No. 1 / March 2014 / Volume 34

ROKPA TIMES

Family Ties

Dear ROKPA Friends,

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees

children their basic rights: the right to survival, education,

a family, parental care and a safe home. Unfortunately street

children and orphans are often denied these basic rights.

ROKPA has been working for disadvantaged and destitute

children for almost 35 years. The birth of a child brings with it

responsibilities that poor parents often cannot cope with. In

these cases, ROKPA offers help: Children can find a place to live

in our Children’s Home in Boudhanath, nr Kathmandu, and in our

many schools for orphans in the Tibetan regions of China. Here

they experience safety, trust, closeness and security, perhaps for

the first time in their lives. Here they can grow and put down

roots. Then, with education, we give young people the possibility

of a successful and independent future.

Investment in children is valuable as they are our future. They

are the architects of tomorrow’s world and can decide how it will

look in the future. Akong Rinpoche’s life work lives on after his

death, in the ROKPA children.

From the start we have supported whole families as well as

children. In contrast to the small families that are the norm for

us, these are large, solid communities that are guided more by

economic and social interests than by individual desires. We

dedicate the current ROKPA Times to these “family ties” that are

so essential for survival – their variable forms and facets.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting

children, their parents and people in need with your donations.

Due to your kindness, you give them the prospect of improved

lives and a more fair future in our uncertain world.

Yours

Lea Wyler, Founder of ROKPA

© L

ea W

ylerEditorial

Our highest aim is to see

every child in the world

as if he or she were

our own and only child.

Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche

CONTENT

Editorial 2

Living for the community 3

Our ROKPA family in Nepal 4 – 5

Help that bears fruit 6 – 7

Life between the traditional and

the modern 8

Early intervention in South Africa 9

ROKPA SWITZERLAND 10

I am ROKPA 11

Masthead

Editor: ROKPA Communications All photographs and texts: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Print run: 5,500 copies

Printed on FSC paper

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

Living for the Whole Community

The modern age is moving into the

Himalayan region. More and more young

Nepalese are turning away from the

traditional ways of living and many

Tibetan nomads are choosing to settle.

Both developments are an indication of

a new Zeitgeist with changed economic

conditions.

The traditional large Nepalese family,

including aunts, uncles and cousins,

forms an economic unit headed by a

patriarch. As well as raising children, the

large family looks after older relatives and

ensures the general economic and social

well-being of the members of the family.

Parents enjoy great respect from children

and their authority is hardly ever questi-

oned. The common good is prioritised

over that of the individual.

Families often have to borrow money for a

daughter’s dowry. This means that girls

have a lower social status, whereas boys

gain respect as they grow up in this

male-dominated society. Outside the

family, women have few rights and hardly

any social security – for this reason

ROKPA campaigns for women in particu-

lar too.

Family structures in Nepal and Tibet – an overview

The traditional family can still be found

today, especially in rural areas, but in the

cities and towns the Western-style small

family is becoming more and more

significant: Many Nepalese are rebelling

against this high degree of parental autho-

rity and their dependence on their

parents.

In the Tibetan regions of China, a

somewhat different picture can be found:

Although Tibetans are increasingly settling

down, most of them are still nomadic or

semi-nomadic. They live together in large,

family-like groups as such communities

provide social security.

In the Tibetan regions of China there are

many different kinds of marriage and

family forms, which act to keep the

population in this remote region stable.

The most common form of marriage is

monogamy, polygamy is less common.

Despite the different forms of family, the

man is still the head of the family, as in

Nepal.

Tibet’s children are “ardently loved and

tenderly cared for” (Erken 2006, p. 44).

No doubt this has not only individual but

also economic reasons. Children ensure

survival by helping with work and later on

looking after their ageing parents. In

addition, Tibetan parents place great

value on a school education – this

reinforces Tibetan identity and ensures

that the language and culture survive.

ROKPA therefore focuses on schooling

and education.

Literature references

Erken Ruth (2006) Tibetische Familien im indischen Exil Eine Studie zu traumatischen Erfahrungen durch Flucht und Exilierung, Waxmann

Ghimire Dirgha J., Axinn William G. (2006) Family Change in Nepal Evidence from Western Chitwan, Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Springer Science & Business Media

Mevely C. Goldstein and Cynthia M. Bedall (1986) Family Change, Caste, and the Elderly in a Rural Locale in Nepal Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology I, 305 – 316, D. Reidel Publishing Company

3

NEPAL

Our ROKPA Family in NepalHaving travelled together to India and Nepal on a pilgrimage in 1979/80 ROKPA Founders Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche,

who died in October last year, and Lea Wyler began to provide assistance to people in need, especially around the

Great Stupa in Boudhanath, near Kathmandu. These days some of the projects are increasingly managed by local

people, in particular by previous ROKPA Children with professional qualifications. On these two pages, members of

our ROKPA Family in Nepal have their say.

Children’s Home

Pasang

With my culinary skills, I make sure that the ROKPA

children receive balanced and tasty meals which will make

them big and strong!

I come from a village at the foot of Mount Everest. My father

died a long time ago. My mother still lives in the mountains and

unfortunately I see her only very rarely. I now have two children

and a wonderful wife. We live in an apartment in Kathmandu.

We employees of the Children’s Home always help each other.

Parbati helps me with cutting up the vegetables - feeding 50

hungry mouths is a lot of work! When our caretaker is off work, I

look after the hot water supply, switching the boiler on and off

as required.

Parbati

I am the supervisor of the smaller children and the girls

in the ROKPA Children’s Home. My job is to make sure that the

children have everything they need, particularly the little ones. I

also keep an eye on them – making sure that they brush their teeth

regularly, and that they wear clean clothes. When the children are

at school, I help in the kitchen.

I am 33 years old and was born in Lamjung in West Nepal. I went

to school there for a few years, just long enough to learn reading

and writing. When my husband left me, I went to Kathmandu

together with my son Pratik, in the hope of making a better life

for us.

After some months of working as a casual cleaner and an assistant

cook, which just about fed Pratik and me, I met Lea Wyler. She

offered me the job with ROKPA. And not only that: Pratik was

admitted to the Children’s Home and can go to school – hopefully

he’ll be able to go to school for longer than me!

4

NEPAL

Our ROKPA Family in Nepal

Women’s Workshop

Guest House

Ramu

As the ROKPA Guest House Manager I make sure that

our guests are comfortable. I accept reservations, take care of

marketing and sales, do the bookkeeping and lead a small team

of staff.

I grew up in a small village outside of Kathmandu. My father

died early in my life, so my mother raised me and my six sisters

on her own. By now, my sisters are all married and have moved

away. I still live with my mother in the same house where I

grew up.

I have been working in the hotel industry for 10 years. The job

with ROKPA is very close to my heart - I have rejected job offers

from 5-star hotels. Here at ROKPA, the team is one big family

and the support from my colleagues and superiors is wonderful.

I spend a lot of time with the ROKPA family and I am very happy

here.

Padma

I am a supervisor in the ROKPA Women’s Workshop.

It is my responsibility to develop specific work plans for the

seamstresses depending on orders received. I also see to the

purchasing of new fabrics and materials.

I have never gone to school. I was very young when I had my

first child and I lived at the home of my parents-in-law with my

husband and my children. After lots of problems I ran away with

my children and then I had to look after them on my own. That

was the most difficult time of my life. To see my children

home less and hungry almost broke my heart. The turning point

came when I was accepted by ROKPA for training as a se-

amstress in the ROKPA workshop, for which I’ll be eternally

grateful to ROKPA.

More information and orders under

www.rokpawomensworkshop.com

Jigme

I am responsible for all Social Business Projects in

Nepal, particularly for the Workshop and the Guest House. Our

aim is to contribute to the financing of ROKPA’s aid projects

such as the Children’s Home or the Soup Kitchen.

I grew up in a small town in Scotland, although both my parents

were originally from Tibet. Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche, ROKPA’s

co-founder, was my father. After school, I graduated from

university with a BA degree in Business Administration. A little

while ago I received the opportunity to use my acquired know-

ledge for a useful purpose, working for ROKPA.

I’ve always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and help

people on the fringes of society who are less lucky in life than I

am. I was able to learn an enormous amount from him, particu-

larly in the areas of diplomacy, humility and understanding more

about how and why we should help other people.

Neelam

I am responsible for furnishings and cleanliness in the

ROKPA Guest House. My highest priority is to ensure as high a

degree of comfort for our guests as possible.

I was born in Kathmandu and grew up there. My mother is from

India: after marrying my father, she moved here with him. I have

a BA degree in Hotel Management.

This is my first post as a hotel professional. I am therefore very

grateful for the support provided by the entire team, which has

made my transfer from school to work very easy. I have already

got to know various aspects of the hotel business since working

here and I have learnt an enormous amount.

More information and reservations under

www.rokpaguesthouse.org

5

NEPAL

Fruitful Support

Wangchuk – giving a family hope

Wangchuk Tsering is in his

last year of learning the

Tibetan language at Khampa

College in Dartsendo. His

studies not only included the

language but also compara-

tive literature and the history

of the Tibetan regions in China.

He is originally from Serta, a small village located approxima-

tely 25 kms from Dartsendo. Serta is situated at a very high

altitude: 4,000 meters above sea level. Wangchuk’s mother

passed away when he had just completed secondary school.

His father is still alive but is already 70 years old and has

retired. Tsering Wangchuk also has one unmarried older sister

and two younger brothers. The family income is very low.

Sometimes, the older sister works as a cleaning lady, on

construction sites or collects mushrooms.

The education for the children in Tibetan families improves

their chances in life. The children can only find a well-paid job

if they graduate from school or university. Those who finish

their education successfully often provide for all members of

their extended families. Examples of how ROKPA’s support

helps:

Wangchuk gives this small family hope. When he will work as

a primary school teacher he will be able to support his siblings

and his father.

Currently, he lives on a very tight budget. He can spend

approx. 6 CHF for food monthly. For breakfast he eats tsampa

(flour made from roasted barley) with butter and cheese,

some times the same diet for lunch and dinner. He always

receives the tsampa, butter and cheese from his teacher, who

comes from the same region as Wangchuk. When relatives or

friends visit the teacher in Dartsendo, they bring him fresh

tsampa. This is how Tibetans send things. They only send

things through trusted connections like relatives or friends

rather than using the official postal service.

Wangchuk studies hard to become a good Tibetan language

teacher. He wants to inspire children to learn their own

language. He feels an obligation to preserve his own culture.

How you can help

■ Become a sponsor for a specific educational or

medical project in the Tibetan regions of China.

Even one Swiss Franc per day pays for the education of

Tibetan orphans or provide a substantial contribution for

the improvement of health care on the Tibetan Plateau.

Further information:

www.rokpa.org/sui/en/donations/sponsor-a-project/

Thank you very much!

6

TIBET

Tsündru – a never ending nightmare

Tsündru: let us remember. She also was the hope of her family.

She was studying Tibetan medicine. Then suddenly she had a

terrible accident and is now paralyzed from below the waist.

She now depends daily on the assistance of her mother and

sister who are lovingly caring for her. Even in Switzerland, if

somebody is suddenly dependent on a wheelchair and needs

assistance with getting dressed, bathing, or going to the

bathroom it takes great effort and requires a lot of energy from

everyone.

The difficulties in a small village on the Tibetan Plateau are

even greater: A hand rail has been built behind the house so

that Tsündru can practice walking with her leg braces. But she

has to be transported there first, as the ground is too uneven

for the wheelchair. The ground in the rest of the village is just

as uneven. Tsündru is therefore confined to the house and

helps with chores as best as she can. She does some washing

and helps by chopping vegetables. She also makes momos

(small stuffed dumplings) and babysits the children of her

siblings which are dropped off sometimes to be watched.

Before the accident, Tsündru was the hope of her old parents

who make a living by collecting caterpillar fungus in the

summer and by growing their own crop.

The whole family lives on a very low income. Every visit to the

hospital is a big financial burden to the family’s budget. They

would be unable to manage without ROKPA.

By Barbara Pfeiffer, ROKPA representative in Germany

Yangzom

My name is Yangzom and I am 33 years old. I was taken

in at the ROKPA orphanage school in Yushu when I was 8 years

old, right after I lost my parents. Around 50 children were living

there with me and the school was our home with many brothers

and sisters. I was able to come to terms with the loss of my

parents because of this extended family as all of us lived through

the same experience. Thanks to ROKPA, we had the opportunity

to learn many things.

This support would not be possible if ROKPA wouldn’t concent-

rate on the aid for orphans. When Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche,

cofounder of ROKPA, came to visit the school we never let him

get any sleep: We sat around him and talked. We knew he was

always tired from travelling but he never said a word about it and

spent the whole night with us. He was like a foster father to us

and we knew he would be there for us, always.

After ten years at the school, I went to study Tibetan medicine

for a number of years in a place called Chabcha. This was also

only possible through ROKPA’s help. In 2008, I was appointed

as a Tibetan doctor in the Yushu region. As I was now employed,

I was able to support my siblings as I have three sisters and

three brothers. Our life changed dramatically. I can buy warm

clothes and food for everyone.

I currently work at the hospital in Surmang. When poor patients

come to the hospital, I pay for their medication. This not only

makes them happy, but also gives me great satisfaction because

I understand their situation so well. We have patients all the

time that required treatment already for a long time. Like so

many Tibetan families, they don’t see a doctor earlier as they

don’t have the money to pay for the expenses. I would like to

change that.

ROKPA and Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche have taught me how to

help other people. Now, I help others und support people in

need whenever possible.

ROKPA acts as foster family

77

TIBET

Caught between tradi-tion and the modern world

Pema was a small, sickly boy when

he came to ROKPA. His parents

were desperate and brought him to

the ROKPA Children’s Home in

Boudhanath, nr Kathmandu. There

is no school in their local village,

so once he recovered we agreed

with his parents that he would stay

at the Children’s Home together

with three of his sisters and go to

school from there in Kathmandu.

ROKPA TIMES: Is conflict between the

generations widespread in Nepal?

Lea Wyler: Yes, it has always been a

major issue for us, right from the start.

Pema is not an isolated case. The film

highlights the way parents put tremend-

ous pressure on their children. Pema

faces a terrible dilemma. The duty of an

only son is to look after his parents.

Should he return home? In the film he

says he would die without a computer and

light. On the other hand, his parents say

that a son should remain part of the

family and that that is where his land and

his home are.

ROKPA TIMES: Do you think ROKPA can

be accused of alienating children from

their parents?

Lea Wyler: Every action has an effect.

You can’t take a child off the street and

give them an education without there

being some impact on the family. When

children come to the city to learn, they

lose their connection with the land, the

fields and the animals. In Pema’s case,

his parents took a decision at the time,

An interview with Lea Wyler

Simonka de Jong’s film ‘The Only Son’, shown on Swiss television last August,

highlights the conflict between the generations in Pema’s family. The parents expect

their son to farm the land and marry a girl from the village in line with tradition. Yet

Pema, a former ROKPA child, wants to go his own way.

even though they may not have been able

to foresee the consequences.

ROKPA TIMES: ROKPA places great

importance on maintaining language and

culture. So why is it that Pema’s older

sister needs an interpreter to talk to her

parents?

Lea Wyler: The agreement with her

adoptive parents stipulated that she was

to keep her own language and culture.

Otherwise I would never have consented

to the adoption. It was necessary at the

time because the girl had severe burns

when she was little, and the couple was

willing to pay for a hair transplant in

Holland.

ROKPA TIMES: How is Pema now?

Lea Wyler: He is studying hospitality

management in Holland, where his sister

lives. My impression is that he is not

really able to deal with his parents’

demands at the moment – at least not

until he has finished his degree, found his

way and established himself. I have

talked to the parents and asked them for

now to let him complete his studies.

ROKPA TIMES: How do you see the story

ending? Will one of the younger sisters

‘sacrifice’ her own prospects for her

brother’s sake and return home?

Lea Wyler: That would take the pressure

off Pema, although he would remain

financially responsible. I would see it as a

task rather than a sacrifice. But the girls

are still young and ought to finish school

first. If one of them wants to go home

after that, we will support her decision.

That is still a couple of years off. Things

might change in the meantime – with

regard to the parents, too. For now, Pema

can always ring them, and I think that is

important. The link between parents and

children is still there, as is the love they

have for each other and their shared

language.

Interview: Anna-Katharina Bosshard

8

NEPAL

The work of a Children’s Day Centre in South Africa

A large proportion of the constantly growing black majority

population in South Africa live in extreme poverty. ROKPA

supports a children’s day centre for orphans and children

with difficult family backgrounds in the District of Groot

Marico in the North West Province.

The children’s day centre is called ‘Tirisano’, which means

‘Cooperation’. The overall aim of the project is to support,

protect and care for disadvantaged pre-school children. The

day centre also provides work and training opportunities for

one or two local employees.

The nursery is currently being run by Gadifele and Elsie, one is

a single mother and the other a grandmother, who acts as the

guardian of two orphans. The number of children varies. At

present there are fourteen aged between one and seven. The

children in the valley who go to the day centre usually have to

make the journey on foot. Some of them are orphans and are

looked after by large families.

The nursery is open in the mornings. The children are given

a breakfast of porridge and fruit and a nutritious lunch. The

medical staff who carry out regular checks have noticed

that the general health of the children has improved consi-

derably through their attendance at the nursery. According to

Mr Kgonothi, the headteacher at the local primary school in

Groot Marico, children from the nursery tend to adapt to

school much better and faster than those who have not been

to any form of pre-school or nursery.

The nursery is a double blessing for impoverished families. On

the one hand, their children are better prepared for school and

can keep up with the other children, allowing them to gain

school qualifications and later find employment. On the other

hand, the families of those small children who are often

farmers or temporary workers, can continue to earn a living

without constantly having to worry about their children.

Better prospects through an early start

A great start for Ikopoleng

Six-year old Ikopoleng only joined the nursery a few

months ago. She lives on a farm with her parents Rosina

and John, who both have jobs helping out at the farm.

She has two older siblings, both of whom attend a

boarding school, and a little one-year-old sibling.

Beforehand, Ikopoleng

spent all her time on

the farm with no other

children of her own

age. With nothing to

do, she was not

stretched and grew

bored. Since coming to

the day centre, she has really blossomed and tries her

hand at all kinds of activities, including jigsaw puzzles,

paper modelling, painting and writing exercises. She has

learned very quickly to copy and recognise a few letters

and can already understand simple words. She is also

learning to count. She loves the smaller children and likes

to help and to look after them.

9

SOUTH AFRICA

Important information 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:

7320, 7442, 7563, 7565, 7669, 7690, 7694, 7704,

9802, 5002

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 31 May 2014, we will assume that you are

happy for us to do so (tacit consent). We would like to use

the money from 5002 towards the cost of food in Nepal and

Tibet in the future.

If you do not wish us to use the remaining funds in this way,

please contact our head office in Zurich (044 262 68 88

or info@rokpa.org).

Thank you again for your generous support – both in the

past and hopefully in the future.

Pia Schneider, ROKPA Managing Director

for many years, has resigned from her

position from the end of January 2014.

She contributed to ROKPA’s success for

6 years. We wish Pia all the best for the

future, with new challenges and more

time with her family.

We welcome

Corinna Biasiutti

as the new

Managing Director.

As a ROKPA

volunteer, she built

up the photo

archive, managed

the photo archive team and helped with

image editing for all the ROKPA publica-

tions. She has been working for our

organisation for 3 years and is therefore

well acquainted with our procedures.

Do you use the Internet more and more for your shopping? In future, combine

your shopping with a good cause. Around 5-10% of the value of the goods go

to ROKPA – without any additional costs for you!

Please do not hesitate to contact us via info@rokpa.org with any

suggestions or technical difficulties. Thank you for participating and

happy shopping!

Changes in management

Shopping for a good cause

Donations of goods: A sensible way

It works like this:

1. Register with Buy’n’help at

buynhelp.ch.

2. After registering, log in and

click on the “Kaufen” [Shop] tab

at the top. All the online shop

partners are then listed. Almost

everything is available: clothes,

travel, books and electronic

appliances. Enter the provider of

your choice in the search field to

find out whether it is listed.

3. Important: Click on the shop

link on the Buy’n’help page every

time you shop so that a commis-

sion is really credited from your

purchase.

4. The commission is credited

to your buy’n’help account no

later than 24 hours after your

purchase. This way will enable you

to donate to ROKPA.

We thank the following companies for

their donations of goods for our projects

in Nepal and for our office in Zurich:

10

ROKPA SWITZERLAND

1111

“I grew up in the small village where I was born, in the

border region between Nepal and the Tibetan areas of

China. My parents are very poor, we had neither

electricity nor heating and lived in very basic condi-

tions. When my brother Pema (see article on page 8,

editor) fell seriously ill, ROKPA admitted him to the

Children’s Home, where his health quickly improved.

As my parents were unable to pay for my schooling, I

was also admitted to the Children’s Home when I was

10 years old. I like it very much: I also like going to

school and I work hard. Eventually I would like to

become a nurse. However, I am also considering

returning to my parents when I have finished school,

to assist them with farming and animal husbandry.

Sometimes I miss living in the mountains, and I miss

my parents very much. On the other hand, when I go

back there for my holidays I miss playing basketball

and football with my friends. I am glad I can combine

both worlds and I hope I will continue to do so in the

future.”

I am a ROKPA child…

“When you travel around the world like me, you often

encounter poverty in picturesque places like Nepal or

the Tibetan regions in China. I am grateful to have

been born in Switzerland and for having been raised

in a protected environment with a good education

and a great life. The homeless children of Kathmandu

experience the opposite. Together with their parents,

they leave the barren land that can no longer feed

them in order to survive they go somewhere to a big

city. A ruthless fate as many of them end up as

prostitutes, criminals, or drug addicts. But there are

“I work for ROKPA because I know that here in

Europe, and especially in Switzerland, we are among

the most fortunate people in the world. I count

myself very lucky, and that’s why I want to help to

give others a chance, too. I want to put my interest

and training in graphic design to good use for ROKPA

by converting basic images and text into professio-

nal-looking brochures and flyers aimed at donors. At

the same time, our aim is to encourage potential new

donors and supporters to take an interest in ROKPA’s

work by producing attractive information packs. In

terms of my own career, I also benefit from the

exceptions like those children who are taken in by

Lea Wyler to live in the ROKPA Home. They are well

fed, live in a well maintained house, go to school,

and have the chance of a better life. They study hard

and are happy. They sing and play together, and

they are grateful for this support. When I contribute

money to ROKPA, I know that my money will go

straight to those children and that young people in

Nepal and in the Tibetan regions in China, giving

them a better future with the help of my contributi-

on.”

practical experience I have gained from the different

production processes for printed material. It’s a case

of give and take, with benefits on both sides. For me

the motivation and enjoyment lie in knowing that my

contribution helps to ensure the success of ROKPA’s

projects. Doing something good and spread the word

and in this way, ROKPA can attract even more

support.”

I support ROKPA…

I work for ROKPA...

Dolma Lhamu

Otto C. Honegger, documentary film maker and writer

Manuel Bassi

I AM ROKPA

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

In Switzerland and in many other countries, donations to ROKPA are exempt from tax.

Giving a better chance for life

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland

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

Helping wherehelp is needed:sustainably,for over 30 years. ROKPA

“ROKPA helps people lay the cornerstone

for a dignified life: Safety, trust, love,

education and a home.”

Sandra Studer, Television presenter

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.

Thanks to your donations, we can exert a positive influence on countless lives. Over fifty children

currently live at the ROKPA Children’s Home in Kathmandu. We provide vocational training at our

workshop for mothers who have fallen on hard times and help them to stand on their own two feet.

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.

SMS donation

of up to CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX

(amount, numbers only)

to 488.

Example for donation

of CHF 20.–:

ROKPA 20 to 488