No.3 / December 2012 / Volume 32

ROKPA TIMES

ROKPA Christmas presents

Why education is paramount

CONTENT

Lea Wyler 2

TIbET

Why education is paramount

for ROKPA 3

ROKPA schools in Tibet 4 – 6

Confidence into the future –

despite misfortune 7

ROKPA's Children's Home and

Women's Workshop 8 – 9

Are you considering a legacy? 9

ROKPA CHRISTMAS

Gift Cards / Calendars / DVD 10

I AM ROKPA

ROKPA KID / commitment / staff 11

Impressum

Image editors: Corinna Biasiutti / Thomas Stettler

All photographs and texts: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Print run: 8.500 copies

Printed on FSC paper

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

Dear ROKPA friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Christmas time is not an easy time for me. Returning from

a barren landscape marked by poverty and misery, where people

live without any luxury, I don’t feel at home in lavishly illumina-

ted, rich and consumer Zurich during the first few days.

I think of my „family“, of my, of our children in Tibet and Nepal.

Just a few days ago they opened my heart through stories of

their misery or thanked me with a smile for ROKPA’s help.

I will miss them in the coming days. But I will also remember

Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche, with whom I have had the fortune

to again visit Tibet, as we have been doing for 20 years. He, the

embodiment of the real Christmas message, keeps reminding

me of the true values in life.

At least twice a year I travel to the places where your donations

are used sensibly. I have full confidence and trust in our

local employees. After all, they have been educated by us. They

ensure that your donations are used sensibly, purposefully and

in a sustainable manner. We monitor this very carefully as it is

our obligation towards our donors. And I assure you: we continue

to be successful. The 9106 children and adolescents who can

presently attend a school thanks to ROKPA are the true evidence

of our success.

Education is the most important goal for ROKPA. For the

children and adolescents, education means a future where they

will be self-reliant. But education is neither a one-time nor

a short term investment. A sustainable education lasts many

years and has to be financed anew every year. With an average

of 10’000 children and adolescents in Tibet, this amounts to

1,5 million Francs per year.

And now, as every year, I would like to ask you a favour. When

you buy presents for Christmas, please remember to make a

donation. It's a gift that you never have to exchange. A donation

of 70 Swiss Francs enables a child to go to school for a term.

A donation of 80 Swiss Francs buys a child school supplies for

a year. Every donation helps.

We wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous,

healthy New Year. Thank you very much for your donation.

Yours

Lea Wyler, founder and Vice-president

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3

TIBET

Education is a chance for a better future

Over 10 years ago when travelling in Tibet Lea Wyler told us „I take a special

delight in visiting schools. It is a joy to observe the children thriving and enlarging

and deepening their knowledge from year to year.“

Even today we are inspired in our work by the long lasting effect of our relief

organisation despite the rather difficult environment.

Ten years ago hundreds of pupils visited primary schools and College thanks to ROKPA.

By now the state is taking over paying for education up to the ninth form.

So, we decided to help former pupils and pupils who prove that they come from very

poor homes. We pay for their education from the tenth form up to the completion of

university or College.

Without a very good education life is very hard indeed for the young in Tibet or Nepal.

In 2012 9'106 pupils were able to visit schools thanks to ROKPA. We are proud of it.

But the means needed for a continuous education have to be provided for by us for

more than fifteen years as it takes fifteen years for a child to grow into an adult.

We pay school fees, school supplies, transportation and food, all of it amounts to over

1.5 millions of Swiss franks every year in Tibet only. And thanks to your donations

we always succeeded up to now.

We pay for the education of children

and adolescents. They are mostly orphans

from poor chircumstances. They would

never be able to afford an education.

For a half-orphan we pay a part of

the education. So, as many children as

possible can benefit from ROKPA's help.

For us it is important that girls are

educated as they will teach their children

in turn.

Education means self-reliance and

independance. To hold a job and improve

ones situation in life will be made easier

The pupils and their families will not

depend on help from the outside.

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4

TIBET

Four examples of ROKPA school projects in Tibet

The Choepdrak Orphans’ School

The Choepdrak Orphans’ School has an excellent reputation

throughout the region. Many Tibetan families want to send their

children there, so there is always a waiting list. ROKPA supports

120 of the 198 children at the school. Of these, twelve are

orphans, and ninety have only one parent. Many come from

extremely poor families. They are aged between seven and

thirteen. There are seventeen teachers, and the children have

lessons in Tibetan, Chinese, mathematics, ethics and Tibetan

dance. We have known the headteacher for many years and

have a close working relationship with him.

Compared with the region as a whole, the results achieved by

the Choepdrak Orphans’ school are amazing. It received an award

as the second best-performing school in the district. 95% of the

pupils continue their studies elsewhere when they leave.

Location: Eastern Tibet (PRC), Qinghai

Province

Local partner: The local education authority

Project start: 2000

budget: CHF 11,000 per year

beneficiaries: 120 children (including some

orphans) from poor families

(almost 50% girls)

Sherab Dechen attends the Orphans’

School

Eight-year old Sherab Dechen is in his

second year at the school. He comes from

a village called Kalong, which is three

hours away by car. Both his parents died

when he was very little. He stays with his

grandparents during the school holidays. Only one of his three

brothers and sisters goes to school.

Sherab really likes the school. After just a short time to settle in,

he has made a lot of friends. He loves the food, too, which

he tells us is mainly rice, potatoes and noodles with occasional

meat dishes. He wants to be a teacher when he grows up.

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Four examples of ROKPA school projects in Tibet

Podrak Middle High School

This school was built in 1982 and was visited in 1984 by

the tenth Panchen Lama. ROKPA has been supporting pupils at

the school since 2003. Today, there are 136 teachers and

around 900 pupils. The school is currently expanding. A laboratory

is being constructed in a new building.

Lessons make frequent use of the Internet and multi-media

resources. In 2004, the school bought computers for the

teaching staff. They soon realised that there was nothing on the

Internet about the Tibetan language and culture, so they decided

to create their own website. A five-strong team is now responsible

for day-to-day maintenance of the site. Everything is taught via

the Internet, and Tibetan pupils are able to prepare for exams in

their own language. This is very unusual in the area and repre-

sents a big step forward. The programme, which prepares pupils

for their exams, has been part-funded by ROKPA for years.

Mochi County Tibetan Middle School

ROKPA supports 80 pupils and four teachers at Mochi County

Tibetan Middle School. Of these, six are orphans, seven have

only one parent, and the rest are from nomadic families who had

to sell their possessions and move to the city in a state of

complete poverty. The pupils are aged between 12 and 16.

They spend three years at the school. 38 of the pupils funded

by ROKPA to date will leave the school this year. Most will

continue their studies elsewhere, although some will start work

in restaurants and hotels.

There are 54 teachers. Lessons include languages (Tibetan,

Chinese and English), mathematics, chemistry, IT and sport.

47 members of the teaching staff speak Tibetan. The school has

22 classrooms and 200 dormitories, each of which sleeps eight

pupils on average.

Location: Eastern Tibet (PRC),

Gansu Province

Local partner: Gansu Province Education

Authority

Project start: 2003

budget: CHF 30,900 per year

beneficiaries: 80 pupils (m/f)

Location: Eastern Tibet (PRC),

Qinghai Province

Local partner: Government, Education Authority

and Mochi Finance Department

Project start: 2003-2009; funding

recommenced in 2012

budget: CHF 40,500 per year

beneficiaries: 80 pupils (m/f), 4 teachers

Luchu Orphanage and Primary School

Even by Tibetan standards, the District of Luchu is inhospitable,

especially in winter when temperatures here at an altitude

of 3,100 metres can plunge to minus 40 degrees. Much of the

meagre income of those who live here has to be spent on

heating, and those who have warm clothes and enough to eat

count themselves lucky. Hunger and sickness are sadly not rare

and in many cases fatal. In this sparsely populated area, it is

difficult to reach a doctor or a medical centre. Most people

cannot afford to do so in any case. Those at the bottom of the

social ladder cannot afford to send their children to school, thus

depriving them of any chance they may have had to improve

their lives. The situation for orphans is even worse. They are

moved around between other members of their wider family and

often end up sooner or later on the street.

ROKPA has been helping to alleviate suffering here for years.

Thanks to our help, 160 children can now attend the school in

Luchu. Of these, 93 are girls. The majority are from extremely

poor nomadic families. 28 of the children have lost one parent,

and 25 have lost both.

The government began to provide support a few years ago, but

not enough. ROKPA helps the very poorest by paying for their

lessons, school equipment, transport, food, accommodation at

the orphanage and medical costs.

Location: Eastern Tibet (PRC),

Gansu Province Luchu District

Local partner: Luchu Education Department,

Luchu Primary School for

Tibetan children

Project start: 2001

budget: CHF 35,200

beneficiaries: 160 children, including 93 girls

Tsering Drolma and Drogar Tar attend Luchu School

Eleven-year old Tsering Drolma has

been attending the school for the

last five years with ROKPA’s help.

Her grandfather, who lives an hour

from Luchu by bus, brought her

here after her parents died. Her

favourite subjects are IT, English

and Tibetan. She is one of the brightest pupils in her class

and has lots of friends at the school. When she grows up,

she wants to work as a Tibetan doctor in her own village.

Drogar Tar has lost both his

parents. He has no memories of

them and does not even know what

happened to them. ROKPA has

been funding his education at Luchu

School for four years. Occasionally,

at the weekend, he visits and helps

his grandmother, who as a farmer has to survive on the

equivalent of 150 Swiss francs a year. Like Tsering Dolma,

Drogar Tar wants to help sick people in his home district

when he is older.

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TIBET

7

TIBET

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Confidence in the future despite disaster: Chenan Drolma and Nyma Chitri

Sisters Chenan Drolma, 19, and Nyma

Chitri, 17, lost not only their parents but

all their relatives in the earthquake in

their home town of Yushu. The disaster

brought them even closer.

"Even when we were little children,

we wanted to become doctors one day.

But then we read in a book that you have

to study extremely hard and diligently to

be a doctor, because a patient could die

if we made a mistake. We were discou-

raged by that. We found the responsibility

too great," says Chenan Drolma, the

eldest of the sisters (on the right in the

picture) earnestly.

But then the catastrophe struck, which

would change the lives of them both

within minutes. It was the 14th April

2010. The two sisters were sitting in the

classroom in the middle school in Yushu

when the earthquake struck and destroyed

nearly all the town's houses, which buried

thousands of people under them, inclu-

ding Chenan Drolma and Nyma Chitri's

parents, as well as their grandparents,

uncles, aunts and cousins.

Only the two of them were left. "When we

saw that there weren't enough doctors

to help the people after the disaster,

we decided that, after middle school in

Dartsendo, we would go to the College for

Tibetan Medicine," says Chenan Drolma,

happily taking over the role of speaker.

Sympathetic people from the area who

heard about the sad lot of these sisters

collected for the two orphans, and

they also received some money from the

government. So, not only have they

enrolled at college last year, but they have

also made a payment for the preparatory

course for the university entrance exami-

nation, which will begin in 2014 when

they have finished college.

"We dream all the time of having our

own clinic in the future. Then we will be

independent and be able to make our

own decisions. Tibetan medicine has

many advantages over Western medicine,"

says the 19-year-old, totally convinced.

"Because it is made from natural ingre-

dients, it has no harmful side effects and

makes the body stronger in the long

term." And her younger sister adds:

"I would also like to heal diseases such as

AIDS and help to stop so many people

from just dying."

These two girls are looking to the future.

Their misfortune has made them grow

up. They have assumed responsibility for

each other and want to help others.

To fulfil their dream of education, each

of them needs CHF 1,500 per year

initially, then CHF 5,000 from 2014.

ROKPA wants to help them (and many

others who should be supported financi-

ally for their studies).

Can we count on you? Or do you know

someone who might like to give Chenan

Drolma and Nyma Chitri real help?

Report by Barbara Pfeiffer

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NEPAL

Lea Wyler takes in each child personally

Three hot meals every day!

Since its foundation in 1980, ROKPA has

focussed on making it possible for needy

and orphaned children to have a dignified

existence by giving them schooling,

medical care and accommodation. In the

early years, the children were, where

financially possible, accommodated in

boarding schools. Since 1996 the children

have been accommodated in ROKPA's

own children's home. This year there are

55 children who can live here. Here the

children can find a home, family and a

chance for a better future. Most of them

do not leave the children's home until

they are adults.

Lea Wyler has always taken in each

of these children and cared for them

personally. They meet in the soup

kitchen, which provides hot meals twice

a day for 400 people during the winter

months, or during Lea's nightly walks

through the darkest corners of Kathmandu.

Here she finds children who huddle up to

flea-ridden street dogs or sleep in threes

in cardboard boxes in order to get a little

warmth. In the blink of an eye the child

gets a new family and Lea gets another

child, which is always a blessing for her.

For the first time in their lives, the

children can have warm showers and eat

hot meals three times a day in the

children's home. Here, life is like an

extended family, the big ones look after

the small ones. For the first time in

their lives they are respected and receive

not only clean clothes but also medical

care and a good school education.

Lea Wyler tells the children again and

again that each one of them is unique and

special. In this way they learn to respect

themselves and can pass on their new,

positive attitude to others.

As long as it has existed, the sustainabili-

ty of ROKPA's children's home is impres-

sive. Everyone who has grown up in the

home and left it as a valuable member of

society stands on his or her own feet and

leads an independent life.

55 children currently live in the children's

home. Their accommodation costs 178

francs per month, and the annual budget

of the children's home is 132,000 francs.

Each individual franc is invested in the

best way here: in a directly effective and

sustainable manner.

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Are you considering a legacy? Give a future!

For ROKPA, this legacy is a great

and meaningful gesture with which you

“provide children and mothers with

a future!”

Legacy is defined as follows: A legacy is

a bequest by a testator as documented in

a testament or testamentary contract.

ROKPA can be appointed as legal heir (as

an institution) so that you can bequeath

the aid organization money.

Since legacies are usually paid off only

years after the testament or testamentary

contract is written, the nomination of a

specific current project of ROKPA does

not make much sense.

leaves the woman and children behind.

If the woman is no longer able to have the

family’s basic needs met mother and

children end up on the street. ROKPA

tries to prevent this situation and offers

vocational training for these mothers.

In the women’s workshop the mothers

learn how to design, sew and manufac-

Women and children left behind…

Ever since ROKPA took up its work over

30 years ago, the organization has

focused primarily on women and children.

The reason for this is rooted in the social

structure of our target cultures: Especially

in Nepal the provider of the family often

However, a general purpose can be

defined but does not have to be. This

definition can be geographical (Tibet,

Nepal) or by topic (nutrition, education,

culture, health care, alternative medicine/

medicinal plants, women and children).

When drafting a legacy it is always useful

to seek the advice of a trustee.

The ZEWO foundation (ROKPA has been

ZEWO-certified since 2004. The certifi-

cate indicates transparent accounting

practice and a pre-defined use of

donations) advises as follows (for more

information visit www.zewo.ch):

ture useful products that are then sold in

the local shop, but also in our headquar-

ters in Zurich and other places. This way,

they are not only trained in a useful craft

to become more independent, they also

make some money to provide food and

shelter for their families. Their children’s

education is paid for as well.

ROKPA also grants startup money.

The women turn this initial support into

a source of income, for example, a

tearoom, a tailor shop, or they sell food

from a sales booth to the numerous

pedestrians.

Through ROKPA these women learn

to take matters into their own hands and

to no longer depend on others. Instead of

the former beggar’s mentality they pass

on to their children a newly found sense

of independence. This is an invisible

but tangible and sustainable advantage

created by our work. The success is

significant. Your donations are actually

being used for a meaningful purpose!

And they continue to do so.

“The handling of a legacy should occur

carefully and in advance, without any

pressure. For clarification of the legal and

financial situation, seek the advice of an

expert, such as a trustee or notary.

Mention the person who is to enforce your

will in your testament. Through your

devise you ensure that your legacy is

handled within the legal framework and

according to your wishes.”

Should you be interested in bequeathing

ROKPA, we will gladly advise you via

phone or in person

Gift card # 2:

Your donation helps lift gifted students

out of poverty.

Here’s how it works: Order via email

info@rokpa.org

or phone

+41 44 262 68 88

Choose the correct gift card

number, z.B. 1, 2, 5 oder 10

Select the donation amount,

for example CHF 50.– or CHF 500.–

Name the official donor

First name, name, address, zip code

Provide your

First name, name, address, zip

code, e-mail

Or visit

www.spenden-statt-schenken.org

to make a donation online.

Here, you can choose and download

a digital gift card which you can

send to a list of addresses (instead

of company gifts).

„Was für die Welt das Wasser ist,

ist für das Herz die Freundschaft.“

Tibetisches Sprichwort:

1 | Neujahr

2

3

4

5

6 | Heilige drei Könige

Montag

Dienstag

Mittwoch

Donnerstag

Freitag

Samstag

Sonntag

www.rokpa.org

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29

30

31

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

14

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7

8

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Januar 2013

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Lea

Wyl

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© Texte in diesem Kalender: Tibetische Sprichwörter. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.

Gesammelt und ins Englische Übersetzt von Lhamo Pemba. Mit einer Transliteration herausgegeben

und aus dem Tibetischen übersetzt von Rainer Bull.

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zürich | Schweiz | Telefon +41 44 2626888 | Fax +41 44 2626889 |

info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org

So können Sie spenden: Credit Suisse: IBAN CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1, Konto 455090-11-1, Clearing Nummer 4835

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

Wir brauchen Ihre Hilfe!

In der Schweiz sind Spenden zugunsten von ROKPA steuerbefreit. Zudem ist ROKPA seit 2004 ZEWO-zertifiziert.

Viele Kinder und Jugendliche – aktuell nahezu 10’000 – erhalten in jedem einzelnen Jahr

dank ROKPA in Tibet und Nepal eine Ausbildung.55 Kinder leben im ROKPA Children’s Home in Kathmandu. In der Werkstatt bieten wir in Not

geratenen Müttern eine Berufsausbildung und bereiten sie auf ein Leben ohne Abhängigkeiten vor.

Wir haben mit Ihrem Geld viel Gutes tun können und werden mit weiteren Spenden noch viel

mehr tun. In Ihrem Sinn!

SMS-Spende bis CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX (Betrag, nur Zahl) an

Zielnummer 488.

Beispiel für CHF 20.–: ROKPA 20 an 488

Kalender 2013

www.rokpa.org

Helfen, wo Hilfe gebraucht wird.Nachhaltig, seit über 30 Jahren. ROKPA

ROKPA SWITZERLAND

10

ROKPA Christmas

Gift card # 1:

Your donation helps to educate

orphans and street kids.

Gift card # 5:

You’re allaying the

hunger of the poorest

in Kathmandu by

supporting our soup

kitchen.

You make a donation on behalf of your loved ones,

your company, your co-workers…

ROKPA has designed beautiful gift cards you can use to confirm that, instead of a

present, you have made a donation to ROKPA on a third person’s behalf. We can

send these cards to the donor directly or we can send it to you so can forward it to

the addressee yourself.

Usually the gift card as well as the payment slip is sent to your address after a

maximum of five business days. If you prefer we’d be happy to mail the card to the

official donor directly.

ROKPA gift cards

ROKPA Calendar 2013

The calendar costs

CHF 20.00 without

shipping. If you order right

now we can still deliver

before Christmas.

Order via email at

info@rokpa.org or via phone

+41 44 2626888.

A few ROKPA calendars with pictures of children from Tibet

and Nepal are still available.

DVD “Andreas Vollenweider & the ROKPA Kids”Due to the survey that was published in

our last edition of ROKPA Times there

haven’t been enough orders to produce

the DVD feasibly. Approximately 50

orders are still needed to start production.

The DVD costs CHF 25.00 without

shipping. Unfortunately, delivery before

Christmas won’t be possible.

Order anyway!

Gift card # 10:

You’re helping us to

provide start-up money

for outcast mothers.

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11

For the users of an iPad, now the

ROKPA Times can be read on it, too.

From January 2013 onwards the so called

back issues (starting from 2012) and the

annual report – in English, too – can be

accessed via App. The archive of the

ROKPA App will be continuousely expan-

ded. By the way, the App is beingl be

used for the documentation of the various

activities of ROKPA by Lea Wyler, too,

when travelling.

You can download the ROKPA app from

the Apple store for free.

The App has been programmed for free by

the company NTH in Biel for ROKPA.

By the way: We are interested in presenting

information for our donors via internet. We are

grateful if you use your mail for communication, as we

can cut down on expenses. If you choose to do so,

please let us know your mail address by mailing to

info@rokpa.org.

“Before I was accepted to the ROKPA Children’s Home

I had been living on the streets of Kathmandu.

The constant hunger was the worst for me. There were

always fights over food and the older children took it

away from the younger ones. When I came to the

ROKPA Children’s Home, I was surprised at all the

children who wanted to talk to me. I learned manners

and how to be disciplined. And I was able to go

to school, which is so important for my future. I have

many dreams. For instance, I want to have my own

camera one day, so I can be a professional photo-

grapher.”

I am a child of the ROKPA family...

"As well as being mother to two grown-up sons,

I have worked for many years together with my

husband (photographer) in our own business. Among

other things, I have built up an extensive digital image

archive with an online database. When I found out

that ROKPA were looking for an image archivist,

I immediately felt spoken to. The job fulfils my wish

for something socially responsible to do in my spare

time, to which I can bring my expertise. After

travelling through Nepal and making many different

contacts, I also feel very connected to the people

of this barren mountain land.

Tens of thousands of images, especially of Lea Wyler,

have accumulated over the years. It was necessary

to develop a suitable storage system and to install the

necessary software for the database. Thanks to

the archive, the images are accessible to the ROKPA

team in Zurich and to all 20 field offices around

the world. The images help to show ROKPA in the

best light and to get the donations which are needed

so urgently."

I work for ROKPA...

“The trips to Tibet are always an eye-opener for me.

Nothing here is as it is at home. Accommodation at

the Chopdrak school for orphans is very humble but

there is always a waiting list for students. This shows

me that the education at this school is highly re-

spected by the local population. ROKPA supports

many schools all over Tibet, which offer a mix of

traditional and modern education. Our goal is to

educate more and more children and teenagers at our

schools for an ever more demanding job market.”

I‘ve made a commitment to ROKPA…Sanjay

Corinna Biasiutti

Pim Willems, ROKPA in Holland

I AM ROKPA

Now ROKPA has an App, too

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

You can make a donation to this account:

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

Clearing Nummer 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

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

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

55 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