No. 1 / March 2015 / Volume 35

ROKPA TIMES

35 years of putting people first

Dear ROKPA friends, Sir and Madam,

Though our beginnings were fraught with difficulties, today we work from

a stable and secure foundation. Over the decades plenty of know-how has

been accumulated. We are proud of all that has been achieved, and are

committed to continuing to make this world a little better – every day –

together with you.

ROKPA travels to the most remote corners of the Tibetan plateau and to

Nepal, in order to help those who often have lost all hope. Yes, we do the

work but we know how much we owe to you, our donors and partners. Only

through your generosity have these 35 years of increasing success been

possible. For that we wish to offer our thanks and the overwhelming

gratitude of the many who have regained hope because of your gift.

As ROKPA has grown its aims remain unchanged – not to grow further,

larger, faster in an uncontrolled way. Rather to always seek to create and

sustain a secure basis for a long time for many people, so that these who

benefit from ROKPA’s help over time grow to become helpers of others in

need.

What does that mean? ROKPA children for example, as they grow up often

become the helpers of young children facing the very difficulties they

themselves once faced. They become doctors, nurses, teachers, open their

own charities or continue ROKPA projects (see reports illustrating this later

in this brochure). Having experienced poverty themselves, and received vital

help when help was needed, these children are particularly sensitive to the

needs of others. They have a particular affinity towards socially disadvan-

taged people on the edge of society and wish to assist them as adults. In

this natural organic way the ROKPA-system continues to grow, deepen and

develop.

So many have been helped over these 35 years. I want to thank each and

every one of you for continuing to invest in these wonderful young people

and in ROKPA's work.

Yours,

Lea Wyler Founder and Vice President of ROKPA

Editorial

35 years of ROKPA – 35 of years giving sustainable help for people in need!

A charity without fundraising appeal is like a mill

without water!

This special addition of ROKPA Times for the

35th anniversary puts the emphasis on what has

already been achieved and what is planned for

the near future. In order to maintain the flow

between the different reports, in most cases we

have refrained from adding a specific call for

donations. You know that ROKPA needs you! We

need your donation we need your help and your

connectedness. This is the birthday present we

would like from you! Thank you!

CONTENTS

Editorial 2

The Art of Giving 3

Milestones 4 – 5

Anniversary Conversation 6 – 8

Our Success 9

Lifelines 10 – 11

ROKPA Switzerland 12

Worldwide Engagement 13

Your Donation at work 14 – 15

Masthead

Editor: ROKPA Communications All photographs and texts: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Print run: 9,000 copies

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

The Art of Giving

What sparked the inspiration for

founding ROKPA? How during a

pilgrimage, the mental foundations of

our charity were laid:

“Together with like-minded people and

under the guidance of Dr. Akong Tulku

Rinpoche, I embarked on a pilgrimage to

India and Nepal. Those who participated

had been asked to double the amount of

money required for the whole journey

before setting out – this part was meant

for the needy crossing our path. Thus

from the beginning, a feeling of giving

accompanied us.

When we arrived in Bodh Gaya in India,

I was overwhelmed by the amount of

beggars. They crowded around us and

extended their hands towards us. Where-

ver we went – everywhere we encoun-

tered deep poverty and desperate

deprivation. “What am I doing here,

meditating, while people are starving in

Lea Wyler about the beginnings of ROKPA

front of my eyes? I asked myself. More

and more I felt drawn towards those

needy people in front of my eyes.

One day we visited Bodh Gaya, where

the Buddha is supposed to have found

his enlightenment. It is a tourist attrac-

tion, which attracts millions of travellers

a year. And where tourists gather,

beggars are not far. In Bodh Gaya this

meant that an inconceivable amount of

beggars filled the main streets – they

were sitting crowded closely together for

miles. At night they slept in exactly the

same place where they were begging

during the day, so that nobody could

take their place away.

Gradually I began examining the begging

people closely. I saw little girls with

babies in their arms, the hand of the

baby opened to ask for alms. I saw

leprosy and other sick people, I saw

blind, beaten up, crippled and drunk

people, I saw old women and men. And

all were crying “help me, help me!”

Never before had I encountered such

poverty and deprivation – I was deeply

shocked.

One day I decided to give the beggars a

few rupees. I threw the coins hastily into

the begging crowd and disappeared as

quickly as possible afterwards. Giving

this way was embarrassing for me, but I

did not know how to do it better.

The next day, early in the morning, we

met with Akong Rinpoche for meditation

exercises under the bodhi tree. Suddenly

he began to speak, without looking at

me directly. “If you are giving to people

in need, give in such a way as if they

were Buddha or divine. You do not know

who is Buddha and in what form he or

she will appear. If you throw money, this

always indicates a lack of respect. Make

your offering by kneeling down, looking

into the face of the person in front of

you and giving with both hands! This is

the correct way of giving.”

This experience left me embarrassed but

also deeply impressed. I have never

forgotten it. Rinpoche’s philosophy of

respectful giving at eye level has guided

me throughout all those years. “

Lea Wyler has worked tirelessly and wholeheartedly,

changing the lives of thousands of children. ROKPA’s and Lea’s work are unique and thoroughly

deserving of our support.

Philipp Keel,

Publisher, Artist & Author

3

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

Milestones

1990 The soup kitchen in Nepal sets up its tent for the first time.

For the past 25 years cooks and volunteers from all over the world have

distributed meals to street children and homeless people. In the nearby

medical tent volunteers treat about 600 patients every winter.

1996 Inauguration of the first Children’s Home in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Traumatized street children find a home there and experience

a feeling of security for the first time in their lives. About 55 children and

young people have since become one big family.

1980 The foundations of ROKPA are created in Zurich: Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche,

Veit Wyler and Lea Wyler establish the humanitarian aid organization.

In 1985 the first ROKPA country office is opened in Great Britain. Today

ROKPA can be found in 17 countries throughout the world.

1993 Construction and inauguration of the first school for orphans on

the Tibetan Plateau. Thousands of orphans and children with only one

parent are educated, and ROKPA becomes their substitute family.

1998 Launch of projects to preserve and reprint old Tibetan medical texts.

The woodblock printing technique enables the preservation of ancient

knowledge and heritage.

4

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

2005 First dance tour to celebrate our 25th anniversary. We are a great success at

the Edinburgh Festival and other locations, as we tour Europe with ten of

the most talented kids from the ROKPA Children’s Home in Kathmandu. Our

play draws attention to the plight of Nepalese street children.

1999 First project trip to the Tibetan regions in China.

Every year Lea Wyler and her team – under the direction of Dr. Akong Tulku

Rinpoche up to 2012 – travel across these regions for several months

visiting and evaluating the current ROKPA projects.

2010 ROKPA provides emergency aid when Yushu (Tibetan Plateau) is hit by a devastating

earthquake. Thanks to generous donations from all over the world and from the

DEZA, ROKPA is able to supply more than 100 tents for Tibetans who suddenly find

themselves without a roof over their heads. The victims of the earthquake survive

the icy winter conditions thanks to these heated tents.

2000 Construction of the first clinic and inauguration of a medical surgery in the

Tibetan nunnery Kepcha.

The doctor treats the nuns as well as many Tibetan nomads from the

surrounding areas.

2008 Launch of the project “Preservation of Tibetan Medicine” in Nangchen on

the Tibetan Plateau. Its aim is to preserve the tradition of Tibetan medicine

and replant the medicinal plants which it uses, many of which are in danger

of extinction.

2012 In Kathmandu ROKPA acquires a building site between the Children’s Home

and the Guest House for the construction of a new multifunctional building.

There are plans to extend the women’s workshop, to set up a training program

in hotel management and to build additional rooms for the Guest House.

Construction work is due to begin in 2015.

5

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

“I believe in the power and magic of ROKPA”ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER (AVO):

Lea, when you look back on the 35 years

of ROKPA, what are your thoughts?

LEA WYLER (LW): I usually never think

of past achievements, but rather of the

challenges that lie ahead. Yet when I look

back now and see what we have achieved

in 35 years, it takes my breath away and

I can hardly believe it! But of course there

is an enormous amount of work involved.

One must keep focused on the task day

and night, keep working, inspire people

and find good people, who in turn inspire

you. Fortunately we have succeeded:

we have really good staff and volunteers,

who support us and have become fully

involved. You are one of these people.

For ten years you have been committed

to ROKPA with heart and soul. What

motivates you?

35 years of ROKPA –

Andreas Vollenweider, world-famous

musician and ROKPA ambassador,

talks to ROKPA Co-founder Lea Wyler

on the 35th anniversary of ROKPA.

AVO: The time which I devote to ROKPA

has always been very exciting and

instructive. I was often up in the clouds,

but my experience with ROKPA has

brought me down to earth. Of course my

music fulfills me one hundred percent.

But music is ephemeral, mental, emo-

tional, whereas ROKPA has a concrete,

tangible impact. It is long-lasting and

reaches people very closely in a diffe-

rent way. Helping to make this relief

organization more widely known has

inspired me.

LW: Had you already experienced the

hardships which exist in developing

countries before we met for the first time?

AVO: I have seen much misery in the

course of my professional trips, but

always only as an observer. The time

came when that wasn’t enough anymore.

That’s why I was glad to have the

opportunity to work with ROKPA.

Over the course of time I got to know the

people behind the organization better

and could soon vouch for ROPA whole-

heartedly.

LW: Unfortunately we will never be able

to end suffering in this world. Again and

again people ask me, “Do you want to

help the whole world? You just can’t do

that!” But why not? One must at least try.

With nothing but this strong intention

coming from the bottom of one’s heart,

one can bring about some change.

AVO: It’s a major undertaking to combat

this ingrained skepticism we feel and to

recognize and mobilize a great power in

ourselves. We must liberate ourselves

from this idea that “what I do makes no

difference anyway”. If an organization

offers you the chance to activate and

realize your capabilities, you should jump

at the chance and get together with

others. This is the way to create a

different world. It doesn’t only sound

true, it is true. And this is ROKPA!

LW: We know who we are and where we

are heading. 35 years is not that old. But

today, we are in a far better situation than

6

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

we were in the first years. At that time, I

used to tell people: "Give me 100 Francs

– and I can change a life". The donors had

to trust me. Today, we are able to prove

the efficiency of the donations a thousand

times over.

Money is a prerequisite in this – without

the money, we cannot do anything. And it

is thanks to our donors and their trust in

us, that we can allocate their money

properly and efficiently. This is not

self-evident. Every donor is a hero to me.

They do what people usually like to do

least, i. e. give from their own money.

However, it is only with their money that

we can do our work. Our task is also to

nourish and strengthen the souls who

need more than rice and lentils.

AVO: As a donor, one thinks that one

gives away something. But in the end,

every donor gets something in return,

something money can't buy: the precious

feeling of being embedded into a greater

purpose.

LW: I want to move away from the

attitude that we only collect money. I

much rather see our donors and us as

partners, looking in the same direction,

and together we support a person or a

project. Partners may also assist us with

their technical expertise and with many

more things.

AVO: An organization such as ROKPA,

with their accumulated knowledge, does

that part of the job that donors or part-

ners cannot. It is hard to imagine how a

donor should help a deprived person on

site. ROKPA takes care of the donation

and carries out its purpose as wished by

the donor by passing it on to the right

place. That closes the circle and this is

the much mentioned sustainability.

LW: That's right. In Nepal, for instance, we

are currently building a training and

education center. This center will provide

many adolescents with an opportunity in

life and give them the possibility to learn a

profession. We have the vision, we've got

the plans, but we need money and

partners to implement it in a sustainable

way.

AVO: What I like a lot, Lea, is the

encouragement of empowerment, to

enable people to take responsibility as

soon as they can. There are certainly

circumstances in which somebody is not

able to become active, because of illness

or weakness. What I like is the fact that

ROKPA provides assistance until people

can take care of themselves again. This is

a way of respecting their dignity.

LW: Yes, it is a matter of empowerment,

which enables people to take care of

themselves again. First, however, the

most basic needs have to be satisfied,

i. e. food, a home, clothing, training/

education. That is what we have to start

with. Then follow love, dignity and

respect. In the ROKPA Children's Home,

for instance, every small child has an

older "brother" or "sister" to look after

them. There comes a time when the

roles change and the formerly small

child becomes an older brother or sister

themselves, empowered to take care of

the small ones. To observe this role

change, and to see how the child is

slowly growing up and proudly and

joyfully takes over responsibility, that is

just wonderful! That gives these children

a strong relationship to each other,

which remains during their adulthood

and even though they might have a

family of their own. They would not have

this relationship were it not for ROKPA.

Even though they are orphans or half-

orphans, they will never be alone as

adults.

I am proud of these children! They

represent the many children that we have

supported. They did not have anything as

children, but have achieved something as

adults. They have grown to be wonderful

people with compassion, for whom it is

natural to help others. And there it is

again, the sustainability we strive for!

Continued on page 8 >

In the ROKPA Children's Home,

every small child is looked after by

an older sister or an older brother.

7

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

AVO: They have learnt the importance of

having a network and taking care of it as

adults. That helps them get out of

dependencies. It is impressive to see

ROKPA kids developing into adults and

living their own life.

Lea, maybe a somewhat provocative

question: what would you miss if some-

body took ROKPA away from you?

LW: For you, ROKPA spurs you on, but to

me, ROKPA is my life. If somebody were

to say to me: "Ms. Wyler, it was nice that

you have founded ROKPA and put so

much effort into it over the years, but it is

enough now, please go", then I think I

would simply start again in some other

place. I think this is what we have to do

as humans, start over and over again.

AVO: Even though you seem impres-

sively energetic to me and young, you

are no longer 20 years old. What is

going to happen, when you will no

longer be able to do this intensive work?

LW: Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche was

murdered on October 8, 2013. In this state

of shock, desperation and mourning we all

thought the world was going to end. But

we are here and we continue our work! As

he had predicted! I have worked together

with him for 33 years, side by side. We

have built every project together, we have

built everything together, we have gone our

way together. And I am still here, and I will

continue! And if something happens to me,

somebody else, or two people or five

people will be here and continue our work.

I believe from the bottom of my heart in

the system and the development of

ROKPA. What we have built up has a force

of its own. Everybody who has ever got into

closer contact with ROKPA, can feel

Rinpoche's and ROKPA's special spirit

which inspires them, like it inspires you

and me. I believe in this spirit and in the

magic of ROKPA and I have a deep sense

of trust in our work.

AVO: That's how I see it too.

To conclude … when you think of the

coming 35 years … what is to last when

the two of us will be gone?

LW: The typical ROKPA spirit – an

attitude of generousness and compassion.

There is an important difference between

compassion and pity. The compassion

that comes from the bottom of the heart,

causes us to act. And that has to be

connected with wisdom, so that

everybody understands that the hard fate

of these people at the other end of the

world might as well be their fate. We are

all connected. Therefore I feel privileged

that I am able to help where help is

needed.

For 33 years,

Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche and

Lea Wyler have worked together

side by side.

We are fascinated by the way ROKPA is able to accompany children from dire poverty

until they have completed their vocational training or their academic studies.

Emil and Niccel Steinberger, Comedian and authors

8

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

Education Every year, around 10,000 children and young people are

able to go to school or university thanks to the support

provided by ROKPA.

■ A donation of 250 francs will allow a Tibetan orphan to

attend primary school for a whole year.

That covers food, accommodation, medical care and

transport.

Food ROKPA distributes around 50,000 meals a year to hungry

people at its Soup Kitchens in Nepal and South Africa.

■ A donation of 150 francs will provide around

one hundred meals for one day at our Soup Kitchen

in Johannesburg.

Medical care ROKPA sets up and provides ongoing financial support for small

clinics in the Tibetan highlands that offer basic medical care to

around 20,000 people.

■ A donation of 215 francs will cover the weekly running

costs for a Tibetan clinic.

Orphans and street children The ROKPA Children’s Home in Nepal has taken in 102 former

street children since it was set up in 1996. Over the same

period, outside the home, our support has allowed hundreds of

other children to attend school.

■ A donation of 210 francs will cover the monthly costs of

looking after a child at our Children’s Home, including school

fees, food and medical care.

■ We could not provide

all this support without

your generous donations.

Thank you. Please

continue to give what

you can afford.

Donate online:www.rokpa.org

ROKPA’s success story – putting people first for 35 years

Preserving Tibetan cultureFor decades, ROKPA has helped to preserve Tibetan culture

by:

• supporting schools that teach the Tibetan language

• sponsoring students who follow courses in Tibetan

and Tibetan medicine

• helping with food costs at Tibetan monasteries.

■ A donation of 390 francs will support a student from a

poor nomadic family in Tibet for a year.

9

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

Many of the street children and orphans that ROKPA has

helped over the years have now grown up.

We would like to tell you about six of them to show you

what can be achieved thanks to your support.

Six lives

Bijay

After Bijay’s mother died when he was just five or six years

old, his grandfather threw him out of the house with the

words: “Go and beg your own food on the streets instead of

expecting me to feed you.” When Lea Wyler found him, he was

holding a stub of a pencil and a scruffy notebook that he

steadfastly used to write down letters and numbers. His most

fervent wish – to go to school – was about to come true. Bijay

was overjoyed. He went on to study business management and

found a job as a bookkeeper. Today, he is in charge of all

ROKPA’s projects in Nepal. He also manages the Children’s

Home, where he fulfils the role of ‘father’ and older brother

with great kindness. After all, he knows what it’s like to come

in from the streets.

Ram Hari

Ram Hari ran away from home to escape the frequent violent

beatings meted out by his father. One day, out on the streets, he

approached Lea Wyler to beg for help. Although he was actually

too old for a place at the Children’s Home, he was desperate to

be taken in. Could it work? After all, he was twelve years old and

had never been to school. Nevertheless, Ram Hari soon dispelled

any reservations. He overcame his initial learning difficulties to

come top in his SLC exams and went on to complete an appren-

ticeship at a guest house in Boudha. After that, he ran the

ROKPA Children’s Home for several years before setting up his

own aid organisation. He now looks after fifty former street

children.

Yangzom

When Yangzom’s mother died, her father could no longer feed

Yangzom and her brother. They were taken in by an uncle until

they were given a place in class one at the ROKPA school for

orphans in Yushu. As a child, Yangzom appeared wise beyond

her years. She was the first pupil to greet Dr Akong Tulku

Rinpoche in English when he visited the school in 1995. Along

with her 47 classmates, all supported by ROKPA, Yangzom

went on to study Tibetan medicine and now works as a doctor

at a health centre in Surmang. “When poor patients come to

see me at the clinic, I pay for the medicine they need,” says

Yangzom. “ROKPA taught me how to help others, so now I do

that whenever I can.”

10

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

35 Jahre ROKPA - Wir sind stolz auf alle Helfer und Mitarbeiter, die schon so viel bewegt haben und

noch so viel bewegen werden.

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Kelsang

Kelsang comes from a poor family in a very remote village in

Mustang where there are no opportunities for children to go to

school. Her sister took her by the hand, and together they

walked for fourteen days all the way to Kathmandu, where they

came across ROKPA. Lea Wyler took Kelsang into the Children’s

Home, making her the first member of the family ever to attend

school. She went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in hotel

management. After an internship in in Malaysia, she now works

at the ROKPA Guest House and is able to support her family.

With ROKPA’s help, Kelsang was able to fulfil her childhood

dream.

Droni

Droni means ‘guiding light’. She was just two years old when her

mother died while holding Droni in her arms. With five children,

the poor family of agricultural workers was torn apart by the

financial pressure that followed her mother’s death. She was

taken in by various relatives and later had to work very hard for

her keep. Droni didn’t even know what a school was until her

father took her to the ROKPA school for orphans in Yushu. She

was a very self-disciplined child and knew from an early age that

she wanted to help others when she grew up. She now works as

a doctor at the Tibetan Medical Hospital in Nangchen, where she

often has to make decisions on whether the hospital can offer

free treatment to poor patients. As well as training medical staff,

she is part of the team that manages ROKPA’s ‘Preserving

Tibetan Medicine’ project and works as a translator for ROKPA.

Palden

Palden was born in a tent. His mother died a month later.

Shortly after that, Palden’s father deserted his children. “When I

came to the ROKPA school for orphans, I realised that school

was better than our home,” he wrote in an essay. Palden studied

at the University of Medicine in Lhasa and now, as a doctor,

helps those afflicted by poverty. He is also part of the team in

Nangchen that manages ROKPA’s ‘Preserving Tibetan Medicine’

project.

1111

35 YEARS OF ROKPA

Important infor-mation for our donors

Thanks to your tremendous

support we have helped many,

many people over recent years.

Some of the projects/people can

now stand on their own or are

able to fund themselves. As

such, they no longer need our

direct assistance. These projects

are listed below:

1313, 5001, 5053, 7022, 7285,

7290, 7339, 7341, 7353, 7382,

7401, 7456, 7465, 7466, 7684,

7900, 7912, 8003, 8460, 9074,

9200, 9370, 9633, 9804, 9807,

9996.

The sponsorship and project

accounts still contain residual

funds that we would like to use for

ongoing projects and other needy

people. If we do not hear from you

to indicate otherwise by 30 April

2015, we will assume that you are

happy for us to do so (tacit

consent).

If you do not wish us to use the

remaining funds in this way, please

contact our head office in Zurich

(+41 (0)44 262 68 88 or

info@rokpa.org).

Thank you again for your generous

support – both in the past and

hopefully in the future.

The new ROKPA Switzerland board was elected on 13th January

2015. We said goodbye to Gerry Leumann, who served our

organisation as President with a great deal of commitment for over

10 years. He was always there for us. He shaped ROKPA's

development with his clear, analytical thinking. The generosity and

humour with which he led the ROKPA board throughout the years will be greatly missed.

We thank Gerry from the bottom of our hearts for his long involvement and wish him all

the best.

The new President of ROKPA Switzerland is Peter Fanconi. As

a lawyer and CEO of an asset management company speciali-

sing in microfinance in developing and emerging countries, he

knows his way around sustainable development aid.

Andreas Graf has also been newly elected to the board. The

trained agronomist is an expert in project management and has

worked in the field for various aid organisations. Since 2011, he

has been a freelance consultant in project management and

evaluation.

We welcome our two new board members warmly and look forward to working produc-

tively together.

Around 20 people, most of whom are

volunteers, work regularly for ROKPA at

our head office in Zurich. In addition to

co-founder Lea Wyler, the small team of

permanent staff includes:

Corinna Biasiutti (Managing Director),

Romano Renner (Finance),

Caterina Meier-Pfister (Donor Relations),

Jeannette Alison (Personal Assistant to

Lea Wyler & Communications),

Daniela Fadel (Secretariat) and

Thomas Stettler (Project Assistant

and Communications).

Change in Management at ROKPA Switzerland

Behind the Scenes...

I am impressed by ROKPA's careful selection of beneficiaries according to clear criteria.

Robert Schenker, President of the Patrons' Committee

12

ROKPA SWITZERLAND

Global Support for ROKPA

ROKPA in the Basque Country

Doing Good while Staying Healthy Two or three times a year,

Tibetan doctor Dr Mingji

Cuomo visits ROKPA in the Basque Country in order to treat

ROKPA donors and other interested persons living in the region

with traditional Tibetan medicine. 50% of the treatment costs

go towards the ROKPA project "Preserving Tibetan Medicine" in

Nangchen. ROKPA in the Basque Country specialises in

supporting this project and has been providing an important

part of its financing for years.

ROKPA in the UK

On the Road for ROKPA An incredible expedition for

three young men from

England: In the summer of

2013, Johnny, Bertie and Geordie travelled 15,000 km from

England to Mongolia in a small car. The idea behind it: collecting

donations for ROKPA. All they had to help them were maps and

a compass. The journey took them through some of the most

remote parts of the world, through deserts and high mountain

passes.

They experienced a few hairy situations, but giving up was not

an option. After 40 days, they reached their destination in Ulan

Bator, the capital city of Mongolia, where they had to leave their

car behind too. Their expedition was an adventure, an experience

that they will never forget, an audacious exploit for a good cause

that raised around 16,000 Swiss francs for ROKPA.

ROKPA is represented in 17 countries around the world. The ROKPA country offices are managed by volunteers, and to celebrate

our 35th anniversary, they are sharing with us their most exciting fundraising campaigns. Here are four inspiring stories.

ROKPA in Austria

Climbing Mountains for a Good Cause ROKPA in Austria has conducted

the 7 Summits Tour since 2008.

The participants climb 7 mountains in one day, a total distance of

around 50 kilometres and 4500 metres in height. What started with

7 participants in 2008 has grown into an event renowned in the

mountaineering world. For the anniversary climb on 5th September

2015 (7 Years, 7 Summits), the field of participants is limited to

150 – and is already full!

More information: www.7berge.at

ROKPA in Poland

Dance of Cultures The Brave Festival is a dance

festival that takes place every

year in Wroclaw. Groups from

around the world present their traditional dance forms. The aim is

to bring forgotten and little-known cultural traditions closer to the

public. This promotes an awareness of what unbelievable cultural

and spiritual riches can be lost if traditions are not recognised and

supported.

Parallel to the Festival runs the Brave Kids programme, in which

children from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds exchange and

pass on their knowledge in workshops. The ROKPA children from

Nepal are also regular participants. All the income from the

Festival goes towards various ROKPA projects.

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ROKPA GLOBAL

YOUR DONATION...

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...AT WORK!

THANK YOUfor 35 years of support!

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With CHF 20, you can send a child in the Tibetan plateau or in Nepal to school for one month.

More information at www.rokpa.org

THE WAY TO SCHOOL IS THE WAY OUT OF POVERTY.

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DONATE

NOW BY SMS:

ROKPA and amount

(number up to 99) to 488.

(Example ROKPA 20)

Thanks to ROKPA, many children and young people in Tibet and Nepal – at present nearly 10,000 – receive an education every

year. This is only possible with your help.

With your financial support we can provide effective support to the poorest of the poor. Please help us to give them a better chance of

leading a dignified life.

You can make a donation to this account:

455090-11-1, Credit Suisse, CH-8070 Zurich, Switzerland

IBAN CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1, clearing number 4835, BIC CRESCHZZ80A

Thank you!

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

Giving a better chance for life

Helping wherehelp is needed:sustainably,for over 35 years. ROKPA

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland

Phone +41 44 2626888 | info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org | facebook.com/ROKPA.org