Venue: Dharma city in Florennes
The Tibetan Cultural Center (TCC) in Belgium organizes an annual summer camp during the summer holiday. The purpose of this camp is to bring together Tibetan children from various cities in a Tibetan-speaking environment, where they can make new friends and enjoy outdoor activities while reaffirming their Tibetan identity and learning more about their ancestral culture.
The camp aims to encourage youngsters to become more independent and self-reliant and to inspire them to take initiative. It provides opportunities to learn teamwork, realize the responsibilities of becoming a young adult, and pass on acquired skills to younger children.
Additionally, the camp is open to Tibetan children living in other EU countries such as France, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, etc.
The first summer camp took place in 2009 at Dharma City in the Ardennes with only 20 students and a few staff members.
In 2014, due to a large increase in participants, TCC ASBL and Rangdang ASBL joined forces to create a bigger and better camp. with the support and sponsorship of the RangDang Association, the annual summer camp expanded significantly to accommodate the growing number of participants.
As of 2017, TCC has independently assumed full responsibility for organizing and managing the camp. Currently, TCC accommodates over 150 students in Belgium. In recent years, we have wholeheartedly extended opportunities to other EU countries. Currently, there are four different weekend schools in France, as well as in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden,
Since 2017, Patrul Rinpoche has warmly welcomed us here at Dharma City. Rinpoche and the members of Dharma City generously provide us with all the necessary facilities for free, including electricity, water, the temple, and separate dormitories for boys and girls.
This year, Rinpoche has also sponsored all the food for the entire week. Without Rinpoche and his center, we would not be able to hold the summer camp.
