Pinki Haryan and her parents had to rely on street begging and food scavenging in the trash dumps of Mcleodganj to make ends meet when they were kids. She obtained her medical degree in China, and now, twenty years later, she is assiduously studying for an exam that would allow her to become a licensed physician in India. In 2004, Haryan's life changed when she was observed begging by Lobsang Jamyang, a Tibetan refugee monk and the head of a charity in Dharamshala. A few days later, he visited the slum cluster in Charan Khud and recognized the young girl.
Next came the difficult chore of convincing her parents to support her decision to seek an education, especially her father, Kashmiri Lal. After hours of nonstop persuasion, Lal gave in.Pinki Haryan attended Dayanand Public School in Dharamshala and was among the first pupils to stay in a homeless children's dormitory that the charitable foundation opened in 2004.
Ajay Srivastava, president of the NGO Umang Foundation, who has worked with Lobsang Jamyang for nearly two decades, remembered that although Haryan initially missed her family, she remained focused on her academics. She quickly came to see that education was the key to escaping poverty.Her diligence paid off. According to Srivastava, she passed the tough all-India entrance exam for undergraduate medical programs, the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET), and her senior secondary exams.
due to the high fees of private medical colleges, those doors remained closed. Fortunately, with the support of the Tong-Len Charitable Trust in the United Kingdom, Haryan was able to secure admission to a prestigious medical college in China in 2018. She recently returned to Dharamshala after completing her MBBS.
Now, after 20 years of perseverance, Haryan is a qualified doctor eager to serve the less fortunate and improve their lives.
“Poverty has been my greatest struggle since childhood. It was heartbreaking to watch my family suffer. But once I started school, I became determined to succeed,” says Pinki
She explained that growing up in a slum motivated her to aspire for a better, more financially secure life. Reflecting on a childhood memory, Haryan recalled how, during her school admission interview at the age of four, she declared her dream of becoming a doctor.
“At the time, I had no real idea what a doctor did, but I knew I wanted to help my community,” she said. Haryan is now preparing for the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) to practice medicine in India.
Her success has inspired her younger brother and sister to pursue education, and she credits Jamyang for playing a key role in her journey from a slum-dweller to a doctor.
“He (Jamyang) had a vision to help destitute children, and he was my strongest support throughout school. His faith in me inspired me to succeed,” she said, adding that many others like her have also thrived thanks to the trust’s support.
Jamyang, reflecting on the purpose of his charity, shared that his goal was to provide basic education to underprivileged children, allowing them to live with dignity.
“I never realized just how talented these children were… They’ve become role models, inspiring others,” he said.
Srivastava added that Jamyang believes children should not be treated as “machines to earn money,” but rather, they should be nurtured to grow into compassionate human beings.
“Jamyang has dedicated his life to helping children from slums. Many of them, once living on the streets, have been adopted by him and have now become engineers, doctors, and journalists,” Srivastava said.
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