Tibetan Village Project
On Wednesday 28th November '08 many of our members joined the members of the Rotary Club of Melton Valley at an event to raise money for School Supplies and Winter Clothes for an orphanage in Tibet.
After introductions the guest speaker Don Cullen spoke of the work he and his team are performing in a remote village in Tibet. Don is now a member of Rotary and has been awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship.
He reminded us that he gave up his high flying corporate life to help a very impoverished village. In 2008 it is intended to give some villagers some low cost loans to get them started in carpentry and other crafts.
We then viewed a short DVD presentation regarding the medical work done in Tibet. Later that evening many beautiful and interesting items from Tibet (such as handmade jewellery, bags, wall hangings, prayer wheels and flags) were auctioned with Don telling us stories about some of the more special items.
History of the Tibetan Village Project
The Tibetan Village Project was commenced in Australia by Don Cullen in early 2005 after finding an orphanage in Lhasa containing 74 orphans with no means of support apart from begging on the streets. Don, a regular visitor to Tibet on trekking trips, was so appalled by conditions that the children lived in that he decided to do something about it! After trying to assist the orphanage from Australia, he found he was getting nowhere, so he searched for a partner
in Tibet who could help him improve conditions for the children. He searched many organisations but found only one organisation overseas that was already doing similar work.
Tibetan Village Project was incorporated into the State of Colorado in August 2001 by a Tibetan couple, Tsering & Tamdin Wangdu. They both grew up in Tibet and now live in the United States after being accepted as refugees. They hope to improve the lives of their fellow Tibetans who continue to live in impoverished conditions across the Tibetan plateau. Both Tamdin and Tsering grew up in rural Tibet and understand first-hand the challenges of Tibetans living inside Tibet.
Operation and Management
The Tibetan Village Project is operated by its four volunteer board members, including Tamdin Wangdu and Don Cullen plus Project Coordinators. About 90% of TVP's program budget is donated by the general public and the remaining 10% is generated by special fundraisers and cultural events. 'IVP spends 100% of the funds it raises on actual projects in the field. Overhead costs such as office space and office supplies are donated and fundraising costs are covered by gift sales from the website and eBay. Since the Tibetan Village Project was established in 2001, it has developed and managed projects in the areas of primary education, healthcare and community development with remarkable results.
Education Project
By our estimates, 60% of children in rural Tibet do not attend school. Schools either do not exist or exist only in name. Of the remaining 40% who get some education, only 20% will graduate from primary school. A mere one in ten of these graduates, or 2% of Tibetan children, will go on to secondary school. As a result, illiteracy is a widespread problem in Tibet.
Tibetan Village Project prioritizes its efforts to support several schools that already have been built in rural areas but not able to keep them in operation due to financial difficulties. We raise funds to provide teacher salaries, scholarships, textbooks and other school supplies. We also raise funds for medical supplies, building projects and orphanages. We are currently raising $5,000 to purchase medical equipment, textbooks, multivitamins, and some winter
clothes for our schools that have some 1,200 students. Now that the 2007 cold winter is virtually here, we need to move swiftly to achieve our goal. As an example, if we can find 50 people who each could donate $100, we will be able to accomplish this fundraising goal. Most of the students commute from nomadic pasture grounds and stay overnight in dormitories that are built from stone and mud with no heat. The temperature often gets 30 below zero during the coldest months of winter. Note: Since cost of shipping school supplies is high and has complex customs regulation, we will purchase the supplies in Lhasa, Tibet.
Contact Information
Should you wish to help, you can contribute by making your donation payable to Tibetan Village Project and send it to
Don CullenTibetan Village Project
P.O. Box 2073, Seaford Business Centre,
Seaford, Victoria, 3198
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