Annual Report 2016

No. 2 / June 2017 / Volume 37

ROKPA TIMES

CONTENTS

Editorial 2

Build with us for Nepal’s youth 3

A better life for nearly 4’200 children thanks

to education 4

With vocational training to an economically

independent life 5

Medical aid for people in need 6

In battle against hunger 7

ROKPA in numbers 8 – 9

How you can help 10

ROKPA Office 11

Your donation helps 12

ImprintEditorial team: Corinna Biasiutti / Caterina Meier-Pfister / Daniela Reinhard / Romano Renner / Thomas Stettler / Tina ZauggCopy editing: Liane Brand (www.lianebrand.ch) / Meenu BhargavaEnglish translation: Kaja KurczewskaGraphic design: Renée Reust / Staša Lampret Cover picture: © Lea WylerText: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Print run: 7,000 copies (German edition)

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Dear friends of ROKPA,

Our volunteers at the Soup Kitchen in Johannesburg hand out

peanut butter sandwiches, soup and fruit to the nearly 100

hungry visitors in the pouring rain. It is dusk and I observe and

take photographs. Since I approach and ask for permission

before photographing, it doesn’t take long before I am in

conversation with some of the beneficiaries. Willingly, they tell

me their often very sad life stories.

Most of them are young men from Zimbabwe, who came to

South Africa with the hope of earning money to support their

families back home. It is now the end of November, and one of

the men tells me, in despair, that he will not be able to get any

presents for his children this Christmas. He spends his days

looking for work and food. Many tears flow that evening, and it is

very hard for me to say goodbye.

This was just one of the countless moving encounters on my

project trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. There is still much to

be done, but for many people, the ROKPA projects are making a

vital, and sometimes lifesaving difference.

Shortly before, I had visited our projects in the Tibetan areas of

China. Yangzom, my translator and assistant – herself a ROKPA

Child from the earliest days – had gathered all the information

on a donated laptop. A quantum leap into the current century as

until now, the majority of the data was written down by hand.

We have travelled together for many years and she has helped

me to better understand the nuances of this completely different

culture, and thus to help more efficiently.

As I write these lines, I am in Kathmandu. Here, the conse-

quences of the earthquake are still very visible everywhere,

although it has already been two years. However, construction is

progressing very diligently – also with us (see page 3 for more

about this). With our new earthquake-proof building, we can

continue to help longer and better where the help is needed.

I have the privilege to regularly visit our ROKPA projects around

the world and to steer them in the right direction. Everywhere I

go, I learn not only of the great need but also of the gratitude of

those whom we support.

This gratitude I am passing on to you. For these individuals, your

help turns their world 180 degrees! In your support of ROKPA as

a donor, a volunteer or in any other way, you are changing the

world for the better. I would like to thank you personally for

your help. Nothing goes without you – and with you, anything

is possible!

Yours,

Lea WylerCo-Founder and President ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Editorial

Printed on Recycling Paper, produced according to the rules of „The blue Angel“

Build with us for Nepal’s youth

ROKPA wants to go higher. Four stories high, to be exact.

Since January 2016, the construction for our earthquake-proof

building in Kathmandu is in full swing - planning, stonewalling,

carpentry, brick laying and fitting. It is scheduled to be

completed by the spring of 2018 – the Akong Rinpoche

Memorial Center.

With this multifunctional building, existing ROKPA projects will

grow in scope and a new one will be implemented. The ROKPA

Hospitality Training Center will provide young people from the

poorest local families with a vocational education. An education

in the areas of cooking, service or housekeeping increases their

chances for finding steady employment. Tourism is an important

employer in Nepal and qualified professionals are needed. The

acquired skills equip the young people with the necessary tools

that enable them to earn a regular income and allow them to

provide for themselves and their families. Help to self-help is

vital for ROKPA. Our conviction is that help is only sustainable

when it enables the indigent people to stand on their own two

feet for the long haul.

ROKPA has been applying this approach for a long time. With

the Women’s Workshop and the Guest House, we have been

running two «social businesses» in Kathmandu for many years.

These have given education and jobs to the poorest of the

poorest in the region. The leadership of both projects is in the

hands of former ROKPA Children and local employees. The

concept has proven valid – the Women’s Workshop today is

completely self-reliant, thanks to the sales of its sewing and

weaving products.

In this reporting year, the costs of the ROKPA Children’s Home

were partially covered with the profits from the Guest House.

With the completion of the new building, both projects will grow

– the Guest House will receive seven additional rooms, and the

number of education and job positions in the Women’s Workshop

is expected to be doubled.

Our long-acting goal is to finance more ROKPA projects with

the profits from the social businesses, to further support

poverty stricken people. Always there, where help is most

needed. I invite you wholeheartedly to visit us in Kathmandu

and to take part in this unique project.

Peter Fanconi

Vice President ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

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Gazing together into the auspicious future:

Peter Fanconi with ROKPA Children (Kathmandu, April 2017).

Partners of the Hospitality Training Center

In EHLsmile, an association of former students and

teachers of the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne

(EHL) (www.ehlsmile.org) and the esteemed Nepali

Global Academy of Tourism & Hospitality Education

(GATE) (www.gate.edu.np), ROKPA has found two

competent and experienced partners on hand with advice

and help with the planning and implementation of the

Hospitality Training Center. We are extremely proud of

these partnerships combining international standards with

local know-how.

3

A better life for nearly 4200 children thanks to education

Here in ROKPA we are convinced that education is one of the

most efficient means to enable poverty stricken people a

sustainable, economically independent life. In the Tibetan

Highlands, it is also possible to preserve Tibetan culture at the

same time.

For years, educational programs have been one of ROKPA’s main

pillars. In 2016 in the Tibetan Highlands, we supported nearly

4200 children and students from the poorest parts of the

population. They are mainly children of farmers and nomads,

many orphans and semi-orphans. When they find a job, they can

secure the existence of their family and more generally, enable

the Tibetan areas of China access to modern society. The many

years of development work have shown that the advancement of

young women influences the entire community and strengthens

the position of a woman in society. This is why ROKPA strives

towards making sure at least half of the beneficiaries are female.

Our educational projects in the Tibetan areas of China encom-

pass primary, secondary and middle schools, colleges and

monastery schools.

Tibetan standard language as a success factor

With the engagement in Gansu, ROKPA provides the youths with

a higher school education and at the same time, promotes the

Tibetan standard language. It is the requirement for communica-

tion, and for the preservation of local culture and knowledge.

The supported school educates 2500 girls and boys between 12

and 22 years of age, among them 120 ROKPA Children. Along-

side the obligatory secondary school, a good education on the

middle school level is also offered. The students are encouraged

and challenged, as the choices of their further education and

their future profession depend on their results of the exams.

Promotion of higher education with scholarships

Increasingly, a Bachelor’s degree is a requirement for employ-

ment with a steady income. Therefore, ROKPA provides gifted

young people this opportunity. In the reporting year, 250

students were supported. Full or partial scholarships have been

awarded for courses in Tibetan language, Tibetan medicine or for

a lectureship. In the meantime, the first generation of well-edu-

cated young people is now working as lecturers, doctors, in

businesses or in administration. It is especially very gratifying

that former beneficiaries have come together to start their own

scholarship projects using their own income, and are thereby

carrying ROKPA’s fundamental ideas forward.

ROKPA strives towards making sure at least half

of the beneficiaries are female.

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With vocational training to an economically independent life

Vocational training plays a vital part in the economic

development and the poverty alleviation of a country. For

individuals and their families, it offers an opportunity for an

independent life.

Since the 1990s, ROKPA Children’s Home has been offering a

home to former street children and trainee positions and paid

employment for their mothers in the Women’s Workshop. The

children are raised to be self-confident people and are prepared

for the job market. The Guest House was opened a few years

after the Workshop. It offers comfortable rooms, a small

restaurant and a bakery. Meanwhile, the profits co-finance the

Children’s Home. The ROKPA Children from the first generation

have taken over the leadership of the projects in Kathmandu,

and the next generation is already standing by. They receive an

education, remain on site for a while before moving on, to build

something of their own.

Puja came into the ROKPA Children’s Home as a young girl.

Now, she is graduating from housekeeping, and alongside this,

she is working as a maid in the Guest House. In this way, she is

collecting practical experience and is able to participate in the

cost of her education.

Prakash und Jeevan grew up in the Children’s Home, and now

work at the ROKPA Bakery. They bake croissants, breads and

cakes for the guests or for the other restaurants in the area,

and the bread rolls for the ROKPA Soup Kitchen. As small

business owners, they deliver drinking water orders on a bicycle.

And they manage to do all this alongside with studying for a

college degree!

Saru is the youngest in the Women’s Workshop. She was 15

when she arrived at ROKPA and already too old to be enrolled in

school. Now, she is receiving training to become a seamstress,

which will enable her to have an independent life.

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From street child to pastry chef and businessman: Prakash, grown up

in the ROKPA Children’s Home, at work in the ROKPA Bakery.

Rebuilding the Dhanmale Lower Secondary School

n The school, massively damaged in the 2015 earthquake,

was rebuilt in 2016. At the same time, ROKPA installed

single gender sanitary facilities – an important protective

measure for pubescent girls.

n In order to promote and sustain local businesses, materi-

als such as mud brick, wood and stones were purchased

from the region.

n Due to the high construction activity in Nepal, qualified

labour was scarce. This required additional expenditures,

because the local workforce had to be trained.

n As a replacement for the dried-up water source, a new

one was opened up for 5 villages.

n The school now has room for 240 children of primary

school age.

5

Medical aid for people in need

Each of the 4 ROKPA project countries struggles with issues in

the field of medical aid. In South Africa and Zimbabwe, AIDS

remains one of the biggest health risks. Alongside financial

support of the drug treatments, ROKPA also supports self-help

groups here. In the Tibetan Highlands, the great distances and

the depletion of Tibetan medicinal plants has led to a precari-

ous medical situation. ROKPA supports village clinics in

remote regions and finances a project for the preservation of

the traditional medicinal plants. Also in Nepal many people

cannot afford a doctor’s appointment. With its Medical

Outpatient Clinic, the ROKPA Soup Kitchen offers a low-

threshold entry point for the sick and injured.

Preservation of medicinal plants in Traditional

Tibetan Medicine

Since 2008, ROKPA has been running a project in the Tibetan

areas of China aiming at the cultivation of traditional and

endangered medicinal plants. As a part of the project, medicinal

herbs from bought or gathered seeds are being planted in large

quantities and sold, with the particularly endangered species

cultivated in protective conditions.

In 2016 within the framework of the project, for the first time,

packaged medicinal herbs were sold to local hospitals and health

resorts. Due to a larger harvest compared to the previous years,

the project managers bought a larger tractor which replaced

the previous mini tractor. During the summer months, six people

work on the land rented by ROKPA.

One of the major challenges is the irrigation of the fields: The

pipes of the irrigation system get damaged in the cold winter

months with temperatures far below the freezing point and must

be repaired. In the dry summer the water often goes out com-

pletely. Construction of a new well, which will also provide water

in the summer, is urgently needed in order to achieve better

results at harvest.

Medical Outpatient Clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal

The Medical Outpatient Clinic in Kathmandu is a vital part of the

ROKPA Soup Kitchen, and is operated from December to March.

Both projects are led by Margrit Stahel and with the help of

many other volunteers. In winter of 2015/16, a female doctor

and trained nursing staff treated around 1,000 individuals,

including more than 200 children. Almost half of the cases

involved wound treatment and burns, and colds and diarrhea

were among the most common diseases. 77 people had to be

transferred to the hospital. This is a significant part

of the medical expenses of this project.

In efforts to build up and expand the basic medical care in remote areas:

The Tibetan doctors and at the same time our delegates on site (f.l.t.r.): Palden, Droni and Yangzom.

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In battle against hunger

The right to nutrition is a fundamental human right. In spite of

this, millions of people worldwide suffer from hunger. Many

children are affected – with fatal consequences: Severe

malnutrition often leads to stunted development or death. This

is why ROKPA is committed to nutrition projects for the

poorest in its project countries.

Nutrition for body and soul in the ROKPA Children’s Home,

Nepal

Each newly admitted child in ROKPA Children’s Home is greeted

with a joint meal. With this, the boys and girls are not only

physically strengthened but also experience emotional security at

the same time. An important element of each meal in the

Children’s Home is rice. In the reporting year, an average of 15

kilograms of rice have been prepared for the nearly 60 children

– every day. Rice is so beloved, because it creates a long lasting

feeling of satiety. Many of the children suffered from hunger

before they came to the Children’s Home, and it is a feeling they

are never to experience again. ROKPA Children’s Home makes

sure of that.

Food subsidies, Tibetan areas of China

Lack of nutrition limits productivity. In 2016, ROKPA financed a

total of 38 primary, secondary and monastery schools’ food

subsidies for school children coming from the poorest families.

In this way, they can leverage their intellectual capabilities and

concentrate on learning. ROKPA also pays for food support for

needy nuns and monks, as monasteries in the Tibetan Highlands

make an important contribution to the preservation of Tibetan

culture and have to sustain themselves. They are reliant on

outside help. In the reporting year, thanks to ROKPA donations,

over 400 nuns and monks could be provided with food.

Food security through «Low-Input Gardening», Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is in a persistent economic and political crisis. The

unemployment in the population is rising and hunger is spread-

ing. Here, ROKPA Support Network Zimbabwe offers help in

need with the Food Security Project. Poverty stricken people

learn how to grow enough food for their family in spite of modest

means. They are trained in biological cultivation methods and

balanced diet. The offer is aimed at the poorest, especially

parents of children with disabilities. In the past year sixty people

were trained. Additionally, programme officer Winnie Mtapure

visits the participants at least once a month at their homes. She

answers not only questions about gardening, but she also gives

advice to the often overburdened mothers. This way, the project

contributes to both physical and mental health of the long-suf-

fering families.

ROKPA contributes to food costs in schools, because sufficient and

healthy nutrition is by no means self-evident in our project countries.

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ROKPA in numbers

Project expenses by focus

This graphic shows the emphasis of the main themes in the work

of ROKPA in all project countries for the year 2016. As many

ROKPA projects combine different themes, they were allotted to

the area which accounts for the larger share.

In the „Other“ category, all projects were considered which do

not contain a clear component in the main topics. These include,

for example, support for cultural concerns or cost of living for

individual beneficiaries. The project support expenses include

cross-project costs.

Total Project Expenses (100%):

CHF 1’959’013 / Previous Year: CHF 1’664’700 Number of Projects: 88

8 %

Project support expenses

11 %

Reconstruction Nepal

17 %

Akong Rinpoche

Memorial Center

7 %

Food

7 %

Other

37 %

Education

13 %

Medical support

Education is the key to a self-determined future.

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Unpaid services - voluntary work

Based on an hourly rate of 40 francs, the total 2016 of 15’434

hours corresponds to the impressive value of 617’336 francs.

Not included are volunteer hours spent in the 16 organizations of

the ROKPA network in the various countries.

30 % Individual donors

3 % Public sector

35 % Charitable foundations

27 % Network worldwide

4 % Companies

1 % Church communities

82 % Project expenses (Previous Year: 75 %)

10 % Fundraising (Previous Year: 14 %)

8 % Administration (Previous Year: 11 %)

Total Revenue (100%):

CHF 2’746’444 / Previous Year: CHF 3’512’375

Number of Donors: 2’047 / Previous Year: 2’985

Total Project and Operational Expenses (100%):

CHF 2’382’285 / Previous Year: CHF 2’230’746

Source of funds

Individual donors and charitable foundations are the main

sources for financing ROKPA projects. The ROKPA network

around the world also contributes an important share with

about a quarter of the donation volume.

Fund allocation

In the year under review, 0.82 francs went directly into the

project work from each franc spent. The proportion of adminis-

trative expenses as well as those for fundraising were slightly

reduced compared to the previous year.

Volunteers at Head Office

Volunteers on governing bodies

Unpaid overtime by employees

Volunteers at the Soup Kitchen in Nepal

Total

Hours People

7’493

1’965

276

5’700

15’434

47

5

4

14

70

9

It is your support which makes our work possible.

Thank you very much!

Donation | You can donate to ROKPA in many ways: via bank or

Post account, via PayPal or with an SMS donation. A free

donation for urgent ROKPA projects allows us to provide assis-

tance wherever it is most needed.

Fundraising activities | Do good while doing what you love! You

like running? Arrange sponsorship for a good cause. You are an

artist? Why not let your artwork be auctioned off to benefit

people in need?

Project sponsorship | A project sponsorship offers you the

perfect opportunity to focus on a specific topic which is close to

your heart.

Will | Would you like to be able to continue doing good even

after your passing? With a legacy, you can bequeath a part of

your inheritance to ROKPA and contribute to our work in the

long term.

Make a donation to mark a special occasion | Would you like to

share your happiness with others? Collect donations on occa-

sions such as birthdays, jubilees or weddings. Per request, we

are happy to provide you with all the necessary information,

including payment slips.

Volunteer work | Are you looking for meaningful involvement?

We are always looking for volunteers for work at our Headquar-

ters in Zurich, and occasionally also for assignments in our

project countries. You can find all the current information at

www.rokpa.org

Donate as you buy | Combine your online shopping with a

donation for ROKPA – at no additional cost. For more informa-

tion, go to www.buynhelp.ch

Spread the news about ROKPA | Tell your friends or business

partners about ROKPA’s work. We will be happy to send you

copies of our magazine ROKPA Times to hand out. Social media

fans can also follow us on Facebook and share the articles we

post there. See facebook.com/rokpa.org

Make a corporate donation | Add ROKPA to your company’s

charity donations list. Many employers double the donations

made by their staff to charitable organizations. You can also

purchase gifts for your customers in the ROKPA Women’s

Workshop at www.rokpaww.org

In memory of a loved one | When a loved one passes away, you

can continue their charity commitment by making a donation to

our ROKPA projects.

Donations in kind | Support our projects also with a donation in

kind. Contact us – we will be happy to provide you with further

information on what is needed on site.

For more information on the many ways you can support our work, visit www.rokpa.org under the heading „What you can do“. If

you have any questions, please contact us via e-mail at info@rokpa.org or via phone under +41 44 262 68 88. We are looking

forward to hearing from you!

How you can help

Regardless of the way in which you support ROKPA – your contribution works!

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In addition to the main project countries in the Himalayas, ROKPA also helps

the poorest in Zimbabwe and South Africa thanks to local volunteer initiatives.

ROKPA Office

The ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Headquarters is located in

Zurich. Volunteer ROKPA Representatives run individual

country offices in further 16 countries.

Employees | Corinna Biasiutti (General Manager), Daniela Fadel

(Administration), Caterina Meier-Pfister (Donor Relations &

Communication), Romano Renner (Finances), Thomas Stettler

(Communication & IT), Tina Zaugg (Communication & Projects)

Volunteers | Manuel Bassi, Jan Bösch, Liane Brand, Sandra

David Pereira, Bruno Dobler, Barbara Fritzsche, Maya

Helbling, Mery Huber, Lotti Kobler, Tereza Konate, Michael

Krieger, Alexander Krizan, Kaja Kurczewska, Staša Lampret,

Henriette Levy, Ivo Loretz, Marlis Lüscher, Georgios Mazarakis,

Nina Meisser, Minh Pham, Claudia Povel, Abigail Quinones,

Esther Reichenbach, Käthi Ruckstuhl, Bea Schmutz, Margrit

Stahel, Rita Straub, Margrit Unholz, Elisabeth Weiss,

Andreas Wyttenbach

Translation (pro bono)| Sian Edwards, Bettina Grieser Johns,

Yael Katz, Elaine Knoerich, Kaja Kurczewska, Susanne Reiche,

Karin Stutz, David Tonge, Translators without borders (various)

Executive Board | Lea Wyler (President), Peter Fanconi (Vice

President), Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, Gelong Thubten,

Andreas Vollenweider

Board of Patrons | Robert Schenker (President), Thomas Bär,

Walter Bosch, Christine Egerszegi, Josef Estermann, Kurt E.

Feller, Marc Forster, Felix Gutzwiller, Peter Hasler, Trix

Heberlein, Philipp Keel, Cyril Koller, Remo Largo, Charles

Lewinsky, Ellen Ringier, Roger Schawinski, Emil Steinberger,

Niccel Steinberger, Franz Steinegger, Sandra Studer, Andreas

Vollenweider, Christian Wenger

The president of the ROKPA Patronage, Robert Schenker, as well

as Felix Gutzwiller, retired from the patronage by the end of

2016. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them both

warmly for their long term commitment and good collaboration.

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Your donation helps

SMS donation of up to CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX (amount, numbers only)

to 488. Example for CHF 20.–:

ROKPA 20 to 488

You can donate here:

Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG:

IBAN: CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1

BIC/SWIFT: CRESCHZZ80A

Or find the account information

for your country on www.rokpa.org

In Switzerland, donations to ROKPA are tax-exempt.

Project No. 8100: For education projects

Project No. 8150: For medical projects

Project No. 8750: For nutrition projects

Project No. 8000: For urgent ROKPA projects

Thank you for your support!

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Boecklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland | Phone +41 44 2626888 |

info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org | facebook.com/ROKPA.org

CHF 266.-/year: For the primary school attendance of a Tibetan child.

CHF 455.-/year: For the school costs of a child from the ROKPA Children‘s Home.

CHF 67.-/year: For the training of the family of a child with disability in „Low-Input Gardening“ in Zimbabwe.

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CHF 30.-: For the doctor‘s visit of 10 patients in a practice in the Tibetan Highlands.

CHF 301.-/year: As a food subsidy for a nun / monk.

CHF 132.-/month: For the health costs of 20 children from the ROKPA Children‘s Home.

CHF 97.-: For 300 meals for the needy in the Soup Kitchen in Kathmandu.

CHF 242.-: For doctor‘s visit and medication for 10 patients in Zimbabwe.

CHF 26.-/month: For the nutrition of a child in the Tirisano Crèche in South Africa.

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