A day in the ROKPA Children's Home

Traditional Tibetan Medicine

No. 2 / August 2013 / Volume 33

ROKPA TIMES

CONTENT

Editorial 2

NEPAL

Transforming lives with energy

from the sun 3

A day in the ROKPA Childrens' Home 4

TIBET

Virtuous circle of mutual support 5

Traditional Tibetan Medicine 6 – 7

Small school with a big difference 8

SPONSOR A PROJECT 9

ROKPA SWITZERLAND 10

I AM ROKPA 11

Masthead

Editor: Thomas Stettler Image editor: Corinna Biasiutti All photographs and texts: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Print run: 5.800 copies Printed on FSC paper

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

And perhaps the Tibetan art of healing will find its way, through

the preservation of traditional knowledge combined together with

modern know-how, into the Western model of medical treat-

ment. It is especially effective as a supplement to the local

school of medicine in chronic diseases. In this way, every future

patient will benefit from our preservation and distribution of

worthwhile Tibetan medical knowledge, if he or she so desires.

In this spirit, enjoy your reading, and I wish you good health for

body and mind.

Yours,

Lea Wyler, Founder and Vice President of ROKPA

Dear ROKPA Friends,

Have you ever had a serious illness derail your life? A diagnosis

that, overnight, turned your life upside-down? (Hopefully not!)

Did you then put your fate in the hands of the western school of

medicine, only to realize that their scientific—influenced point of

view was not enough to ease your suffering?

Perhaps in this situation you found access to one of the world’s

oldest medical treatment methods: Traditional Tibetan Medicine

(TTM). TTM is based on a holistic approach towards body and

mind, the forces striving together for internal balance within all

organisms.

TTM represents a wealth of knowledge accumulated over

centuries about traditional healing methods and medicinal plants

(TTM distinguishes an incredible 84,000 different types of

illnesses!). ROKPA specifically promotes TTM training and clinics

in the Tibetan areas of China. Besides improving general

healthcare, TTM also preserves Tibetan heritage and promotes

the transfer of knowledge between present and future genera-

tions.

Pioneer Projects under Development

ROKPA is finding new ways to provide a comprehensive ecologi-

cal and sustainable approach: through training programs for

farmers and through agricultural cultivation on the three separate

ROKPA properties situated in Nangchen (Province of Qinghai),

we have made barren land fertile. This creates jobs and pro-

motes regional growth. Therefore, eventually, the local people

will be economically less dependent on charities like ROKPA.

Our goal is for them to become self---dependent and self-deter-

mining. Thanks to the financial commitment of our donors,

sponsors and foundations, we are able to help the poorest of the

poor, in the long term so that they can earn their own livelihood.

Your donations are the only reason ROKPA is able to act in these

meaningful ways. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts

for your valued support that we so desperately need.

© L

ea W

yler

Editorial

3

NEPAL

Transforming lives with energy from the sun

What’s the problem? Electricity comes out of sockets; a light comes on when you

press a switch. But what if you press the switch and nothing happens, like at night in

the ROKPA Children’s Home, for example? The youngest in the Home are just five

years old and, having previously lived on the streets with the threat of danger lurking

everywhere, they are afraid of the dark.

Until very recently, the only light available at night came from candles. This can be

quite dangerous and tiring for the eyes. At the moment, the Children’s Home uses an

old generator to help out, but it isn’t very powerful. The light often flickers or goes out

completely. Once the sun goes down, learning becomes difficult and daily routines are

very much dependent on the faltering power supply. The Home frequently finds itself

without electricity for up to eighteen hours a day. So the solution has to involve finding

new sources of cheap and reliable energy. That’s the idea and we are currently working

on its implementation.

The aim is to install a solar power system that would provide electricity during blackouts.

In Kathmandu, the power is nearly always switched off in the evenings. The demand for

electricity in Nepal currently stands at around 1,200 MW. During the rainy season,

however, production is limited to approximately 750 MW. With demand rising by around

7% a year but very little increase in

production, the gap between supply and

demand is increasing all the time.

This shortfall also affects ROKPA’s Guest

House: it is currently using a kerosene

generator while the energy supply is at its

lowest. Unfortunately, the generator is not

an effective solution. It is expensive to run,

loud and inadequate for all of our guests’

electrical equipment.

So why not use free energy from the sun to

produce sustainable electricity? That’s

exactly what we are proposing do. The

project aims to generate enough power for

lighting, heating and appliances (e.g. the

kitchen and computers) for the 55 children

and adolescentsin our Children’s Home, for

the employees in the ROKPA Women’s

Workshop and for those staying at our

Guest House (14 apartments, with the net

proceeds being used to fund the children’s

education). That will enable the children

and adolescents to study and do their

homework in the evening. If everything

goes according to plan and we obtain the

necessary funding, the solar power

installation will start providing electricity in

2014.

Please give what you can to help ROKPA

keep the lights on during the evenings in

Nepal.

© L

ea W

yler

The five children who were recently welcomed in the Children’s Home in

2013 will also benefit from this project! Dipika, Sharada, Dipesh, Sagar and

Abhisek (from left to right in the photo, in their new school uniforms) have really

settled-in well. Solar power would give them the opportunity to read and learn

during the evenings as well.

Please make a donation now, earmarked “Solar Panels Kathmandu.” Thank

you.

4

NEPAL

Jyoti talks about a day in the ROKPA Children’s HomeAs ROKPA child of the year, Jyoti was

delighted to have a chance to describe

life in the Children’s Home. Here she

talks about a typical day.

‘Our day begins at six o’clock – with

studying in the dining room which is used

for learning and mealtimes. We have

breakfast at 7:30. It’s made by our cook,

who prepares all our other meals too.

We children have defined jobs to do at

mealtimes. One group is in charge of the

dining room and the other helps in the

kitchen. Every child also has different

responsibilities around the house. This

can mean sweeping, folding blankets or

cleaning shoes. This month, I have to do

the dusting and help tidy the rooms.

After breakfast we are allowed to go to

school. You might think that is a strange

thing to say, but for us it’s true. We look

forward to school! You can see my school

uniform in the photograph.

To make sure everything stays neat and

tidy, we all have a ‘big sister’ or a ‘big

brother’ looking after us. Rashmi Dulal

helps me. She shows me what needs

doing and sometimes does things for me.

She helps me do my laundry, for example,

or brings me medicine, and at night she

reads me a story and looks after me.

At lunchtime the small children go back to

the Children’s Home. The older children

stay and eat at school. It’s too far for

them to go home. I come back to the

Children’s Home for about half an hour,

because it’s only five minutes’ walk to my

school.

At school I learn Nepali, computers,

English, grammar, social studies, science

and maths. My favourite subject is Nepali,

but I love all my other subjects too.

School finishes at 4 pm, whether you are

in primary school, secondary school or

university. That’s when we all come

home. We then have an hour free. Some

children use the time to study, others play

and some work. I play with my friends. I

love skipping and hide-and-seek.

At 5 o’clock we have tea and fruit – some-

times with biscuits.

Between 5:30 and 7:00 pm we are all

together in the dining room at the

Children’s Home. That’s when we do our

homework or study for exams. I always

have homework for all my subjects. If I

don’t understand something, I can ask my

big sister Rashmi.

At 7:30 pm we have dinner, and about 9

o’clock I go to bed – after brushing my

teeth, of course.

We have a day off on Saturdays. That

means we go to school six days a week.

My brother is also here at the Children’s

Home. We feel like siblings in a large

family – our ROKPA family.’

5

TIBET

Namgyal Ling – a virtuous circle of mutual support

Every year, around 10,000 young people in

Tibet and Nepal receive an education through

ROKPA.

A donation of 180 Swiss francs will

provide an education, food and accommoda-

tion for a small Tibetan child for one year.

Donate now using the enclosed payment slip

and mark your gift ‘Education’. Thank you.

Student monks receive food from

ROKPA. In return they volunteer as

teachers in the village school.

When you have flown from Xining, the

capital of the Chinese province of Qinghai,

to Yushu, which is located at an altitude

of 3,600 metres, and then spend two

days being thrown around in a jeep as you

wind your way through mountains and

valleys, you will know when you arrive in

Demkok that you have arrived in a very

remote area. Demkok is on the Yangtze

River, which forms the natural border

between Sichuan and the Autonomous

Region of Tibet. The place appears

desolate – just a few dusty streets, the

people sit outside their homes, play cards

or billiards. The only guest house may

have hot water for a few hours a day but

no room keys and not enough electricity.

Electricity seems to be in short supply

here. My mobile phone doesn’t work

either. But that’s not quite remote enough

for us! The next day we drive into the

surrounding hills and after two hours

along twisting roads with very few houses

we arrive at Namgyal Ling.

Something out of the ordinary is happe-

ning here. The monastery in Namgyal

Ling includes a monastic training school.

The young monks who study here are also

the teachers in the village school right

next to the monastery. The four classes

consist not only of chubby-cheeked little

girls and boys but also of adults who had

no opportunity to learn to read and write

when they were younger.

Grown-ups and children sit in tightly packed rows reciting texts from well-worn books.

It’s a pleasing sound. All the pupils come from the surrounding area – no more than a

two or three kilometres’ walk from the remote valleys where they live. That means they

can return home in the evening. Another advantage: here the most important subject,

as is befitting of their culture, is the Tibetan language, the language of their mothers

and fathers. Yet they also learn Chinese.

There is no electricity, no telephone and no running water, let alone a toilet (this is a

few metres down the road). ROKPA provides the monks of the school with food. In turn,

they feel obliged to give back something of what they have received, which is why they

work in the school. Isn’t that a wonderful example of sustainable help?

Report by Barbara Pfeiffer, ROKPA representative in Germany

6

TIBET

Traditional Tibetan Medicine – ancient knowledge rediscovered

We reported on this project two years ago:

This project, initiated in 2008, focusses on the preservation of

Traditional Tibetan Medicine and the improvement of medical

care in the Tibetan regions of China.

Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) is a holistic system of

treatments with a whole range of medical preparations mainly

derived from local plants. This form of medicine has been

practiced in the Tibetan regions of China for over 2500 years.

Also in the West, TTM is increasingly regarded as an effective

alternative to conventional, "academic" medicine.

Reestablishing the ecological balance

Commercial over-exploitation of the local plant population has

led to many medicinal plants being threatened to extinction.

Harvested plants are paid by weight, this is why they are often

ripped out with their roots and hence fail to regrow. Intensive

collection of roots and herbs and deforestation are a major threat

to the ecological balance of that region. Replanting crops on the

mountains and instructing the people about proper harvesting

methods will stop this process and contribute to sustainable

reestablishment of ecological balance.

7

TIBET

Integration of the population

Dr. Ganyi, trained by ROKPA for over 17 years, is 33 years old and helps with the field

work. He is a doctor at the Nangchen Tibetan Medical Hospital and is involved in the

project with great influence on strengthening Tibetan Medicine from the root. The herbs

needed to produce Tibetan medicines are locally planted and cultivated. The local

population is integrated in the project and is taught sustainable cultivation and proces-

sing of the herbs. In other words, this is a project which integrates several of the

concerns of ROKPA: job creation for the local population, re-creating and maintaining

traditional living areas and biosphere and maintaining the central element of Tibetan

culture and knowledge.

A contribution to climate protection

ROKPA is doing pioneering work in Nangchen. Even though in this region, Tibetan medi-

cine is often the only possible cure, medicinal plants have never been cultivated here

- up till now. But now, these plants are planted outdoors, where some of them grow

well despite the extreme climatic conditions, and also inside greenhouses, which are

being built. In order to foster the growth of these medicinal plants, additional bushes

and trees are planted to stop soil erosion.

New training and job opportunities

This project offers yet another major benefit: people like Dr. Ganyi, who come from a

simple nomadic family, and who would probably not have had any opportunity in the

job market, are able to obtain some substantial training here. And it is with this training

that they later engage in work for their country. Dr. Ganyi is aware of his privileged

situation and works hard. He and his colleagues sometimes get on their bikes and are

on the road all day long in order to provide medical services!

During his school days, which were funded by ROKPA, Dr. Ganyi lost two of his siblings

due to illnesses, and is therefore convinced of the importance of his profession.

Achievements so far – facts and figures:

A greenhouse, accommodation for the

workers and several storage rooms for

seeds and parts of the harvest, are under

construction and will most likely be

completed by 2014.

All the plots have been fenced for

protection of the seedlings against

damages caused by animals.

In 2012 a total area of 63'270 m2 was

cultivated, i. e. converted from their

natural wild state to agricultural land.

Seeds of 13 different plant species have

been sowed on this area.

The composting process is successful

– the capacity was increased this year in

order to satisfy demand.

In one area, several wildly growing

medicinal plants were discovered and

were then transferred to the ROKPA plot.

Their development is being observed.

A system of ditches allows the watering

of the seedlings and plants, though this

alone is not sufficient. Therefore, the

construction of a larger irrigation system

has been planned for next year, provided

enough funds can be raised.

The weekly salary for a farmer, who cultivates herbs for the preservation of the

endangered Tibetan medical practice, is 70 CHF. With this salary, he can feed his

family and send his children to school.

Please make a donation, earmarked “Tibetan Medicine Project.” Thank you.

8

Panze Ragpa is a small village on the border between the Chinese province of Yunnan

and Sichuan (East Tibet). Somewhat secluded in the mountains, there is a small

primary school, which we from ROKPA’s evaluation team have visited.

We are thrilled to see so many colours – the children are dressed up for this special

day. Today, we want to see how the donations are used.

When talking to a teacher, he tells me, the school currently has 116 students, studying

in seven different classes. There is one pre-school class and six primary school classes.

The students are between 5 and 17 years of age. Many come from Litang, a large

pastural area in Sichuan at an altitude of some 4000m. "Earlier, parents did not really

care if their children went to school or not", I am informed by the young teacher. "But

now, however, they understand that it is a great advantage if their children can read

and write." The national language, Tibetan, is attributed great importance in this school,

it is the language used to teach all the different subjects. Therefore, the students'

average knowledge and level of the Tibetan language is very good. There are in total 11

teachers, of which, some are monks.

One can easily see that neither the school nor the teachers and the children have

enough money. In the dormitories, there are basic bunk beds or large pedestals, where

all children sleep side by side, like on a huge bed. There are only a few cupboards, but

there is not much to put in them anyway. 20 children have lost their parents and spend

almost all of their time in the school. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed and the

children are happy and smiling. One can easily see that the Dean is committed, heart

and soul, with an ambition to provide for the children during their six years of primary

school, with sufficient education to be successful in secondary schools. Many children

want to become doctors or teachers – their aim is to help other people.

Report by Barbara Pfeiffer, ROKPA representative Germany

A small school, run with great commit-

ment, provides the children with an

important foundation for their entire life.

Small school with a big difference – the primary school of Panze Ragpa

Around 10,000 students are being

educated every year in Tibet and

Nepal through ROKPA’s donations.

The school supplies for one

Tibetan school-child costs about

80 CHF for an entire year. Please

make a donation now, earmarked

“education.” Thank you.

TIBET

99

Choose a cause for your donation

ROKPA has over 30 years of experience with sponsorships,

ensuring the most efficient use of donations. Become a ROKPA

sponsor, and you can specifically provide help to the needy

people, in the areas of life that are most important to you.

Education for Disadvantaged Children in Tibet

With the Education Fund, underprivileged orphans and children

from impoverished Tibetan nomadic families can receive a full

education. Every year, with the help of this fund, around

10,000 children and teenagers receive an education – a launch

pad to a more secure future, which otherwise, they might not

have been able to have.

Emergency Medical Care in Tibet

The Emergency Medical Relief program benefits people in

under-developed areas that are desperately in need of life-saving

medication and/or surgery. Your donation saves life directly. In

Eastern Tibet, access to adequate medical care is still a big

problem for majority of the population. A single doctor can be

responsible for looking after the wellbeing of 18,800 residents

(in Switzerland, the ratio is one doctor per 510 inhabitants).

Women’s Fund to Support Mothers in Need

Women from lower social classes often suffer from dependence,

a repressive social culture and lack of education. Thanks to this

fund, helpless mothers are given the chance to stand on their

own feet, become financially independent and turn their lives

around.

5 Good Reasons to Sponsor a Project:

As a ROKPA sponsor,

You are a part of an efficient development organization with

over 30 years’ of experience.

You will receive a brief annual report about specific projects

that could be funded through your support.

You support long-term, sustainable and, above all, purpose-

ful development in the places requiring immediate attention.

Through project sponsorship, you can directly choose in which

projects you would like to donate.

The proper use of your donation is guaranteed. Since 2004,

ROKPA has been ZEWO certified and allows annual audits by

external groups.

You can deduct your donation from your taxes in all cantons

of Switzerland.

With 1 franc per day or more, you can be a project sponsor at

ROKPA!

Further information and the possibility for online subscription

can be found on our website, www.rokpa.org/sui/en/donations/

sponsor-a-project/

I want to become a project sponsor and donate 1 CHF a day!

Please cut out coupon, copy and send to:

ROKPA, project sponsorship, Böcklinstrasse 27, 8032 Zürich. You will then receive a letter with further details.

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Education of disadvantaged children (PP 7800)

Medical help where it is most needed (PP 7600)

Women’s fund for the support of needy mothers (PP 8300)

Payment Please send me payment slip(s) through bank transfer

Payment

quarterly

twice yearly

yearly

First name, family name

Street, house number

Postal code, city

E-Mail

SPONSOR A PROJECT

ROKPA SWITZERLAND

10

Changes in the BoardBoth, the ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Executive Board and the ROKPA Switzer-

land Executive Board, have new members. We are pleased to announce Mr. Pim

Willems as the new ROKPA INTERNATIONAL board member and Mr. Gelong

Thubten as the new ROKPA Switzerland board member. They both have been

involved with ROKPA projects for several years and are well prepared for their

new role as board members.

We would like to thank Mr.Claude Ribaux for his dedicated work over the past

14 years on the ROKPA Switzerland Board.

Pim Willems, new member of the

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Executive

Board

Gelong Thubten, new member of

the ROKPA Switzerland Executive

Board

ROKPA Calendar 2014 – Order Now!The ROKPA calendar, which was first printed last year, was a great success,

so we are making a new one again for 2014.

The price is still 20 CHF (plus postage), and all profits go directly to the

ROKPA projects.

Order your calendar now either by phone (044 262 68 88) or by E-Mail

(info@rokpa.org)!

Important Information for our Donors:

With your valued assistance, we have been able to help many people in the recent years. Some recipients of ROKPA

funding are now self-sustaining. The following ROKPA project numbers are now either completed or entirely self-supporting

and no longer need our direct help:

3, 46, 50, 58,136, 257, 348, 358, 360, 548, 576, 638, 711, 719, 720, 730, 741, 774, 781, 788, 859, 860, 936,

1002, 1020, 1077, 1175, 1195, 5009, 5014, 5015, 5054, 7207, 7229, 7383, 7392, 7431, 7439, 7555, 7627, 7824,

8227, 9350, 9710.

We would like to use any remaining capital in those project accounts and sponsorships to fund other ongoing ROKPA projects

for underprivileged people.

If no objections to this course of action are made known to us until 10/31/2013, we will assume you agree with our decision.

However, if you do not agree, please contact us at the ROKPA Headquarters in Zürich (044 262 68 88 or info@rokpa.org).

Thank you so very much for your past – and hopefully future – support.

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1111

"My name is Tashi Lhamo and I’m 15 years old. I

come from Tronda, which is not very far from Palyul,

Eastern Tibet, where I go to school. My parents are

nomads; my father died two years ago after a brain

disease. At home, besides my mother, there are also

one older sister and two younger ones. Both younger

sisters are attending school. The older sister is helping

at home. I’m in my last year (6th grade) of this school.

Next year I'd like to continue my studies at the lower

middle school. So I hope the sponsorship of ROKPA

will continue. I like to study and I’m very happy at

school, for that reason. Tibetan and Chinese language

are my favourite subjects. If ROKPA would not have

sponsored me, then it would have been extremely

difficult for my Mom to send me to school. I am

studying very hard and want become a teacher. I also

want to look after my mother, because she raised me

and I am very grateful to her."

I am a ROKPA child…

"Some 20 years ago, when visiting a Buddhist

monastery, I heard about ROKPA for the first time.

The aim of ROKPA, alleviating poverty and need of

the poorest people in Nepal and Tibet convinced me

immediately. I was particularly impressed by Lea

Wyler, the founder of ROKPA: a woman who gave up

her career as a theatre and movie actor, in order to

help the poorest!

Not every one of us have enough courage and

strength to do what Lea Wyler does. But that is not

"Growing up in a relatively affluent community in the

United States, I have been insulated from any true

hardship or poverty. When I heard about ROKPA

from a family friend, I knew I wanted to help. I've

had many great opportunities so far in my eighteen-

year-old life, and I want to help improve other kids'

prospects for a better future. ROKPA is an organiza-

tion that does just that.

necessary. Those who cannot travel and help on site,

should support relief agencies such as ROKPA. It is

our duty to help people in need!

My slogan therefore is: Help those who suffer

materially and emotionally. It is possible to make this

world a better place, by pursuing the good, for

oneself and for the others. By donating, one finds

some inner peace and great joy. If you haven't done

so yet, try it!"

This summer I was able to stay in Zürich for a month

and volunteer at the main office. I assisted with their

website, fundraising materials and some other office

work. I was amazed to learn about the vast number

of children who are living on the streets without

adequate food or shelter. ROKPA is doing important

work in Nepal and Tibet to help orphaned kids, even

though there is still much more to be done."

I support ROKPA…

I work for ROKPA...

Tashi Lhamo

Piergiorgio Genucchi

Nate Moulton

I AM ROKPA

Every single year, many children and youths in Tibet and Nepal – currently

almost 10,000 – receive an education thanks to ROKPA.

More than 50 children live in the ROKPA Children’s Home in Kathmandu. In the

Workshop we offer vocational training to mothers in need: we prepare them for a

life of independence, without having to rely on others. We have already achieved

a lot with your money and with more donations we will be able to achieve even more.

On your behalf!

SMS donation

of up to CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX

(amount, numbers only) to

488.

Example for donation of

CHF 20.–:

ROKPA 20 to 488

You can make a donation to this account:

Credit Suisse: IBAN CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1, account 455090-11-1

Clearing number 4835

Postfinance: IBAN CH54 0900 0000 8001 9029 5, account CHF 80-19029-5

We need your help!

In Switzerland, donations to ROKPA are exempt from tax.ROKPA has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland

Phone +41 44 2626888 | Fax +41 44 2626889 | info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org

Helping where help is needed:sustainably, for over 30 years.ROKPA