Nyima Tsring has 27 children, ranging in age from six to 25 years old.

“I always tell myself I am the happiest person in the world. Why would I say so? Because we have forged a deep bond of affection over the years,” the 41-year-old from Xigaze in Tibet told CGTN.

Actually, all of the children he has been adopted come from the city – a story that started in 2007.

“I came across an elderly woman in her 70s in rural Xigaze back then. She was raising four grandchildren on her own, as her daughters and sons-in-law all passed away. I was deeply moved,” Tsring recalled. He then offered to help.

The Tibetan man himself is also an orphan. His mother died of an illness when he was only nine months old and his father passed away when he was 17.

“So I am very clear that what these children really need is a warm family,” he said.

Tsring used to work at Potala Palace as a guide and also ran various businesses like car washes and restaurants in different cities.

With government approval, he set up an orphanage in 2008, despite opposition from his family, in a rented old three-story building. It is partly subsidized by local authorities and he also runs a hostel with his friends to support the undertaking.

Over the past 12 years, the unmarried man has acted as a father wholeheartedly. For him, funds are not the biggest headache.

“The most difficult thing is family education. It’s a great responsibility and I have to take good care of them and set a model for them,” he said.

To achieve that, he has gotten rid of many bad habits over the years.

“For example, I used to wake up late and I would seldom read. But now I can finish a book in three or four days and I also read together with them.”

Tsring names this private institution an “academy” instead of an “orphanage,” because he sees it not just as a shelter for the kids, but somewhere he hopes they can grow into knowledgeable people with strong, responsible and kind hearts.  

“I live happily here. My dad cares for us so much. He also helps us with homework and plays with us every day,” 10-year-old Nyima Tsring said.

“I can learn a lot living with my dad, such as how to behave properly and how to be a happy person,” said 12-year-old Tseten Tsangchol.

Years on, some children have left the "academy" to work or seek further education in college. Penpa is one of the grown-up children of the family. He now runs a factory producing clean charcoal in Xigaze. With certain physical defects, he used to suffer a lot of bullying at school.

“I am the shortest one in high school and I clearly felt the discrimination from others. Suffering too many harsh words, I often thought of suicide,” Penpa told CGTN, adding that it’s the love and encouragement from his dad that saved him from that fate.

Tsring said he indeed devoted a lot more to Penpa, who was quite naughty when he first joined the family, and then suffered a lot of psychological harm at school. But dad just can’t give up on any of them.

“I really admire my dad and his heart. I hope I can grow to be like him to help more people. If possible, I hope I can inherit this home in the future,” said Penpa.

Today, social welfare services in Tibet have largely improved. There are already two public orphanages in Xigaze. Tsring says the size of his family may not be expanded too much, but he is very grateful that the belief of being kind to others is rooted in the hearts of his children.

“I always tell them that you have to do significant things to the society, and then you will have a meaningful life,” said Tsring.

Tsring is also an AIDS prevention volunteer. In recent years, he has traveled across Tibet to educate the public on related health knowledge. He believes it takes all of one’s life to be kind and do good.

(Cover image: Nyima Tsring and his children take a group photo. /Courtesy of Nyima Tsring)