Traditional education in the nunneries included reading, writing, and lessons in ancient scriptures and prayers taught by the senior nuns or lamas from monasteries.

Some had faced torture and imprisonment at the hands of the Chinese authorities in Tibet and were enduring immense physical and emotional pain.

The main objectives of the project are to provide basic care for these women, and educate them in traditional values and philosophy, as well as the essential skills and knowledge needed to function in the modern world.

Upon graduation from a 19-year program, the nuns will be thoroughly trained in their Buddhist tradition and will be eligible to receive a Geshe degree (Geshema for women), equivalent to a Ph.D. in Tibetan Buddhism.

Karma Drubgyu Thargay Ling or Tilokpur Nunnery, a Kagyu institution, provides scriptural and ritual training and has a basic study program.

Sherab Choeling in the Spiti Valley has 45 resident nuns who have begun a rigorous course of study, the first of its kind for women of that region.