Choying Drolma was born in Kathmandu, Nepal to Tibetan refugee parents in 1971. From the age of 5, she did not have a day went by without beating to her mother and herself by her father. Seeing lots of suffering and pain in life, in order to get rid of the tragic destiny of women in male dominated society which she saw vividly in her own family and the community, the 13 years old Choying Drolma decided to leave home to join a Tibetan Buddhist nunnery named Nagi Gompa on Shivapuri Mountain in the northern slope of the Kathmandu Valley. The fate of her life, since then, was rewritten. Her education and spiritual training were supervised by the renowned meditation master, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. She was well-trained in Buddhist meditation, chants, rituals and ceremonies performance, and was quickly advanced to the position of chanting master in the nunnery. Overwhelmed by the guidance, caring and love from her teacher Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Ani Choying Drolma was not only able to change the perspective of life by seeing the suffering of her own father and many others, she also transformed anger and frustrations in life to compassion. Ani Choying Drolma served Tulku Urgen Rinpoche until his parinirvana (passing away) in 1996. From the experience of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s altruistic life-style, his willingness to always giving to others without considering his own welfare, and his respect to nuns in the same regard as monks, she has developed a sincere desire to contribute whatever capacities she has to benefit sentient beings as much as possible and to promote the advancement of nuns. Ani Choying Drolma believes that creating more opportunities for nuns to study and to develop their own capacities of skills and compassionate actions are the best ways she can dedicate herself to her teacher’s vision throughout her life. Her singing talent was first discovered by the famous American guitarist Steve Tibbetts, during his visit to Nagi Gompa. Even though she has never received any formal musical or vocal training, she AniChoyingDrolmaBio loves to sing since childhood. When she sings, her voice sounds like an echo from the deepest part of a soul. Thanks to Steve Tibbett’s effort, Ani Choying Drolma’s first ever album “Cho” was launched in 1997. Since then, she has become a well-known name in the world international music scene. She toured in America and Europe and successfully presented Buddhist mantra and ritual chanting music to the world. Till to date, she has launched 16 albums, and performed for hundreds of events around the world. It is said that Ani Choying Drolma’s music is like a beam of light that cut through the darkness and is filled with compassion and purity. Her voice is also named as “the heavenly voice” with healing power. Ani Choying Drolma is more than a world renowned singing nun. She is also an awarded humanitarian. Since 2014, she is appointed as the first UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador for Nepal. She described the singing ability is as her magic wand that manifests numerous successful projects to promote education, health, children’s right and women empowerment. She founded Arya Tara School in 2000 to provide education opportunities for young girls in Nepal. Now, more than 150 children have been benefited. In 2010, she started Aarogya Foundation & Kidney Hospital to provide high-quality yet low-cost dialysis services, and has established the first HLA lab in Nepal which allows patients waiting for kidney transplant to get accurate test results for organ matching in the very next day. Aarogya Foundation has achieved the goal in improving medical facilities in Nepal and has successfully persuaded the legalization of 3rd party organ donation by government through lobbying. In 2013, in order to provide assistance to single mothers who have difficulties in manage family and working at the same time, she started Arya Tara Preschool (ATPS) to take care children of single mothers during day time. ATPS is now operated by NWF nuns and well-trained Montessori teachers. After the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal badly in 2015, Ani Choying Drolma has rebuilt schools and facilities in remote villages. Also, she has started the Stars of Hope Schooling Program (SOH) to reach out to earthquake orphans or children who are in extreme poverty, for providing them full boarding education sponsorship. 125 kids are being sponsored by this program so far. All the projects initiated by Ani Choying Drolma are financially supported by the proceeds from her concerts, CD sales and donation from supporters. Her autobiography “Singing for Freedom” is first published in French, and later on has been translated into 14 different languages. Copyright earnings from her book is also contributed to all on-going projects. HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS Year Projects & Details 1999 Founded Nuns' Welfare Foundation (NWF) of Nepal to promote education and welfare of Buddhist nuns and raise awareness of gender inequality in society. 2000 Founded Arya Tara School (ATS) to provide quality education including academic curriculum, practical skills, Buddhist philosophy, music, thangka painting, computer and languages for over 80 nuns from Nepal, India and Tibet who are aged 7-22. 2006 Completed building of water reservoir to provide clean water to villagers living in the Seti Devi Village, Kathmandu. 2007 Established the first thangka painting school (in attachment with ATS) for nuns in Nepal to promote equal opportunity of learning for both gender in the monastic tradition. 2010 Founded Aarogya Foundation and established a Kidney Hospital (Aarogya Foundation Kidney Hospital) together with Dr. Pukar Shrestha, an organ transplant surgeon who returned from the UK, aiming at improving the medical facilities for kidney patients in Nepal. 2010 Founded Red Tara Travels & Tours as a subsidiary of NWF. It is independently operated by nuns graduated from Arya Tara School, aiming at providing sustainable income for ongoing NWF projects and infusing a genuine spiritual touch for travellers. 2012 Founded Arya Taya Pre-school (ATPS) with Ms. Astrid Beseler. This school is dedicated to help single mothers in Nepal who need care-taking service for their children while working for bread and butter. Over 25 kids are educated and nourished by NWF nuns who are certified as professional Montessori teachers. NWF also provide financial assistance to single mothers for improving their livelihood. 2014 Aarogya Foundation purchased the first HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) organ matching equipment in Nepal. It brought a big step forward for the country’s provision of proper kidney and organ transplant services. 2015 Started the Star of Hope Schooling Program to provide education opportunity for children who are orphans or living in extreme poverty, with initial funding from Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple. The main objective of this program is to help kids to develop their potential in fullest, so that they will learn to pay it forward to the community in future. The program sponsored full-boarding school expenses which covers basic living, tuition, stationary, uniform and transportation fee for 125 kids so far. 2015 Initiated the 1st Women Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development Seminar in Nepal and financed start-up of organic business running by women. AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS Year Awards & Recognitions 2003 Certificate of Acknowledgement given to Ani Choying Dolma for the participation and valuable contribution to the Bridge-Builder Conference at Harvard University 2004 United Nations Women’s Organization of Nepal present certificate for recognition as Honourable Member of UNWO 2005 Token of appreciation on National Citizen Peace Recognition 2062 presented by Buddha Jayanti Celebration Community and Peace Development Campaign Nepal, Putalisadak, Kathmandu 2005 Awarded the Image Channel Award for the Best Female Vocal performance for her song “Phoolko Aankhama” from her album, “Moments of Bliss”. The song was also awarded the best song of the year 2005 Honorary guest in the Abraham Conservation Awards organized by WWF, Nepal 2005 Awarded the “Chinnalata Githi Puruskar” in Kathmandu for best female vocal performance 2005 Awarded Best Devotional Album by the Tibetan Music Awards held in Mcleod Ganj(Delhi) 2006 Ani Choying was declared as the Ambassador of World Kidney Day in the first ever launched “World Kidney Day” celebrated in Nepal 2007 Nepal Appreciative Inquiry National Network (NAINN) presented Peace Award 2007-9 Executive Board Members for Lumbini Development Trust 2010 Acknowledged on Peace for Development by Krishna Mohan- Nyudub Peace Prize 2010-11 Organizing and Selection Committee Member for “Gautam Buddha Intern.

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