ROKPA TIMES

No. 1 / March 2019 / Volume 39

The Forgotten

Dear ROKPA friends,

I recently came back from a project trip of several weeks to

South Africa and Zimbabwe. The situation is particularly tense in

Zimbabwe: 95% of the population is unemployed while the cost

of living continues to rise. There are riots, people are dying. The

need is huge. Nevertheless or maybe precisely because of this,

great perseverance shines through the people I met on my

trip – and yes, also a great willingness to help – even if they

themselves have nothing.

They do not give up even though they seem to have been

forgotten by the rest of the world. ROKPA must and will act

here. More clarifications are still needed, but I can assure you

today that we will be able to support even more people in these

poverty-stricken countries in the future.

This help is also possible thanks to the numerous employees

involved in our projects – many of them volunteers. In this issue

of ROKPA Times, they discuss and report on their work and their

motivation to help. What they all have in common is the will to

improve the lives of the forgotten in this world. That's what

characterizes the ROKPA family and connects us to you.

For almost 40 years, we have been opening up perspectives

right where others look away. We shed light on those people

who have to live a shadowy existence in poverty.

People like Bharat, who lived on the streets of Kathmandu before

finding a new home in the ROKPA Children's Home (see page 3

for more details). Some of you, dear readers, may recognise the

young man – then a child who danced like Michael Jackson –

from the ROKPA Dance Tour 2010, where he enchanted us with

his powerful charisma. When he asked me for help 20 years ago

in the ROKPA Soup Kitchen, everything was different - Bharat

was in poor physical shape and terribly hungry. But he had a

dream: he wanted to go to school.

Thanks to your support, dear donors, we were able to fulfil his

dream – as we have the dream of so many others. Today, Bharat

is an educated, self-sufficient and helpful young man (who can

still dance like Michael Jackson!).

His story makes it clear: your contribution changes lives!

Together we helped Bharat and today Bharat helps others – and

this is something we see every day in our locations. YOU and us

together: That is sustainability!

My heartfelt thanks to you all,

Yours,

Lea Wyler

Co-Founder and President, ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

Editorial 2

Taking the chance 3

EDUCATION: A kindergarten for Samagaun 4

MEDICINE: Help for Rufaro – a young Zimbabwean girl

with scoliosis / Medical care for disadvantaged people

in Harare 5

FOOD / LIVING COSTS: Distributing happiness as life’s work 6

ROKPA NEWS / ROKPA TEAM 7

Executive Board ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Lea Wyler, President and Co-Founder / Peter Fanconi, Vice President / Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche / Dorje Tarap / Gelong Thubten / Andreas Vollenweider

Imprint

Editorial team: Corinna Biasiutti / Bharat Dhimal / Jeevan / Dawa Norbu / Elizabeth Postle / Thomas Stettler / Lea Wyler / Tina Zaugg Copy editing: Liane Brand (www.lianebrand.ch) English translation: Kaja Kurczewska / Henriette Levy / Claire Twigger Graphic design: Renée Reust / Sandra Hopfensitz Cover picture: © Lea Wyler Photos on the back: © Tal Siano / Lea Wyler Photos: © Bharat Dhimal / Marjo Jenniskens / Dawa Norbu / Evelyne Plüss / Elizabeth Postle / ROKPA INTERNATIONAL / Bijay Shrestha / Tal Siano / Lea Wyler Text: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Print run: 7200 copies (German edition)

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Editorial

Printed on recycled paper, produced according to the rules of “The Blue Angel” eco-label.

Taking the chance

My name is Bharat

Dhimal, I am 27

years old and I was

born into a poor

family in Nepal. I

remember well the

day my mother got

very ill. At that

time there was no proper medical care in

our village. Therefore, we all moved to

Kathmandu. Even though my mother

received free treatment in the hospital, she

passed away. I was 3 years old at the time.

For my father it was very difficult to feed

my family. So I decided to help him. I ran

away to Boudha and begged at the Stupa.

From the money that I made, I bought

food for myself and what was left over I

gave to my father. This was the first time

I saw my father happy since my mother

passed away. That meant a lot to me.

Most of the time, living on the street was

very difficult. I didn’t have proper clothes

to protect me from the cold and rain. A

sleeping bag served as a blanket and a

cardboard box was my pillow. I had to

sleep under the shutters of a shop and

was becoming weaker and weaker

because of malnutrition.

It was during winter time when I came

across the ROKPA Soup Kitchen. When

ROKPA Co-Founder Lea Wyler heard my

life story, she talked to my father. He was

very happy to place me in the hands of

“Mummy Lea” and said to me: “My son!

You know how our situation is. Study hard

and don’t worry about me. I will always

love you.” That’s how I came to ROKPA

Children’s Home. I had been living on the

streets for almost 5 years when my

long-cherished dream came true: I could

go to school.

When I was 19 years old, my father also

passed away because of illness. I was

very sad losing him but I continued with

my studies and finished high school.

I will always be thankful to ROKPA for

changing my life for the better. Today I’ve

settled in Switzerland, living my own life

with happiness.

In the beginning it was difficult to adjust.

Lifestyle, language, food, culture –

everything here was new. But I didn’t give

up. Today I feel comfortable, I have family

and friends. In my spare time, I like

dancing, just as I did before at ROKPA.

Moreover, I work at an old people’s home

and I am capable of looking after myself. I

like taking care of other people and

helping them. Whenever I see poor kids,

I’d like to help them. I’d like them to have

the same opportunity I did.

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Bharat in 1999 with his father: After the death of Bharat’s mother, his father

had to care for the family alone. But due to his age, he only rarely received

work. To support him, Bharat begged on the street.

3

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

A kindergarten for Samagaun

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In Nepalese Samagaun, there are frequently accidents of unattended

children because of the lack of childcare services.

My name is Dawa

Norbu and I come

from the Nepalese

mountain village

Samagaun. After

completing my

studies in Sociolo-

gy in the city, I

returned to my village in order to help out

the locals. The empowerment of children

and women is a cause particularly dear to

my heart. Today, I volunteer as a coordi-

nator for the kindergarten project that is

supported by ROKPA.

My village is in desperate need of a

kindergarten. People here marry at a

young age and do not know about family

planning. Due to this, large numbers of

children are born. The parents think that

more children means more working

hands. But they don’t realize that more

children also means having more mouths

to feed. While parents work, the children

are exposed to risks – such as being

injured by yaks or cows or falling off

ladders. Some children fall ill and suffer

from pneumonia for example, because

they play outside in the wind, rain and

cold. There is a primary school in the

area, but it only admits pupils aged 7 and

above and it’s a 45-minute walk away

from the village. Moreover, it’s a danger-

ous way to school that has unfortunately

already led to the death of two children

who were taken by the fast-flowing

stream while they were coming back

home.

With the new kindergarten there will be

fewer accidents, as the children will

receive all-day care. The parents can

concentrate on their work without having

to be worried. The kindergarten is being

built in the heart of the village and will

offer space for 60-75 children. The small

ones will be supported in their cognitive

development and will be prepared for

primary school.

The construction of the kindergarten is

challenging as we have to bear the high

transportation costs and the workers are

only available from May to September

when it is a little warmer in the village.

The construction is supervised by a

Russian architect who is also a volunteer.

Samagaun is prone to earthquakes.

Therefore, solid materials are used in the

construction of the kindergarten. Mean-

while, we have finished the foundations,

the most difficult part of the construction,

and the whole building should be finished

by the end of 2019.

ROKPAs Help

■ In Samagaun, Nepal, ROKPA is

supporting the reconstruction of a

house destroyed by the 2015

earthquake, which will be used as a

kindergarten. Almost 3,000 people

live in the remote village that lies

close to the border of the Tibetan

areas of China at an altitude of over

3,500 meters above sea level.

Samagaun can only be reached by

foot (7 days to Kathmandu) or by

air. There are no roads.

EDUCATION

4

MEDICINE

Help for Rufaro – a young Zimbabwean girl with scoliosis

12-year-old Rufaro suffers from severe scoliosis – curvature of

the spine – and is in urgent need of an operation. Due to the

progressive illness she is unable to walk by herself, and for this

reason her mother, Christina, has to accompany her to school.

As a result of her scoliosis, Rufaro also suffers from inconti-

nence which afflicts the girl and her family very much.

Christina lives with her 3 children – Rufaro has an older brother

and a younger sister – in a house in Harare. The children’s father

left the family years ago. In order to be able to care for herself

and the children, Christina rents out nearly all the rooms in the

house. She has moved into the garage with the children. This is

dangerous because there is no door to the courtyard and only a

piece of tin is propped up against the wall – and so snakes and

rats come into the room. Rufaro’s 19-year-old brother also suffers

in this desperate situation – to the point of attempting suicide a

few months back.

ROKPA wants to support the family and is in the process of

determining what kind of operation can improve Rufaro’s quality

of life. One thing is very clear – the family cannot afford compre-

hensive medical care and they are dependent on help from the

outside. Help not only for Rufaro, but to improve the living

situation of the entire family.

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Medical care for disadvantaged people in Harare

80% of Zimbabwe’s population lives below the poverty line.

If they fall ill, they are unable to afford treatment. Therefore,

for more than a decade, the ROKPA Drop-In Center in Harare

has been providing free doctors’ consultations and medication.

Those seeking help are often homeless, have a child with a

disability or are HIV-positive. Dr Parekh is one of the two

doctors providing assistance to people in need at the Drop-In

Center. “ROKPA pays us a reduced monthly rate for these

consultations”, he explains. It is 5 Swiss Francs per person

and month. For the medication, 15 Swiss Francs are available

during the same period.

When asked about the precarious situation in the country, Dr

Parekh paints a dark picture: „In recent times a lot of

medication has become very scarce, to the point that when we

prescribe patients certain medication, it is possible they will

not find it at the pharmacy at all. The cost of medication has

also risen and most people will sadly not be able to afford it.”

As the number of those seeking help is always increasing,

ROKPA will expand this project. The opening of a second

Drop-In Center is currently under review. The location will be

Chitungwiza. Since around 40% of the patients come from

this densely populated city, they could save themselves the

cost of traveling to Harare.

Left: Rufaro suffers from curvature of the spine which limits her severely in everyday life.

Right: The family lives in precarious conditions.

5

ROKPA: How did you come about it and

what was your motivation to get involved

in the Soup Kitchen?

MARGRIT: I wanted to "give away" some

of my happiness to people who were not

as lucky as I was. I joined ROKPA in 1996

and travelled to Nepal a few months later

as a volunteer. Although I had already

seen much poverty in other countries, I

was shocked by these pictures.

I soon knew that I was in the right place

here. Although people had nothing, they

radiated great contentment. The following

winter I came back and so it became a

life's work for me.

ROKPA: What is your favourite success

story from all these years?

MARGRIT: There are too many to list here.

Some were medical interventions that, to

name just one case, helped us to save two

toddlers. I still meet their mothers today,

and they are still very grateful to me and

ROKPA.

The fact that today more than 100

children go to school thanks to the

support of the Soup Kitchen is another

success story for me.

ROKPA: What is your wish for the future

of the Soup Kitchen?

MARGRIT: For 2 years, local women have

been helping me run the Soup Kitchen.

They do their job very well, are always

happy and have fun at work. For the

future, I hope that the Nepali can take

over my work. The hardest part of my

work is when I have to say "no" because of

a lack of funds. To ensure this does not

happen, I ask you to support this project

under the number 5555.

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Distributing happiness as life’s work

Margrit Stahel (2nd from right) has been running the ROKPA Soup Kitchen

in Kathmandu for 10 years.

In the ROKPA Soup Kitchen in Kathmandu, hundreds of needy people receive a hot

meal every day during the cold winter months, as well as free first aid in the medical

ambulatory. Margrit Stahel has been a volunteer director of the project for a decade.

Sewing her way to an independent life

Pari Maya is 40 years old. She

worked in the field for a long time

and was a regular guest at the

ROKPA Soup Kitchen with her

children. She has been employed

in the Soup Kitchen since 2017,

together with other women (see

interview above). Her two children

go to school with the support of

the Soup Kitchen project.

As her husband is a heavy drinker,

she is the sole provider for the

livelihood of her family. In Decem-

ber 2018, she successfully

completed seamstress training in

the ROKPA Women's Workshop.

Besides the seasonal income from

the street kitchen, this creates an

additional mainstay for her.

FOOD / LIVING COSTS

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Save the date: ROKPA Aperitif on June 6th, 2019

Listen to exciting stories from the ROKPA projects first-hand and exchange ideas with

ROKPA donors, volunteers and employees during the subsequent aperitif.

The ROKPA Aperitif will take place on Thursday, June 6 at 5.30 pm in Wirtschaft

Neumarkt in the old town of Zurich. The event is free and the invitation is also open to

your family and friends! Registrations are now available via info@rokpa.org or Phone

044 262 68 88.

I am committed to the Forgotten because…

After 10 years in a well-paid, secure job in

a highly respected asset management firm

I was feeling less and less fulfilled by my

work and was considering a career

change. I also felt very privileged living a

very comfortable life in beautiful Switzer-

land where everyone is safe, warm,

housed and fed. I decided to volunteer for

a local charity with the aim of giving a

little bit back to society whilst deciding on

my next career move. Very soon after

starting at ROKPA I became convinced

that this was an industry in which I could

see myself working. The staff are friendly,

helpful and dedicated, and I had a

genuine feeling that the team here were

making a very real difference to people’s

lives. I have now secured a new perma-

nent job in another Swiss charity, some-

thing I’m pretty sure I would not have

managed had I not previously gained

some invaluable industry experience

thanks to ROKPA!

I continue to volunteer for ROKPA because

it’s a pleasure to see the positive changes

in the lives of the children, young people

and others supported by ROKPA’s work.

Furthermore, I get a real sense of satisfac-

tion from the translation work itself and

believe I gain far more than I give.

Further use of donations for ROKPA projects in the Tibetan areas of China

A while ago we informed you that ROKPA was unfortunately unable to continue its

project activity in the Tibetan areas of China until further notice. Should we receive

no notification from you to the contrary by April 30, 2019, the donations made for

Tibetan projects in 2018 and after, will be used for urgent ROKPA projects in our

other project countries. Thank you for your understanding.

Please let us know your new address

Have you got a new address or are

you moving soon? We kindly ask you

to let us know your address changes

in good time – helping us to avoid

additional costs. Thank you!

Elizabeth Postle,

ROKPA volunteer translator

ROKPA NEWS / ROKPA TEAM

7

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

When I was 9, my dad died because he

drank too much whiskey. A few months

later my mother took her own life. There

was nobody to look after me and my

sister. Instead of going to school, I spent

my days cutting grass and doing a lot of

other farm work so we could survive.

Before I came to ROKPA, my life was

tough. Even thinking about it now makes

me sad.

After coming to ROKPA, I got many

brothers and sisters. Good and healthy

food, and a good education that taught me

to know what's right and wrong. Now I'm

doing the Culinary Arts Training in the new

ROKPA Hospitality Training Center. Later, I

would like to start my own business and

also offer training to helpless people like I

used to be.

With your support and help, I came out of

the darkness. Thank you for helping me

become who I am today.

Each year, hundreds of children and teenagers are educated

with the support of ROKPA in Nepal, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Among them is 23-year-old Jeevan.

For more opportunities in life

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How you can donate:

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

Project No. 8100:

For ROKPA Education Projects

Project No. 8000:

For urgent ROKPA Projects

We are deeply grateful for your

generous support!

Jeevan in 2006 in the ROKPA Soup

Kitchen: Together with his sister he

came here every day for a hot meal.

Their parents had both passed away.

ROKPA co-founder Lea Wyler became

aware of the sad-hearted siblings and

soon took the lonely children to the

ROKPA Children's Home. Today, Jeevan

is training as a cook and baker in the

ROKPA Hospitality Training Center.

In Switzerland all donations to ROKPA are tax-free.

SMS donation

up to CHF 99.–

GO ROKPA XX

(amount, number only) to

target number 488.

Example for CHF 20.–:

GO ROKPA 20 to 488

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland | Phone +41 44 2626888 info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org | facebook.com/ROKPA.org