Tibetan Buddhist nun, Tibetan calligraphy

Nun Correspondence

Can I write to my sponsored nun?

Yes, the nuns are always happy to receive mail. Many sponsors like to establish a personal relationship with their sponsored nun and are welcome to write as often as you’d like. To protect everyone’s privacy and safety, we do not share contact information of either sponsors or nuns and kindly request that all contact between the two go through the Tibetan Nuns Project office in India. Please do not contact nuns directly via mail, email, or social media.

The frequency of letters from the nuns to their sponsors will vary by individual nun. Many of the nuns need assistance writing in English, so their correspondence is dependent on having help from someone who can translate as well. Please understand that there are cultural differences in the style of correspondence and that a nuns main focus is on her education. TNP organizes the nuns to send two letters a year to their sponsors, one in the summer and another around the end of the year.

Due to heavy snowfall, the roads to some of the remote nunneries in the Himalayas are closed from October through May. The head nuns visit the India office twice yearly, in May and October, to collect sponsorship payments and mail.

Where do I send letters to my sponsored nun?

  • All e-mail, postal mail and packages need to be sent to the India office where it will then be delivered to the nuns (e-mails are printed and delivered).
  • Please always include the nuns’ name and nun # in the address or in the subject line of e-mails.
  • Any correspondence from the nuns will be through Postal mail. The nuns do not have the ability to respond via e-mail.
  • Please do not send any letters or packages to the US office in Seattle. They will have to be returned to you to be mailed to the India office.

Email address: sponsorshipindia@tnp.org
Postal address:

 Nun name and nun #
Tibetan Nuns Project
c/o Dolma Ling Nunnery
PO Sidhpur 176057
Dist. Kangra, H.P.
INDIA

(many of Tibetans have similar names, so the nun # is important)

Can I send my sponsored nun a care package?

We request that if you are going to send a package to your sponsored nun that it be as small as possible. It has been brought to our attention that there is a duty fee required on every package they receive and it can become quite costly for the nuns.

If you would like to send your sponsored nun a direct monetary donation instead, you can do so here: Direct Donation to My Sponsored Nun

Because the India mail system is very unreliable, we’ve included packing instructions below:

  • Mail package directly to the India office (address above).
  • Before shipping, make sure your items are packaged securely and it is hard to open (wrapping completely with packing tape is an option). Once your package has cleared customs, packages can be compromised before delivery.
  • Ensure your package is addressed correctly with the Nun name and number

What do nuns need?

With a stipend from your sponsorship gifts, the nuns are provided with all of their basic necessities. But we’ve included a list below of items the nuns have told us are always very helpful. We also have a “Nuns needs” Amazon WishList to get ideas.

  • Cleaning gloves (long ones for kitchen/dishes/etc)
  • Compact umbrellas
  • Crew socks
  • Crocs
  • Daypacks/backpacks
  • Eraser toppers for pencils
  • Erasers
  • Fingerless gloves
  • Garden gloves
  • Hair clippers
  • Long-sleeve tees
  • Pencil sharpener
  • Pencils
  • Ponchos
  • Puzzles
  • Rain boots (red, black)
  • Sandals (black)
  • Scarves
  • Sleeping bags
  • Slip-on shoes
  • Spiral notebooks
  • Tank top-style base layers
  • Tank tops
  • Watches
  • Wool gloves
  • Work gloves
  • Zip hoodies (maroon)

For information about TNP’s sponsorship program, click here