Patron: His Holiness The Dalai Lama TREK-AID helping Tibetan refugees in India & Nepal

Chairman of Trustees Richard Ravensdale

TIBET

In 1949-50 Communist China began its occupation of Tibet. Since then more then a sixth of the Tibetan Population have died. Tibet is one of the most spiritual places on earth but ironically has had to face the destruction of its temples and monasteries and its peaceful Buddhist culture.

In 1959, Tibet Head of state, His Holiness the Dalai Lama dramatically escaped Tibet.100,000's of refugees followed to Nepal and India, and are still doing so each year. Here the Tibetan culture is being 'saved' by efforts to establish communities, build temples, keep traditions, beliefs and language alive, in exile.

Little international aid is being directed to this ongoing problem and with only meagre resources for their own people, the Nepalese and Indian Governments haven't much to offer the Tibetans. Life for many families is still hard, in Himalayan refugee settlements. This is where Trek-Aid comes in, to provide direct practical aid to the most needy refugees - some of whom have been in camps since the early 1960's.

TREK-AID AIMS:

Trek-Aid found that after speaking with many refugees and settlement councils that help would be most beneficial in seven interrelated areas. These are:

1. Health: This, we feel is the most important, improving health care - if people are healthier then this will ensure greater well being of Tibetan communities in work, education and self-sufficiency.
   
   
   
2. Education: Settlement schools for refugee Tibetans offer children their native language and culture to help preserve their way of life, along with modern subjects, rather then local Hindu based education. These schools lack funds for even basic equipment and desks.
   
   
3. Family/Women's Issues: To help relieve the hardship particularly felt by women struggling to both work and raise families.
4. Self-Help: Tibetans are traditionally keen traders, adaptable and self-sufficient even in exile. We offer vocational advice, loans and training schemes, for example, to nurses.
5. New Refugees: Basic aid to help families establish a new life in Nepal and India.
6. O.A.P.'s: Old people are a vulnerable sector of the communities often without family and too ill to generate income. We help with living allowances.
7. Re-roofing and Building Projects: Many old houses in long established settlements suffer damage in the summer monsoon rains. We have a re-building programme in the Nepal settlements.

TREK-AID has started:

Providing Doctors from the UK to organise community programmes and attend refugee camp clinics. Provide medical supplies and equipment. Eye testing and TB screening surveys. Teaching Tibetan nurses and health workers. Environmental and health education. Funding eye operations and hospital care. Refugee children's school sponsorship. To encourage business and training schemes. Horticultural training and vegetable growing projects, to help self sufficiency. Annual TREK-AID Football Cup in Nepal. Building old peoples homes. Funding OAP associations in India and Nepal and grants to old people.

 

	TREK-AID doctors performing eye - tests during their voluntary work at the Tibetan refugee camps, in Nepal, in Spring '94. We arrange their eye operations. Support our 'Operations Fund'.

Support TREK-AID

Help us to safeguard the continuing welfare, health and education of peace loving Tibetans as they seek to preserve their culture and religion, as refugees. We have provided a form for you to print and return.

Trek Aid · UK Registered Charity No. 1025577 · Tel/Fax: 01752 837097

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