Dorje Rinchen

His life began on the pasture, as the son of nomads from the Gyenja region, near Labrang Monastery. Surrounded by rocky peaks and known for its caves and Tangut era Great Wall, it is a stunningly beautiful area with high grazing areas replete with deep lakes where nomads bring their flocks in summer.

Dorje never attended a formal school, but in his early teens, was able to enroll in a Tibetan School in Ragya, Golok, designed as a fast learning track for young nomads who lacked formal schooling. He completed the course there, learning to read and write Tibetan proficiently, also picking up Chinese and a little English. Later, in Labrang, he took English classes which gave him a strong spoken and written base. Now proficient in three languages, he is one to seek learning everywhere he can.

When Norlha began operating in Ritoma in 2007, we asked Ragya School’s Director and Founder, Benza Tsultrim, to recommend graduates who may want to work at Norlha. Dorje was one of the two students he sent over, and both have been with us ever since. Dorje settled in Ritoma, married a local girl and built his home there. At Norlha, he furthered his Chinese and English skills, acquired computer skills, learned photography, and most importantly, developed a sense of style and a profound understanding of what Norlha products can bring to the world of ethical fashion. He is now Norlha’s Sales Manager and handles our online stores in China and relations with clients worldwide.