Following the 1959 Tibetan uprising in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, thousands of Tibetan refugees crossed the Himalayas on foot, following His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama into exile.
Tibet Relief Fund was founded in 1960 to provide valuable support in the form of food, clothing and medical aid to Tibetan refugees and continues to work with Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal and Tibetans inside Tibet.
Within Tibet, projects focus on education and healthcare. Work within the refugee communities focuses on education, healthcare, youth employment initiatives and community building. Through such projects Tibet Relief Fund aims to promote sustainability and self-sufficiency in Tibetan communities.
Tibet Relief Fund also runs a sponsorship programme, whereby individuals sponsor the education of Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal. Beneficiaries include: children in day school and residential education, monks, and students in university or further education.
Through the generosity of our supporters, since 1960 Tibet Relief Fund has financed over £3 million worth of vital projects including:
• construction of schools, medical centres, old people's homes and libraries
• child sponsorship programme and vocational training
• a major youth initiative for employment, career development and entrepreneurship
• provision of medicine and medical care
• water projects including provision of water pumps, irrigation and bore wells
• purchase of land and capital equipment including tractors, ambulances and water tanks
Help us to put compassion into action - donations are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Another way of supporting our projects in Tibet, India and Nepal is to purchase gifts through Enlightened Gifts where there is a range of goodwill gifts, a great selection of cards, books, CDs and Tibetan crafts.
Working with Tibetans in Exile
There are over 130,000 Tibetan refugees living in 53 settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Tibet Relief Fund supports education and health projects in India and Nepal, assists projects that help maintain Tibetan culture and identity and is tackling issues of youth unemployment. Tibet Relief Fund’s sponsorship programme provides more than 1,300 children in exile with an education.
Working inside Tibet
Every year thousands of Tibetans continue to risk life and limb by crossing the Himalayas to exile – many of them are children, sent by their families to get an education that is often unavailable or inaccessible in Tibet.
Tibet Relief Fund recognises the importance of providing education to Tibetan children inside Tibet – not only so Tibetan children do not have to make the perilous journey to exile in order to receive an education, but also because of the great potential of education for Tibetans in Tibet. Breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty will empower Tibetans, increasing their capacity to participate and become more influential in all issues concerning Tibetans in Tibet, no matter what political situation prevails in the future.
Although previously perceived as interference in China’s internal affairs, in 1994 it became possible for western aid agencies to support projects in Tibet. At this time Tibet Relief Fund became involved with projects to build schools for Tibetan children inside Tibet. We are working increasingly in all three regions of historical Tibet: U-Tsang, Kham and Amdo (the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu Provinces). These projects focus primarily on education and also healthcare via the provision of clean drinking water.
Tibet Relief Fund is a registered charity, number 1061834.
Photo: Mother and toddler at the Reception Centre, Dharamsala. © Shari Ravensdale
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