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{{Short description|Indian organization}}
{{advert|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
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{{Infobox organization
| name = Lha Charitable Trust
| logo = Logo of lha charitable trust.png
| logo =
| logo_caption = Logo of Lha Charitable Trust
| type = 12AA & 80G[[Nonprofit organization]]
| founded_date = 1997
| founder(s)founded_date = <br />Jampa Tsering and Neil= Guidry1997
| founders = Jampa Tsering and Neil Guidry
| location = Lha Office, Temple Road, [[McLeod Ganj]] – 176219<br /> [[Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamsala]], District. Kangra<br />[[Himachal Pradesh]], India
| origins =
| key_people = Ngawang Rabgyal, ''Chairman and& Director''<br />Jampa Tsering, ''Co-Founder & Advisory Board Member''<br />Neil Guidry, ''Co-Founder & Advisory Board Member''<br />Tashi Dorjee,<br />Laura Manley,<br /> Duthen Kyi <br />''Advisory Board Member''
| area_served =
| focus = Improve the well-being of Tibetan refugees through social work and education
| revenue =
| endowment =
| num_volunteers =
| num_employees = Permanent: 13<br /> Part-time: 5 <br /> volunteers: 15-25
| awards = In 2015 Lha was awarded first place in the category of "Best use of Website & Internet Tools" in the South Asia-wide 4th eNGO Challenge Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://engochallenge.org/winners-2015/|title = Winners 2015 – Recognizing Tech for Good among Civil Society Organizations in South Asia, DEF}}</ref>
| ownerwebsite = https://www.lhasocialwork.org/
| owner =
| homepage = [http://www.lhasocialwork.org/] http:[//www.contactmagazine.net/][http://www.samdhongrinpoche.com/]
| tax_exempt =
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}
 
The '''Lha Charitable Trust''' is an Indian [[nonprofit organization]] primarily focused on Tibetian social work. It was founded in 1997 in [[Dharamshala]], India by [[Jampa Tsering]] and Niel Guidry.
[[File:Logo of lha charitable trust.png|thumb|Logo of Lha]]
'''Lha Charitable Trust – Institute For Social Work and Education (Lha)''' is a grassroots, [[nonprofit organization]], and one of the largest Tibetan social work organizations based in Dharamsala, India. It is the first organization that was established in exile to develop a primary focus on [[Tibet]]an social work. The Lha Charitable Trust was founded in 1997 and is registered as a charitable trust by the [[Himachal Pradesh]] government of India. Lha is managed by Tibetan [[refugee]]s, is supported by volunteers and contributors from around the world, and serves refugees, the local Indian population and people from the surrounding Himalayan region. In a short period of time, the organization "has grown in leaps and bounds, from a small start-up with two computers to one of largest community based Tibetan [[NGOs]] in Dharamsala."<ref name="Home">{{cite news|title=The Lha Charitable Trust: Twelve years of service to the community, and counting|url=http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/outlook/reviews/403-the-lha-charitable-trust-twelve-years-of-service-to-the-community-and-counting|accessdate=16 March 2013|newspaper=The Tibet Post|date=12 October 2009|author=Alex O. Bleecker}}</ref> ''Lha'' (Tibetan ལྷ་) is a Tibetan word that means "deity" or "divine."{{cn|date=May 2023}}
 
The Trust offers volunteers and students the opportunity to engage in community service and social work on a permanent or temporary basis. On the website of Gaden Relief Projects (an organization that helps to preserve Tibetan culture in India, Mongolia, and Tibet), Lha is recognized as one of the organizations that offers volunteering opportunities.<ref>{{cite web|title=Volunteer Opportunities|url=http://www.gadenrelief.org/volunteer.html|work=Gaden Relief Projects|accessdate=16 March 2013|year=2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204195758/http://www.gadenrelief.org/volunteer.html|archive-date=4 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 
==Background==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2023}}
Since the [[annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China]], Tibetans living in Tibet have been subject to the policies of the [[People's Republic of China]], and the [[Chinese Communist Party]]—under. Under this regime, the Tibetan people's freedom of expression and political action arehas extremelybeen limitedsuppressed. Consequently, over the past fifty years, many thousands of [[Tibetan people|Tibetans]] have chosen to leave their homeland in pursuit of the human rights that have been denied under Chinese rule. Every year, new [[Refugee|refugees]] arrive in [[India,]] after an arduous journey through the [[Himalayas]], and countless refugees arrive with little or no education, speak only Tibetan, and possess no viable job skills to support themselves and their families. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult for adult and elderly refugees to receive an adequate education in India due to the strict school system requirements, as educational policy prevents adults over the age of eighteen years from enrolling in school. Under such conditions, Lha plays a crucial role in facilitating the transition of Tibetan refugees from their homeland to the Indian community by providing long-term rehabilitation and educational resources for Tibetan adults.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ravi |first=Rupashree |date=2022-01-17 |title=Our initial aim was to help Tibetan refugees from Tibet: Lha Charitable Trust |url=https://www.thetibetpost.com/features/34-education-and-society/7205-our-initial-aim-was-to-help-tibetan-refugees-from-tibet-lha-charitable-trust |access-date=2024-07-27 |work=The Tibet Post}}</ref>
 
== Mission and objectives ==
Lha's missionCharitable isTrust aims to be "a resource of education and knowledge that provides meaningful, multi-level social and educationeducational services for the benefit of others."<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=http://www.lhasocialwork.org/|work=Lha Charitable Trust – Institute for Social Work and Education|publisher=Lha Charitable Trust|accessdate=16 March 2013|year=2013}}</ref> The organization seeks to generate an atmosphere of harmony and cooperation within the community by tending toaddressing the needs of the impoverished and underprivileged. A key focus of Lha is to assist Tibetan refugees toin surviveadapting and prosperthriving in their new home, while also preserving the unique Tibetan culture. Approximately 60 percent of Lha's graduates work in the local community, 30 percent work abroad, and 10 percent return to Tibet.<ref name="Home" /> The Trust partners with several local and international organizations, such as the Tibetan Parent's Association, the [[Tibetan Women's Association]], and the Leprosy Assistance project—allProject—all of these bodieswhich regularly collaborate with the Trust "to better meet the needs of the exiled community."<ref name="Emp">{{cite web|title=LLha Charitable Trust :Dharamsala|url=http://www.empoweringvision.org/article.php?cat=4&&id=32|work=Empowering the Vision|accessdate=16 March 2013|year=2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728220810/http://www.empoweringvision.org/article.php?cat=4&&id=32#|archive-date=28 July 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The Trust's Outreach Program provides aid toaids the wider Indian community in the form ofthrough self-sustaining clean water projects, environmental initiatives, and the donationdonations of medicine, books, and clothing.
 
The Trust aims to "build a social service bridge for the Tibetan refugee community toin [[northern India]]."<ref name="Emp" /> Lha'sIts primary objectives include:
 
#Provide Providing social services to Tibetan refugees and the local Himalayan population.
#Provide Offering Tibetan refugees with education and health services, as well as the skills and assistance needed to build a new life in exile.
#Facilitate Facilitating mutual learning and cultural exchange experiences between Tibetans, volunteers, and other visitors.
#Create Creating awareness of the Tibetan refugee situation and preservepreserving the endangered [[Tibetan culture]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Volunteer Abroad with Lha Charitable Trust in India|url=http://omprakash.org/partner_profile/p/21|work=Omprakash|publisher=Omprakash Foundation|accessdate=16 March 2013|year=2011}}</ref>
 
== Partnerships ==
[[File:Lha and Rotary Club.JPG|thumb|Lha and Rotary Club]]
Lha works in conjunction with various local and international organizations to build a strong network of affiliates, working towards the improvement of community and social services. International organizations include [http://www.lhainfo.org/ Louisiana Himalaya Association] "LHA", [[https://www.omprakash.org/ Omprakash Foundation]], [[Tulane University]], [[Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education]], [[Loyola University New Orleans|Loyola University]], [[Centenary College of Louisiana|Centenary College]], [[Lifeworks International]], the [[Tibet Fund]], the [http://tfg.org.au/ Tibetan Friendship Group Australia], [https://rusticpathways.com/ Rustic Pathways], and the [https://tibetfreunde.ch/ TibetFreunde Swiss, while]. localLocal partners include the [[Central Tibetan Administration|Central Tibet Administration]], Dharamshala Rotary Club, and [https://delekhospital.org/ Delek Hospital], as well as many Tibetan NGOs.
 
== Programs ==
Lha provides a variety of programs for Tibetan refugees, and the local Himalayan community, such as language classes, cultural exchange programs, [[Information technology|information technology (IT)]] classes, [[Vocational education|vocational training]], health and environment education, clothes and medicine distribution, and a community kitchen. On a daily basis, Lha serves an average of 250 people daily, hosts between fifteen and twenty-five volunteers, and provides up to nineteen programs and services.
 
=== Language classes ===
[[File:English Class at Lha.JPG|thumb|English Class at Lha]]
Language classes have been takingtaken place at Lha since 1999. Currently, 100 to 120 students per month participate in the language classes at Lha. Onevery a daily basis,month. Lha offers classes in English, French, Chinese, German and Tibetan daily, all at varying ability levels. In addition to traditional classroom sessions, Lha offers a daily English conversation class, for additional practice, with native English speakers; a tutoring program is also offered as a supplement for each language class. All courses are staffed by volunteer teachers and are open to the public.
 
In 2014 a new Lha English curriculum book was introduced for the Elementary, Beginner, and Intermediate level English classes based on the Standard English curriculum of the [[Common European Framework of Reference for Languages|Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR)]]. 2,678 students attended language classes in 2014, including 796 new enrollmentsenrolments. The majority ofMost students attend classes for two to six months, and approximately 40 percent continue their studies for between one and three (or more) years. To date, over 10,317 students have benefited from our language classes,<ref name="Annual">{{cite web|title=Lha's Annual Report for 2011|url=http://lhasocialwork.org/images/stories/traveler_resources/Lha_Annual_Report_2011.pdf|publisher=Lha Charitable Trust|accessdate=16 March 2013|year=2011}}</ref> developing skills to help in obtaining employment and increasing self-confidence. In the future, Lha plans to add more intensive courses and provide students with certificates of completion.
 
=== Computer skills classes ===
Lha's computer training program aims to provide students with viable job skills and consists of two levels of computer training: Beginner and Intermediate. The types of expertise that are taught include typing, internet proficiency, web design, graphic design, and fluency in technology/programs such as [[email]], [[MS Word]], [[MS Excel]], and [[Adobe Photoshop]].
[[File:Lha Computer Class.jpg|thumb|Lha Computer Class]]
The computer classes attract from twenty to thirty students each month. As a fee is required to attend these classes, Lha offers select students full [[scholarship]]s each month—especially to those refugees who are associated with other local NGOs, such as the [[Tibetan Women's Association]], the [[Tibetan Youth Congress]], and the Kunphen Center. Since 2003, over 2,000 students have benefited from computer skills classes and workshops.<ref name="Annual" />
 
=== Vocational training ===
[[File:Photography Classes Lha.JPG|thumb|Photography classesclass]]
Lha provides vocational training, including professionally taught IT classes, photography courses and massage therapy courses. Lha plans to provide other types of vocational skills in the future, such as chef courses.
 
When a qualified IT teacher is available, Lha offers an IT program focusing on web design and development, graphic design as well as business skills.
Basic photography courses taught by professionals, when available, are open to all interested persons. At the course completion, students display their work in the ‘Lha‘LHA Photography Exhibition.’ Lha also partners with [[Chung Yuan Christian University]] to provide a semi-annual IT workshop that is focused on [[multimedia]] programs, [[Internet|the internetInternet]] and [[word processing]].
 
Cooking and baking classes are available to those wishing to pursue careers in the food industry.
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[[File:Lha Community Soup Kitchen.jpg|thumb|Lha Community Soup Kitchen]]
 
To address the problem of limited access to both clean water and nutritious food in the local community, Lha initiated the Community Soup Kitchen Project in 2009. On 6 July 2011, Lha officially opened its soup kitchen in the Ahimsa House venue—it was the first [[soup kitchen]] in Dharamsala and provides low-cost, nutritious meals, and clean water to Tibetan refugees (those who cannot afford the nominal fee receive the same services at no cost). In order to fund the monthly cost of the soup kitchen, Lha has partnered with the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], [[United States|United States (U.S.)]]. In 2011, the church received pledges that amounted to [[United States dollar|US$]]1,200 per month and the subsequent goal was to increase this amount to US$2,000 to completely cover the monthly cost of the soup kitchen.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tibetan exchange|url=http://m.arkansasonline.com/news/2011/jan/01/teaching-job-leads-feeding-ministry-20110101/|accessdate=16 March 2013|newspaper=Arkansas Democrat Gazette|date=1 January 2011|author=Christie Storm}}</ref>
 
===Clean Water Project===
Starting in 2010, the Lha's cleanClean waterWater project continues to provide clean filtered water to Tibetan communities. The purpose of installing these clean water systems is to ensure that people can access free, filtered water, thus helping to keep the community healthy into the future.
The filter unit is an RO+UV+ UF and TTS, consideredwhich oneprovides of the best filteredhigh-quality water systemsfiltration available in the area. It will provideand more than 100 liters of clean and safe drinking water per hour to the students and, their teachers, and staff members, while the stainless steel tank is capable of storing 500 liters of water.
The water is used not only for drinking but also for cooking, thereby improving the quality of food served at the schools. Additionally, a water cooler providing instant hot and cold filtered water was installed with funds provided directly by Lha. We expect theseThese improvements will help alleviate some of the water-borne illnesses children commonly suffer from in this region, especially during the monsoon season, and that it will contribute to maintaining a high level of general health among students.
 
===Free Community Magazine===
[[Contact Magazine]] is a recognised and registered publication under the Registrar Office of the Newspaper, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Government of India. The registration number is HPENG/2013/51798. Recognised by Lonely Planet and other international travel resources. Contact has been a popular source of news and information on Tibetan issues, and the Dharamsala community, for over 18 years.
 
700 – 1,000 copies are printed each month and distributed in the greater Dharamshala area and in Delhi, and various diplomatic missions to India. Copies are also sent to various Tibetan schools, settlements, offices and NGOs in India as well as abroad. Contact keeps readers up-to-date on current issues and events, and provides networking, education and volunteer opportunities, as well as social services information. Contact staff and contributors hope you will enjoy and benefit from our modest efforts to build a community through communication.[http://www.contactmagazine.net www.contactmagazine.net]
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lhasocialwork.org/contact-magazine-project.html |title=Contact Magazine Project |access-date=6 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020556/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/contact-magazine-project.html |archive-date=17 November 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 
===Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche website project===
To make the writings, speeches and teachings of His Eminence Professor Samdong Rinpoche freely available to the general public, Lha launched thea bilingual website (Tibetan and English). The website contains many researched articles, audio and video clips on Buddhist teachings, Tibetan culture and language, democracy, non-violence, and the situation of Tibet, and receives over 11,000 viewers per month. Lha was proud to launchlaunched this website as an initiative towards preserving Tibet's culture, language and heritage, and to help it to flourish. Professor Samdong Rinpoche, an eminent and distinguished scholar, teacher and philosopher, is a lifelong campaigner of Gandhian principles, and works closely with the Dalai Lama. Rinpoche was the first elected Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan Central Administration, and a former Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile. His services are valued at the highest level in many institutions, including former Principal/Director, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Chancellor of [[Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies]], member of the Expert Advisory Committee, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and President of the International Buddhist Congregation.[http://samdhongrinpoche.com/en/]
 
=== Public health initiatives ===
Lha facilitates initiatives to improve community health and increase awareness about the importance of hygiene and physical well-being.
DonationsMedicine ofassistance medicine are collected andis distributed by Lha to local public health centerscentres, such as Delek Hospital and the Central Tibetan Administration's Department of Health.
 
Lha provides educational seminars on [[AIDS]], [[sexual health]], and provides information on sexually transmitted diseases, including free distribution of leaflets and condoms and the importance of their use. Lha also offers seminars on other, more general health issues.
 
The community kitchen provides extensive hygiene and nutritional education classes to improve community health. Lha incorporates simple health information into its English language classes to help Tibetans effectively communicate with doctors and [[pharmacists]]. All donations that are in the form of medicine are distributed by Lha to local public health centerscentres.
 
<gallery>
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=== Free book distribution ===
In July 2008, Lha's U.S. partner, the Omprakash Foundation, shipped a total of 30,000 books from the U.S. to Dharamsala. All of the books were distributed to Tibetan and local Indian schools, charitable organizations, libraries and individuals in Dharamsala and surrounding regions. Lha continues to collect books and donate them to libraries and schools. In 2014, Lha distributed around 340 books, through the Rotary Club Dharamsala.
 
=== Environmental awareness and aid initiatives ===
[[File:Lha Voluteers helping the Environment.JPG|thumb|Lha Volunteers helping the Environment]]
Lha initiates environmental awareness activities such as mass clean-ups, trashrubbish collection, and the installation of garbagerubbish bins, and to provideprovides education on environment conservation. Lha also publishes posters, brochures and leaflets in three languages: English, Tibetan and Hindi in observation of worldWorld environmentalEnvironmental daysDays. In addition, Lha has created an environmental website to inform the global Tibetan and Himalayan communities as well as the general public about the importance of environmental issues ofin Tibet and the globe. The website includes many researched articles both in English and Tibetan, is updated regularly as new information is available, and is visited over 3000 times a month.http://tibetnature.net/
 
Lha initiates environmental awareness activities, such as environmental clean-ups, garbagerubbish collection, the installation of garbagerubbish bins, and [[wildlife conservation]]. Lha also publishes posters, brochures and leaflets in three languages: English, Tibetan and Hindi in observation of worldWorld environmentalEnvironmental daysDays. Lha's volunteers have also helped with the education of students and the local community about the importance of environmental conservation.
 
In an effort to raise awareness and educate the global Tibetan community on the importance of environmental issues and Tibet's fragile ecology, Lha created a Tibetan-language website.<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|url=http://www.tibetnature.net/|work=Tibet Nature Environment Conservation Network|accessdate=16 March 2013|language=Sanskrit, English|year=2012}}</ref>
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=== Clothing distribution ===
[[File:Clothing Distribution With Lha.JPG|thumb|Clothing Distribution With Lha]]
Lha annually collects thousands of articles of clothing, shoes, and other items at its office on Temple Road—the majority of the collected items are donated by volunteers and visiting tourists. Lha has partnered with the local [[Rotary Club]] to facilitate clothing distribution campaigns and, each month, Lha donates 100 to 200 items of clothing to the Rotary Club. The Rotary Club helps with the distribution of clothing to the people who reside in the [[slum]]s of lower Dharamsala. From Ahimsa House, Lha also coordinates additional campaigns throughout the year that assist the people living in [[McLeod Ganj]]. Since its inception, thisthe project has distributed over 25,000 articles of clothing to both the local Indian community and the Tibetan refugee community.
 
== Cultural Programs ==
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=== Cultural Exchange ===
In 2002, Lha was asked by [[Tulane University]]’s School of Social Work to assist a group of graduate social work students on an international social work expedition to Dharamsala [https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021630/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/cultural-exchange.html]. Students were engaged in social work projects within the Tibetan refugee and the local Indian communities, and ourtheir cultural exchange program was born.
 
Lha has been welcoming growing numbers of visiting University and High school groups each year, with a total of 1,229 students to date [http://issuu.com/lha_office/docs/lha_cultural_exchange_program_evalu].
 
Each visiting student is paired with a ‘Mutual Learning Partner’ – a Tibetan student at Lha. The students are able to share stories about their lives and experiences, while engaging in social work and other meaningful activities. Students also visit the homes of their partnerpartners, meet other members of their familyfamilies, and make friends in the Tibetan refugee community. Lha arranges lectures from well-known professionals in the evenings on particular topics like the political situation of Tibet, the social status of Tibetans in Tibet and of Tibetans in exile, Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan Buddhism and culture[https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021630/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/cultural-exchange.html].
Lha can arrange lectures from well-known professionals in the evenings on particular topics like the political situation of Tibet, social status of Tibetans in Tibet and of Tibetans in exile, Tibetan medicine, and Tibetan Buddhism and culture.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151117021630/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/cultural-exchange.html]
 
=== Tibetan Homestay ===
For interested students and volunteers, Lha organizes a month-long homestay programprograms with the participation of afrom Tibetan refugee familyfamilies. The program is designed to provideprovides unique insight into the rituals, traditions, and general family life of Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala and McLeod Ganj. The profits from the homestay program are received by the host families and help support their lives in exile. Lha's organized homestays of one month are with Tibetan refugee families and include accommodation, breakfast and dinner.
Lha's organized homestays of one month are with Tibetan refugee families and include accommodation, breakfast and dinner.
 
=== Community Library ===
Lha has a community library located in McLeod Ganj. Lha's library is the only collection of books available to the community in these locations. Our McLeod Ganj library is well stocked with teaching aids for volunteer teachers and also houses a good collection of novels and non-fiction literature. In addition, the library contains a section dedicated to books about the fundamentals of Buddhism, meditation and happiness. Borrowing is free for all[https://web.archive.org/web/20151114085818/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/community-services.html#soup_kitchen].
Our McLeod Ganj library is well stocked with teaching aids for volunteer teachers and also houses a good collection of novels and non-fiction literature. In addition, the library contains a section dedicated to books about the fundamentals of Buddhism, meditation and happiness. Borrowing is free for all.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151114085818/http://www.lhasocialwork.org/community-services.html#soup_kitchen]
 
==Events==
 
===Celebration for 20 years of Social and Education Service===
Lha Charitable Trust celebrated its 20-year20th anniversary of providing social services for the Tibetan community, local Indians and people from Himalayan regions. The anniversary was celebrated with a formal event followed by lunch, fun and frolicperformances at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts hall on 11 November. The Chief Guest at the event was the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel and Dr Nawang Rabgyal, the Justice Commissioner, was a Special Guest, along with representatives of numerous Tibetan and Indian government departments and both local and international NGOs as well as Lha's students, volunteers and former staff members who filled the hall to capacity.
 
The anniversary function commenced with the lighting of the butter lamp and offering of a traditional Tibetan scarf to the Dalai Lama's portrait by the Chief Guest.
 
The NGO's 20 years: An Incredible Journey and Achievement report in Tibetan and English was launched by the Chief Guests, and a short documentary on Lha's projects was screened during the gathering.
 
Ngawang Rabgyal, Lha's Director, briefly introduced the organisation, its activities and achievements to date in Tibetan, followed by Dorji Kyi, General Secretary, who read the same in English. Dukthen Kyi, Lha's Board member, read the Dalai Lama's special message for the occasion. Lha's founder and board members, long term volunteers and the longest serving staff member were honoured at the ceremony.
 
In his address, the Chief Guest expressed appreciation for the work Lha has been doing, and he prayed for further improvements and the organisation's continuity in the future. He said he hopes that Lha will continue its services in Tibet in the future, which will help Tibetans as well as people all over the world.
<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.tibetsun.com/news/2017/11/11/lha-charitable-trust-celebrates-20-years-of-social-service | title=Lha Charitable Trust celebrates 20 years of social service | date=11 November 2017 | first=Lobsang | last=Wangyal | work=Tibet Sun | accessdate=26 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39784 |title=LHA Charitable Trust celebrates its 20th anniversary - www.phayul.com |access-date=12 December 2017 |archive-date=12 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212193129/http://www.phayul.com/news/article.aspx?id=39784 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.contactmagazine.net/articles/lha-charitable-trust-celebrates-20-years-social-education-service/|title = Lha Charitable Trust Celebrates 20 years of Social and Education Service|date = 15 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/exile/5800-lha-social-work-celebrates-20-yrs-of-impact-in-the-tibetan-community|title = Bipartisan resolution calls for Trump to address Tibet with Xi|date = 6 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/B41mqdHML3Y| archive-date = 2021-12-08| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B41mqdHML3Y| title = RFA interview with Ngawang Rabgyal Director of Lha Charitable Trust | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/dz-11132017104629.html|title="拉"社服组织成立二十周年 达赖喇嘛和议长致贺表肯定}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/FrCY58aD-Rg Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20171113061255/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrCY58aD-Rg Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrCY58aD-Rg| title = ལྷ་སྤྱི་ཚོགས་ཞབས་ཞུ་དང་ཤེས་ཡོན་ལྟེ་གནས་ཁང་སྐོར་ལ་བཅར་འདྲི། An interview on Lha Charitable Trust | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
 
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="180">
File:Lha_20Lha 20-year_Anniversary_Report_Presentationyear Anniversary Report Presentation.jpg|Anniversary report presentation
File:Lha_Special_Audience_with_His_Holiness_Dalai_LamaLha Special Audience with His Holiness Dalai Lama.jpg|The Dalai Lama with Lha's staff and volunteers
File:Lha_20yr_Celebration_Guests_1Lha 20yr Celebration Guests 1.jpg|Guests at the 20 year anniversary celebration
</gallery>
 
== Awards ==
In 2014, Lha was awarded second place in the category of "Best Practices of Social Media Usage" in the South Asia-wide 3rd eNGO Challenge Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://engochallenge.org/winner-2014/|title=Winner 2014 – Recognizing Tech for Good among Civil Society Organizations in South Asia, DEF}}</ref> – Celebrating Digital Information Tools for Communities – South Asia. The Award recognizes the best non-government organisational practices of using information and communication technologies. The presentation ceremony was held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on 5 November. From thousands of NGOs around South Asia, 307 NGOs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were nominated. In 2015, Lha was awarded first place in the category of "Best Use of Website & Internet Tools" in the 4th eNGO Challenge Award. Lha was recognized for its extensive online presence and effective use of digital tools to carry out its activities. The eNGO Challenge aspires to create an ecosystem by recognizing and honouring NGOs which are using Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital media tools for good governance and practices that benefit societies and communities at large. It is a joint initiative of the [http://pir.org/ Public Interest Registry] (PIR) and the [http://engochallenge.org/ Digital Empowerment Foundation] (DEF).
In 2015 Lha was awarded first place in the category of "Best use of Website & Internet Tools" in the 4th eNGO Challenge Award. Lha got this recognition for its extensive online presence and effective use of digital tools to carry out its activities.
The eNGO Challenge aspires to create an ecosystem by recognizing and honouring NGOs which are using Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital media tools for good governance and practices that are benefiting societies and communities at large. It is a joint initiative of [http://pir.org/ Public Interest Registry] (PIR) and [http://engochallenge.org/ Digital Empowerment Foundation] (DEF).
[http://www.contactmagazine.net/articles/dharamshala-charity-wins-prestigious-south-asia-it-award/]
 
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