Year 30 / August 2010

With Annual Report 2009

ROKPA-ANNIVERSARY

Anniversary Event 3

ROKPA-HELP IN NEED

Earth Quake Disaster Yushu 4

REVIEW OF 2009

Tibet 6

Nepal 8

Africa 9

ANNUAL ACCOUNT 2009

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL 10

Performance Report 12

ROKPA Switzerland

News 14

WHY ROKPA?

This is how you can help! 15

Testimonial Angela von Koblinski 15

About us:

Chief Editor:

Marie-Luce Le Febve de Vivy,

www.health-lifestyle.ch

Visual Design: Volker Haller,

www.vhvk.de

Picture Editor: Klaus Falk

All photos und Texts:

© ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Edition: 9.000 copies

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

has been certified

by ZEWO since 2004.

Dear ROKPA-Friends!

Dear Sir or Madam,

This year we wanted to celebrate with you the fact, that the tiny

charity I have founded in 1980, together with Dr. Akong Tulku

Rinpoche and my father Dr. Veit Wyler, has become a medium size,

highly efficient charity. In these 30 years we have helped hundreds of

thousands of people in need in Tibet, Nepal, Simbabwe, South Africa

and India – with a total of over 40 million Swiss Francs – thanks to

YOU and your generosity.

The main focus of ROKPA's work has always been education and care

of orphans and street children. It is to ensure that even the poorest

children have a chance of school education that goes beyond the most

elementary. With professional trainings and university education

ROKPA enables its protégés to earn their own living one day. However,

ROKPA's help is not limited to material aid. It is just as important to us

to give traumatised children emotional support and strengthen their

self-confidence; through loving care in the ROKPA family as well as by

maintaining the values inherent in their culture.

Children in need and adults that are financially supported by ROKPA

are not degraded to the status of beggars, but seen as equals. We are

happy about the fact that the recipients of donations very naturally

contribute their own efforts in return for the money that has been

invested in them.

Today, after 30 years of developmental work, it has become evident:

our unique approach is successful and most of all measurable. In

contrary to numerous other charities, ROKPA can clearly demonstrate

what has become of the recipients of donations and how efficient the

help is, that came about thanks to your donation! One of the

witnesses are the 11 “ROKPA Kids“, whose dance show we want to

present you as a token of gratitude (see page 3).

This dance show was celebrated as highly professional at the

renowned “Brave Kids“ festival in Poland in July. I am therefore very

happy to present this performance in 2011 also in Switzerland, as a

belated 30 year anniversary.

Your

Lea Wyler, Vizepräsidentin ROKPA INTERNATION

Sandra Studer Maria Becker Alexey Botvinov Andreas Vollenweider

ROKPA celebrates its 30-Year Anniversary!

On Saturday September11th 2010 at 7 p.m. a great charity concert in aid of ROKPA took place in the protestant reformed church in Küsnacht,

Switzerland

by Angela von Koblinski

This very special evening took place to celebrate that the Swiss Charity ROKPA has been in existence for 30 years. The charity concert formed this years social and cultural highlight, since the renowned Gala dinner will not take place until next year and we had to cancel the planned dance tour of ROKPA children at short notice, due to the tragic events in Yushu/ Tibet (see page 4).

Amongst the many renowned artists were the two ROKPA ambassadors, Grammy-Award Winner and Star Harpist Andreas Vollenweider as well as the TV presenter and singer Sandra Studer. The Grande Dame of Swiss Theater, Maria Becker,

together with her son, the famous actor Benedict Freitag, gave a recital of short stories. Those who were fortunate enough to see Maria Becker live on stage will not forget this extraordinary actress for the rest of their lives.

Alexey Botvinov, well known and well loved concert pianist, who with Bach's „Goldberg-Variations“ went straight to second place on the hit parade of classical music, also delighted us with his prowess. We owe this extraordinary evening to a couple from Küsnacht. During the 6th ROKPA Gala in November 2009, they purchased by auction “Amor's Harp” by Andreas Vollenweider – supposedly a musical serenade in a small family circle. But instead of using their purchase at home, the couple decided to turn the private concert into a larger, charitable event -in aid of ROKPA. Instead of charging an entrance fee, visitors were asked to make a donation to ROKPA prior to the event. All donations go entirely to our Help Organization and are tax deductible. ROKPA is also ZEWO- certified since 2004. Let’s enjoy together on 11th of September this unforgettable evening in Küsnacht. We expect you to be there!

Attention! Due to the planned publication in the local media, we expect a high number of visitors. We therefore ask you to arrive in time to the Evangelical Church Küsnacht.

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Earth Quake Disaster in Yushu – every pound helps!

4

On April 14th 2010, a disastrous earth quake

has devastated the remote mountain region of Yushu. According to official reports, 2.600

people died and more than 12.000 people were injured, some of them severely. Most of

them are Tibetan nomads and farmers from poorest circumstances, who have lost

everything in the disaster. Around 80 percent

of the buildings were completely destroyed, including the ROKPA orphanage: It is now

planned to rebuild it, this time to house 500 children.

Only minutes after the terrible news reached our headquarters in Zurich on this Wednesday morning, ROKPA immediately pulled out all the stops to help the victims of the earth quake. The phones never stopped and a task force of experienced managers and ROKPA staff was formed on the spot to give efficient emergency help. Since then, ROKPA has handed out 107 tents to earth quake victims – mostly tents for up to 14 people, but also tents which will shelter up to 60. On site, ROKPA is represented by several helpers: Tamdin Wangdu coordinates the aid

with other organisations, as is the international custom in the case of nature catastrophes. Dr. Yangzom is available for translation, Véronique d’Antras looks after the finances and Dr. Droni organises the distribution of the tents. ROKPA's aim is to collect enough money for a total of 300 tents.

Direct information from Yushu Four months after the disaster, the situation has stabilised, but there is still a lot to do. When Khenpo Damchö Dawa, director of the Tulku College in Yushu, visited us on Juli 16th at our Zurich office, the ROKPA staff member Gabriele Lenk used the opportunity for a short conversation: After the terrible minutes of the earth quake early in the morning had passed, lecturers and students of the Tulku College immediately began working to rescue and tend to the injured. Without delay they set out to the nearby town Yushu in order to give first aid, save lives and prepare meals for the survivors. Difficult weeks ensued, which made high demands on all concerned, not only physically, but also

30 Years of ROKPA- 30 Years of Help

ROKPA is keeping a blog on the Yushu disaster

As Yushu is situated in a very remote area in the Tibetan uplands, the earthquake was only covered by a few media representatives and for only a short time. As the leading aid organisation in Tibet, ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has itself started a blog, in which we report continuously on new developments. Take a look: http://rokpa-yushu-relief.org

L-r: Khenpo Damchö Dawa (Head of the Tulku College in Yushu), Dr Yangzom (Tibetan doctor and translator), Troru Tulku (Head of a Tibetan clinic in Jomda).

5

emotionally challenging and stressful for everyone involved. At the moment the monks are temporarily staying in their home monasteries, but they will return to the College in Yushu in the near future. In the meantime there are two large tents as prayer rooms as well as two smaller tents. Still needed are places for the student monks to sleep (tents). Until the devastating earthquake, 108 students between the ages of 13 and 52 were being educated at Tulku College in Yushu. Two professors and six teachers teach the four main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism as well as philosophy, Tibetan sciences and languages (Tibetan, Chinese and English). Luckily, no tutors or students were killed during the earthquake. The monastery was however badly damaged and the six dormitories were completely destroyed. When reconstructing Yushu it is not just a matter of rebuilding destroyed buildings, but also of ensuring that the long-term reconstruction benefits the Tibetan people and takes Tibetan traditions into consideration. We need your help to do this! Thank you!

Give the earthquake victims a better future!

The reconstruction of Yushu will still not be complete even after several years. The costs for our projects alone are several million francs and exceed ROKPA's current financial resources by a long way. There are also new orphans for ROKPA to care for. So: Every franc counts! This is what your donation could do, for example: 169 francs: Buy central cooking and heating facilities for an 8-person tent. 186 francs: Buy central cooking and heating facilities for a 12-person tent. 503 francs: Rent a small truck for 5 days, to deliver emergency tents to remote villages.

Thank you for your donations! By bank transfer: Clariden Leu AG IBAN: CH70 0506 5045 5090 1100 1 SWIFT: CLLECHZZ, Clearing 5065 By Post Office account: 80-19029-5

This happened in Tibet in 2009

ROKPA- review of the year

In 2009 ROKPA supported the Tibetan people with a total of 151 aid projects. Of the 2.3 million francs which ROKPA INTERNATIONAL put into Tibet, 1.7 million (65%) went to education projects.

Reorganisation of education projects

In 2009, ROKPA completely revised its education plan in Tibet. Support is now structured as follows:

Since school attendance is obligatory in China for the 1st to 9th school years, but is not implemented in all regions at the same time, the school fees are largely paid by the state. The costs for accommodation, food and school books and uniforms are however not borne by the state. Many families cannot therefore send their children to school. ROKPA supports children from the poorest social classes, which include in particular nomad children from the remote regions, and makes it possible for them to attend school.

Further restructuring is taking place in the allocation of funds for education places. Instead of supporting lots of small, individual projects, ROKPA is concentrating its education commitment on one central education programme. This means that ROKPA will no longer take on any school sponsorships which are restricted to certain persons and times, but will pay the costs for a certain number of study places at selected schools, colleges and universities. They are allocated exclusively to children from needy families. These measures not only greatly reduce administrative costs, but also mean the donated money is distributed more fairly.

New emphasis in education

ROKPA is concentrating its education commitment on the years AFTER primary school, as there is no state support for this. Whether vocational training, college or university, ROKPA helps Tibetan orphans, half-orphans and young people from the poorest situations to find their way to a profession which will give them an income.

Technical Colleges ("vocational training"): Here the young people learn important basics for professions such as wood carving, tailoring, cooking, hairdressing, thangka painting and mechanical work on bicycles and motorcycles. In 2009 ROKPA supported 1000 students at Technical Colleges.

Colleges: The training options at college are many and varied: They range from translators, tourism specialists and secretaries to basic training in the medical field (veterinary medicine, Tibetan or Chinese medicine) which provides the authorisation to practise in the field as a "barefoot doctor". At college level "shedras" (monastery training) are also offered. Trained monks and nuns are of central importance for the wellbeing of the Tibetan people, because monasteries in Tibet have a very different function from those in the West. Monasteries are THE place to go in the event of problems, illness and other challenges that life presents. For the people, monks and nuns are providers of pastoral care, family doctors and psychologists in one person. In 2009 ROKPA supported 7000 Tibetan college students.

University: ROKPA promotes gifted young people with

6

30 Years of ROKPA- 30 Years of Help

(China)

an academic education in Western and Tibetan medicine at the universities in Xining, Lhanzou, Beijing, Lhasa, Dartsendu, Chengdu and Kunming.

In the middle of 2009, ROKPA supported around 500 Tibetan students. At the end of the year ROKPA accepted a further 350 students into the education programme.

First cookbook in Tibetan

ROKPA not only wrote and published the first cookbook in Tibetan, but also made it possible for the first time for 16 young people to complete two years of professional training in Gannan to become cooks.

Medicine

In 2009 ROKPA provided medical care for thousands of poor and destitute Tibetans. ROKPA also financed production facilities for medicines in the Tibetan hospitals in Chumalep (in the Yushu region) and Chaktreng, to meet the great demand among the local population for Tibetan remedies.

Literacy of Tibetan people

ROKPA continued its literacy project in Zatu in 2009 and made it possible for 200 adults to learn to read and count. Recently included in the ROKPA literacy programme were 65 nuns from a convent in Yunnan.

Help for traumatised mothers

At the initiative of a Tibetan woman, ROKPA has started a fund to help mothers in need, whether they have been raped, are seriously ill, or have been left by the father of their children. With this fund, ROKPA will help mothers in need on a case-by-case basis.

Facts and figures

Population (Tibetans in China in millions): 6

Life expectancy in years 67

Active ROKPA projects in 2009 151

ROKPA project expenditure in 2009 in CHF 2,312,655

Number of people directly helped 10,678

This is how you can help! Your donation to ROKPA does a lot! With

50 francs you will give a sick person treatment at a Tibetan doctor, including herbal remedies;

80 francs you will pay for school materials for an orphan for a whole year;

600 francs you will save someone's life with a simple operation;

1000 francs you will pay for a year of college;

15,000 francs you will make it possible for a gifted orphan to train as a doctor in Tibetan medicine (duration: 5 years).

We are of course glad to receive ANY donation you wish to give. Donations without a specified purpose go automatically to the projects in which help is needed most urgently.

EVERY donation counts! Thank you.

7

This happened in Nepal in 2009

ROKPA- review of the year

In 2009 ROKPA ran 17 projects, all in

Kathmandu. Here is a brief review of the most important projects:

ROKPA children's home In 2009 ROKPA cared for 56 children in the children's home and supported them in their education. In June some of them were able to go to Europe for the dance tour. The troupe of ROKPA Kids appeared at the famous "Brave Festival" in Poland and also enthralled the German public with their extraordinary performance.

ROKPA guesthouse

The guesthouse was renovated and opened again at the end of 2009. The eight studios (1-2 persons), two deluxe studios (up to four persons) and four 2-room apartments (up to 4 persons) can now be rented to tourists, students and people helping in the ROKPA street kitchen.

ROKPA street kitchen

The ROKPA street kitchen ran again between December 2009 and March 2010. Every day we gave out up to 800 meals. In the morning there was hot tea with milk and bread rolls. For lunch dhal baat, the Nepalese national dish, was served. Over the winter 18 ROKPA volunteers from seven countries distributed 13,000 bread rolls as well as preparing and serving 4140 kg rice, 2140 kg vegetables, 2215 kg potatoes and 415 kg lentils for warming meals.

ROKPA women's workshop

ROKPA makes it possible for single, poor women to complete training to become a seamstress so that they can feed themselves and their children. With the sale of lovingly sewn one-off designs the women reached a turnover of CHF 16,000 in Switzerland. Thanks to this income the project is now largely self-supporting. However, we are always searching for further trade outlets and customers.

Facts and figures

Population in millions 28.9

Life expectancy in years 67

Active projects in 2009 17

Project expenditure in 2009 in CHF 226,000

Number of people directly helped 430

This is how you can help!

Your donation to ROKPA does a lot! With

75 francs you will offer 400 homeless people a warming breakfast;

200 francs you will pay for one month's accommodation in the ROKPA children's home in Kathmandu for a former street child, including food, clothes, medical care and school education;

500 francs you will make it possible for a mother in need to set up her own livelihood, thanks to a microloan;

10,000 you will give a talented ROKPA child a complete university education. EVERY donation counts! Thank you.

30 Years of ROKPA- 30 Years of Help

8

Zimbabwe and South Africa in 2009

Low Input Gardens

In July 2009 the development of so-called low-input gardens (LIG) began in Zimbabwe. With this project above all needy families and their disabled children receive assistance in planting fruits and vegetables. They learn to produce their own food and to sell the products that they don’t consume themselves at markets. So far (through February 2010) ROKPA has been able to help 153 families with this project.

Zimbabwe − Facts and Figures

Population: 12.5 million

Life expectancy: 34 years

Running projects in 2009: 11

Project expenses in 2009 in CHF: 142.664

Number of beneficiaries: over 1000

How you can help!

Your donation to ROKPA can do a lot! With

30 francs you can send an AIDS orphan to school for one month.

180 francs you can provide anti-retroviral medications to a mother infected with AIDS so that she can care for her young children for as long as possible.

380 francs you can serve 1300 warm meals to the homeless and refugees at the ROKPA soup kitchen in Johannesburg.

EVERY donation counts! Thank you.

Help for AIDS-Infected Mothers and AIDS

Orphans

ROKPA’s nutritional and counseling program is intended to stabilize the health of infected mothers so that they can care for their children for as long as possible. After the deaths of their mothers AIDS orphans are supported by ROKPA and grow up in a family environment (usually with their grandmothers) so that they don’t end up on the street.

Soup Kitchen in Johannesburg At the ROKPA soup kitchen in Johannesburg around 300 meals are served per week to the homeless, beggars and refugees from Zimbabwe.

South Africa − Facts and Figures

Population: 49.3 million

Life expectancy: 52 years

Running projects in 2008: 5

Project expenses in 2009: *0

* Since in 2009 projects in South Africa were supported by local sponsors the branch office was able to finance itself in part. Small donations were also received by ROKPA INTERNATIONAL for these projects.

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Finance 2009

Statement of Accounts 31.12.2009 31.12.2008

Working assets CHF % CHF %

Liquid funds 1.204.484 65.9 809.983 41.1

Securities 597.443 32.7 1.098.262 55.7

Outstanding claims for deliveries and services

1.180 0.1 26.320 1.3

Other claims 7.798 0.4 19.731 1.0

Prepaid expenses and deferred charges 17.244 0.9 18.559 0.9

Total 1.828.149 100.00 1.972.855 100.00

Short-term debt capital 21.394 148.620

Soup kitchen deposits 5.743 0.3 7.902 0.4

Deferred income 15.651 0.9 60.718 3.1

Project loans 0 0.0 80.000 4.1

Long-term debt capital 130.435 130.435

Third-party loans 130.435 7.1 130.435 6.6

Earmarked funds 2.397.882 2.241.416

Nepal funds 1.435.196 78.5 1.400.655 71.0

Tibet funds 637.146 34.9 0 0.0

India funds 155.219 8.5 173.578 8.8

Africa funds 122.604 6.7 106.656 5.4

Children funds 142 0.0 515.527 26.1

Women funds 2.575 0.1 0 0.0

Switzerland funds 45.000 2.5 45.000 2.3

Organizational capital -721.562 -39.5 -547.616 -27.8

Acquired free capital -721.562 -173.970

Free funds 0 -373.646

Annual result 0 0

Total 1.828.149 100.00 1.972.855 100.00

ROKPA- review of the year

Statement of Accounts ROKPA INTERNATIONAL in CHF (consolidated)

30 Years of ROKPA- 30 Years of Help

10

REVENUES 2009 2008

Donations CHF % CHF %

Donations − Tibet 1.785.781 55.3 1.476.427 47.5

Donations − Nepal 295.541 9.1 332.152 10.7

Donations − India 55.577 1.7 51.638 1.7

Donations − Africa 180.778 5.6 163.660 5.3

Free donations 618.543 19.2 799.369 25.7

Total donations 2.936.220 90.8 2.823.246 90.9

Revenue from shop/markets/tickets 38.291 1.2 34.284 1.1

Revenue from events 202.432 6.3 148.475 4.8

Revenue from interest 12.676 0.4 81.792 2.6

Revenue from securities 12.832 0.4 21.927 0.6

Revenue from currency exchange 28.223 0.9 0 0.0

Total revenues 3.230.674 100.0 3.109.724 100.0

EXPENSES

Project expenses

Projects / sponsorships − Tibet 2.312.655 71.6 2.776.671 89.3

Projects / sponsorships − Nepal 226.000 7.0 458.366 14.7

Projects / sponsorships − India 21.300 0.7 17.836 0.6

Projects / sponsorships − Africa 142.664 4.4 55.500 1.8

Travel expenses, project supervision 23.385 0.7 5.229 0.2

Total project expenses 2.726.004 84.4 3.313.602 106.6

Shops/events

Expenses − ROKPA shops/markets/tickets 6.470 0.2 5.442 0.2

Expenses − events 40.248 1.2 37.827 1.2

Total expenses from shops/events 46.718 1.4 43.269 1.4

Administration

Rent 51.941 1.6 55.734 1.8

Salaries including benefits 254.860 7.9 270.398 8.7

Communication 34.659 1.1 23.558 0.8

Administration 30.757 1.0 36.358 1.2

Total administrative expenses 372.217 11.6 386.048 12.5

Miscellaneous

Securities expenses 10.444 0.3 115.396 3.7

Currency expenses 42.801 1.3 292.232 9.4

Other expenses 49.970 1.5 24.409 0.8

Total miscellaneous expenses 103.215 3.1 432.037 13.9

Annual result not including funds -17.480 -0.5 -1.065.232 -34.4

Earmarked funds

Allocations -2.185.307 -1.798.035

Assignments 2.702.619 3.308.373

Free funds

Allocations -556.418 -826.956

Assignments 0 0

Total funds -39.106 683.382

Annual result prior to modifications

Organizational capital -56.586 -381.850

Withdrawal from acquired free capital -547.592 -381.850

Withdrawal from free funds -182.772 -1.155.602

Allocation to earmarked funds 673.778 1.155.602

Annual result after allocations 0 0

Total 3.230.674 100.00 3.109.724 100.0

Operating accounts ROKPA INTERNATIONAL in CHF (consolidated)

The complete consolidated annual report filed in accordance with SWISS GAP FER can be referenced at the ROKPA headquarters in Zurich (telephone: 44 26 26 888, e-mail: info@rokpa.ch). The annual accounts shown here is only part of the complete report.

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ROKPA- review of the year

Services Rendered

1. ROKPA’s objectives

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, ROKPA was founded in 1990. The organization’s objective is to provide humanitarian and educational assistance for needy peoples all over the world independent of religion, race, gender or nationality. ROKPA operates its own projects or selects existing projects that fulfill the organization’s objectives. 2. Administrative structure

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL branch offices

The organization ROKPA INTERNATIONAL is based in Zurich and serves as the umbrella organization for 18 ROKPA offices throughout the world. It is responsible for all projects and sponsorships in Nepal, Tibet, India, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Branch offices: Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Nepal, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Spain, South Africa, U.S.A. Executive board*

Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche (president) Lea Wyler (vice-president) Syl Edelmann Elise Jacobson Andrea Widmer * The members of the executive board are elected for a period of two years.

Business office

Finances & administration: Pia Schneider (50 %) Gabriele Lenk (50 %) Andrea Widmer (5 %)

Volunteers

Finances, administration:

Bea Schmutz, Eva Tobler, Maja Pankas, Susi Habegger, Bettina Hablützel, Elisabeth Weiss, Priska Hamann, Margrit Stahel, Giovanna Sylla, Magdalena Kubicka, Andrea Widmer, Debby Di Gino, Georgios Mazarakis, Harald Ammeter, Natalia Afanasyera

Public relations: Angela von Koblinski Translations

Sian Edwards, Martha Müller, Ina Hohmann, Hanna Hündorf, David Tonge, Chris Michalski

In fiscal year 2009 the executive board of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL met for the annual general meeting. The organizational structure of

ROKPA Switzerland

The organization ROKPA Switzerland is based in Zurich and is responsible for obtaining funds in Switzerland, primarily for Tibet and Nepal. Executive board*

Gerry Leumann (president) Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche Claude A. Ribaux Lea Wyler Elka Gouzer Andreas Vollenweider * The members of the executive board are elected for a period of two years.

Patronage

Robert Schenker (president) Dr. iur. Thomas Bär Walter Bosch Christine Egerszegi Josef Estermann Kurt E. Feller Marc Forster Dr. med. Felix Gutzwiller Peter Hasler

Trix Heberlein Philipp Keel Cyrill Koller Dr. med. Remo Largo Charles Lewinsky Dr. iur. Ellen Ringier Roger Schawinski Emil Steinberger Niccel Steinberger Franz Steinegger Sandra Studer Andreas Vollenweider Dr. iur. Christian Wenger Business office

Director: Pia Schneider (50% ) Secretaries: Gabriele Lenk (50% ) Andrea Widmer (5% ) Volunteers

Finances, administration:

Bea Schmutz, Eva Tobler, Maja Pankas, Susi Habegger, Bettina Hablützel, Elisabeth Weiss, Priska Hamann, Margrit Stahel, Giovanna Sylla, Magdalena Kubicka, Andrea Widmer, Debby Di Gino, Georgios Mazarakis, Harald Ammeter, Natalia Afanasyera Public relations:

Angela von Koblinski ROKPA Times:

Marie-Luce Le Febve de Vivy Event: Vera Bollag

Sales: Bea Schmutz, Margrit Stahel

Branch office

SH: Margrit Stahel, 8222 Beringen

Monitoring

for both organizations: KPMG AG, Badenerstrasse 172, 8004 Zurich, Switzerland In fiscal year 2009 the executive board of ROKPA Switzerland met five times.

12 30 Years of ROKPA- 30 Years of Help

2009 3. Responsible for

management

The following persons were responsible for the management of the organisation in the financial year 2009: Management, minutes and

dissemination of information:

Pia Schneider, 8604 Volketswil

Financial administration and

accounts:

Pia Schneider, 8604 Volketswil

4. Aims

ROKPA focuses on providing long-term aid that helps people to help themselves. It supports a wide range of projects in Tibet, Nepal, Zimbabwe and South Africa. These projects focus on:

� education and care for street children and orphans

� support for girls and women � promotion of Tibetan medicine � medical care � AIDS programmes � old people’s homes � street kitchens � emergency aid � preserving local culture � environmental protection

In 2009 ROKPA led a total of

184 aid projects. In 2009 ROKPA received donations totalling CHF 2,936,220 to help run its projects. This represents a small increase on the preceding year (2008: CHF 2,823,246) – despite the economic crisis.

Since its foundation in 1980, ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has received donations in the region of 40 million Swiss francs.

Donations of time:

Around 13,000 hours of work were donated in 2009 at ROKPA’s head office in Zürich:

� unpaid work as volunteers: approx. 5,100 hours

� unpaid work on management committees: approx. 7,000 hours

� unpaid overtime for permanent staff: approx. 650 hours

5. How did ROKPA use these donations?

In 2009 ROKPA invested a total of CHF 2,726,004 in its projects. This represents a decrease of around 18 percent in its activities compared to the previous year (2008: CHF 3,313,602).

In 2009 ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

used its donations for the following projects:

Tibet CHF 2,312,655

Education and training CHF 1,714,110

Number of projects: 97

Preservation of culture CHF 350,183

Number of projects: 30

Medical care CHF 144,285

Number of projects: 20

Orphans and street children CHF 3,448 Number of projects: 2

Environment CHF 60,000 Number of projects: 4

Other projects CHF 40,629 Number of projects: 3

Nepal CHF 226,000

Orphans and street Children CHF 211,000

Street kitchen/Medical tent CHF 15,000

Africa CHF 142,664

Number of projects: 16

India CHF 21,300 Number of projects: 15

Project supervision expenses CHF 23,385 In 2009 ROKPA added 25 new projects to its programme and provided CHF 327,000 of support.

In 2009 ROKPA helped to provide an education and training for around 10,700 children and young people from extremely poor backgrounds. In Nepal around 500 children were supported and educated directly by ROKPA.

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ROKPA- review of the year

Thanks to Niccel and Emil! On 6 March, Emil and Niccel Steinberger (photo), both members of ROKPA’s Board of Patrons, took part in the anniversary edition of the TV show Deal or No Deal as celebrity players. And with great success! They won 67,700 francs putting them among the top ten dealers of the last few years. They donated half their winnings (CHF 33,850) to ROKPA. Thank you!

Beating stress through meditation

In May 2009, Buddhist monk Gelong Thubten visited Switzerland’s biggest publishing company in response to an invitation from Dr. Ellen Ringier, who has been a member of ROKPA’s Board of Patrons for some years. The former actor, who gave up his career to dedicate himself to Buddhism at the monastery of Kagyu Samye Ling in Scotland (co-founded in 1967 by ROKPA President Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche), delivered a refreshing talk to an audience of managers, journalists and other staff on how to reduce everyday stress levels through simple meditation exercises.

From left to right: Nik Niethammer (editor-in-chief of Schweizer Illustrierte), Lea Wyler, Gelong Thubten and Ueli Heiniger (Director of Ringier’s DENKwerkstatt training course).

In brief

Brushing up our corporate design

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, ROKPA is giving itself a facelift. Over the coming months, our publications and website will gradually be adapted to the new corporate design. Our new image was designed by two committed professionals – Kelle Link (www.kellelink.com) and Volker Haller (www.vhvk.de). Thank you!

ROKPA @ Facebook

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL now makes use of social networking sites as a way of reaching as many people as possible all over the world. Using Facebook, if you do a search (at the top of the page above your profile) for “ROKPA International”, you can become a ROKPA Friend and recommend ROKPA to your friends.

Market dates

Once again this year, ROKPA will be running a stall at a number of selected markets and will be selling high-quality items made at the ROKPA women’s workshop in Kathmandu. We look forward to seeing you there!

Maur, Chilbimärt, 3-5 September Uetikon am See, 2 October,10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Stein am Rhein, Jahrmarkt, 28 October, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Hochdorf, Autumn Market, 24 November

‘Wal-Ro’ dolls for Yushu victims

Marlies Lüscher is making a new collection of ‘Wal-Ro’ dolls (short for Waldorf – ROKPA as the dolls are made in accordance with the Rudolf Steiner teaching method). All the proceeds will go to Tibetan orphans in Yushu, which was destroyed by an earthquake in April. The soft and cuddly dolls are made from natural materials and are available in a range of models suitable for children from 0-5 years old with prices starting at 35 francs. For more information or to place an order: marlisluescher@netplus.ch

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How you can help! Donations for people in need

Donations are ROKPA’s only source of income for over 180 projects in Tibet, Nepal, Zimbabwe and South Africa helping orphans, the homeless, the sick and aged. YOUR donation can help extremely underprivileged people to escape from desperate need – now! Whether you want to make a one-off donation, support one of our projects over a longer period or decide to include ROKPA in your will – we are grateful for EVERY donation.

Make a company donation

As a business person or maybe company director, why not take a lead? You could, for example, choose to redirect the money you normally spend on your Christmas or anniversary gifts to your customers and use it instead to support people in need by means of a regular company donation. We are confident such a generous action would delight your colleagues and your customers. Donations instead of bouquets

Cut flowers will eventually fade, but for CHF 50 or more you could make a donation to ROKPA on someone else’s behalf. The recipient will receive a beautiful gift certificate from ROKPA. Donations instead of grave decorations

Losing and burying a loved one is a very painful experience. Why not ask those who attend the funeral to show their respects in a lasting way by donating to a ROKPA aid project? Helping after you die

Perhaps you have thought about making a will and then put the idea to one side. it is a subject that we often prefer not to broach. However, including ROKPA in your will or through a legacy will bring you happiness here and now and the certainty that your generosity will continue to help orphans and street children. ROKPA has charitable, tax-free status in all Swiss cantons. This means that your donations are not subject to inheritance or gift tax and can be used in full to support ROKPA’s projects. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask for more information or call us on 044 26 26 888. Spread the word about ROKPA

Whether you are at work, out in the street, chatting with neighbours or at school, you can interest others in ROKPA’s charitable work. Just give us a call if you would like us to send information materials and payment forms for your friends and acquaintances: Tel. 044 26 26 888.

“I’m involved in ROKPA because …”

Angela von Koblinski

Why ROKPA?

“My decision to help ROKPA goes back to a key experience in my life a long time ago while I was living in Istanbul for several years. I was working as a PR volunteer for “Brücke”, the biggest German-Turkish charity. I came across terrible suffering and poverty and witnessed the challenge of providing direct and effective aid. We worked in the UNHCR camps where we met the most basic needs of refugees from the Bosnian War. We also cared for the very poorest inhabitants of the Gece kondus (slum district), where, given the absence of state welfare provision, mothers and children had no choice but to beg on the streets if for some reason the person maintaining them could no longer do so. When I returned home, I looked for something suitable I could do and made contact with ROKPA. For me, the charity embodies values that motivate me and that have persuaded me to donate my time for a good cause. ROKPA not only offers needy people the promise of a better future; it also involves them directly as part of a long-term process through their own efforts. I like ROKPA because of its commitment to provide direct aid on the spot; because I feel it is very credible (people can identify with Lea Wyler), serious (ZEWO charity certificate) and efficient (very low administration costs). I’m also fascinated and inspired by the outstanding team spirit and the chance to work with some very professional volunteers. I’m sure this is due to a kind of ‘humanist-humanitarian ROKPA formula’ that has developed over more than thirty years – one that has proven to work and that finds its way into the working atmosphere. Above all, ROKPA helps those in need to discover values such as a belief in their own potential, responsibility and dignity. Something they never learned as orphans or beggars and that in many cases they go on to put into practice through their own involvement in social projects. That’s what it’s all about - taking and giving back. Ethically priceless and extremely relevant in today’s world!” Angela von Koblinski worked previously as a PR consultant for a number of companies. For the last four years she has been in charge of media relations and charity events at ROKPA.

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We need your help!

Make a donation now to give orphans and street children a better future!

Donations to ROKPA in Switzerland are tax-free. ROKPA has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

How to make a donation: Postkonto: ROKPA 80-19029-5 Bank details: Clariden Leu AG, Bahnhofstrasse 32, Postfach, CH-8032 Zürich Account: ROKPA, 0065-455090-11-1, IBAN: CH70 0506 5045 5090 1100 1 BIC: CLLECHZZXXX

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zürich | Switzerland

Telephone +41 44 2626888 | Fax +41 44 2626889 | info@rokpa.ch | www.rokpa.org