiful one.
The Tara Foundation founded in 2015, Dehradun is a registered Public Charitable Trust. “The Trust was formed with a vision for world of peace, harmony and well-being. It aims to propagate compassion, loving-kindness, and wisdom that enables people of all ages, cultures, and traditions to lead a happy and meaningful life and to be of service to all sentient beings,” expresses Ms Tsering Chozom Luding, Chairperson of Tara Foundation.
And working on those principles, the Foundation recently came forward to seek help for a childless elderly couple, who worked as daily labourer and house-help but given their age and falling health were now confined to their rental room and finding it difficult to make ends meet. Then, there was Neeraj, a cobbler in Rajpur who had spent his meagre savings on his daughter’s treatment whom he lost last November. With a constant threat from loan sharks, he made an appeal for help via Tara Foundation who helped him to raise funds and pay off some portion of his pending loan.
And these are just some of the people whom the Foundation has reached out to. “We get calls or messages from people seeking help either for themselves or those they know. I personally go and investigate the case and only then, the team sets into action. We see how we can help, from ration, tools, rental or even cash at times is distributed as a source of relief to those who seek,” Chozom adds.
Since its inception in 2015, the Trust has helped better umpteen lives and focussed their work in core areas: Education /Health and Social Welfare/Environment/Animal well-being /Economic empowerment.
From making upcycled school bags from discarded robes by monks and nuns to clean up drives in Dehradun. Personally tending to abandoned animals. Repairing boundary wall and gates of a primary school to beautification of drinking water facility, scholarship for students, nature walks are just a few of the activities that the Foundation is regularly credited for.
Well-known for her unique social work Tsering Chozom Luding, even sold her jewellery to fund the Foundation. Today, recognition has come in many forms. She has been conferred with “Certificate of appreciation” from Citizens of Green Doon in 2010, ‘Citizen Exemplary Award’ at the Rajpur Nature Festival in 2019. In 2023 she was honoured with the award of ‘Social Impactor’ under Uttarakhand Educator’s Award. On International women’s day this year, she also received ‘Certificate of Appreciation from Inner wheel club, Dehradun. But she feels, “the biggest recognition that I have ever received is being able to help, assist and touch lives in whatever way I can.”
How can you help:
Indian donors can make their valuable monetary contribution at:
Name of Bank: UCO Bank
Account name: tara foundation
Account number: 03420110019962
IFSC Code: UCBA0000342
MICR code: 248028005
Branch code: 0342
