ROKPA Times März 2021 EN

No. 1 / March 2021 / Volume 41
Sustainable help –
A lifelong project

GREETINGS FROM LEA WYLER
Editorial
Dear ROKPA Friends,
The past year has shown that in a crisis, new ways and new
ideas are necessary for survival. This is proven by the (so far) 60
or so people who, with ROKPA's support, are setting up their
own small business in Boudha, Kathmandu, and are thereby
moving away from the usual begging. Whether it is a vegetable
stall, clothes sale, sewing service or street food, there are no
limits to the ideas. Pride and joy are written all over the faces of
these future business people, as you will see on page 4.
This project is particularly close to my heart. After all, after years
of struggling to survive, what could be better than freeing oneself
from relying on handouts and being able to feed one's own
family? The path to independence for these people also makes
me happy – and will make you happy too, when you know that
you can make an entire family self-sufficient with just CHF 290!
I thank you for your loyal support and friendship. Happy reading!
Kind regards from myself and the whole ROKPA team,
Yours,
CONTENTS
GREETINGS FROM LEA WYLER 2
FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY –
Like son, like mother
A new year, a new life
Helping – a lifelong project 3 – 6
NEWS 7 – 8
GET INVOLVED NOW! 9
PEOPLE AT ROKPA 10
THAT ALSO MATTERS 11
BACK COVER 12
Lea Wyler
Co-Founder and President of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
ROKPA INTERNATIONAL Executive Board
Lea Wyler (Co-Founder and President) /
Peter Fanconi (Vice President) / Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche /
Dorje Tarap / Gelong Thubten / Andreas Vollenweider
Imprint
ROKPA online
www.rokpa.org
https://web.facebook.com/ROKPA.org
www.instagram.com/rokpa_international/
Photo: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
Editorial team: Andrea Hefti / Corinna Biasiutti / Evelyne Plüss
Lea Wyler / Kamala Dangal
English translation: Kaja Kurczewska
Copy editing: Claire Twigger
Graphic design: Renée Reust / Staša Lampret
Cover photo: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
Print run: 7,300 copies (German edition)
Printed on recycled paper manufactured in accordance
with the rules of “The Blue Angel” eco-label.

FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY
Like son,
like mother
When helping becomes a multi-generational project: Kamala
Dangal and her son Hemraj were supported by ROKPA for years.
Today, it is the two of them who, among others, are helping
ROKPA. Mother and son feel a great need to give something
back in these difficult times. We talk to Kamala.
“Hemraj was two years old when his father died. The grief, my
many health problems, the stress, the constant hunger and our
whole miserable living situation were unbearable. I almost gave
up at that time. So that I could take care of Hemraj and myself, I
took on hard labor on a building site of a house that belonged to
a Tibetan woman. My son was almost always with me – after all,
I had no one to look after him. One day, the friendly house
owner asked me how I was doing, because lugging the bricks
was arduous and she could tell I was unwell. I could no longer
hold back my tears and confided my many troubles to her. She
told me about Lea Wyler and assured me that she would help
me. And so it was: Lea – after hearing my story – immediately
took Hemraj into the Children's Home and then into the
Kindergarten.
I am so grateful to Mummy Lea for her generosity towards me
and many others. I cannot express my respect in words. It is
nice to know that Hemraj is following the same path with the
emergency project. Thank you for giving him this chance! And it
makes me happy that I can also give something back to ROKPA.
I know many people where I live, and many of them have been
hit hard by the pandemic. So I take your helpers to the hidden
alleys where the poorest are starving and where ROKPA volunteers
are now providing emergency aid and distributing food. The
people appreciate this help and are very grateful that we are
there for them at such a difficult time.
Photos: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
Hemraj (right) grew up in the ROKPA Children's
Home. After working for ROKPA for several years
and later setting up his own business, he started
his own emergency aid project last year,
distributing food. Since then, he has been part of
the ROKPA team and also supports the start-up
project. Read his full story in the November 2020
issue.
3

FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY
Chatra looks forward to a better future
for her and her family.
A new year, a new life
Chatra (45) lost her job because of the pandemic, which barely
kept her afloat. Since then, she has lived with constant daily
worries, begging and unable to feed her two children. During
the past few months, she has therefore relied on ROKPA's food
packages. Today, Chatra is one of the people to whom we have
given a chance of independence through our start-up project.
If you support us (a filled trolley costs CHF 290), we will be
able to help over a hundred families on their way to
independence for the next three months.
These future business people first have to make a small financial
contribution to their independence. In this way, they commit to
their new life and maintain their dignity. With the start-up capital
we provide, they can buy a sales trolley and an initial stock of
vegetables, sweets, clothes or accessories to sell on the streets
later. There are also offers for street services, such as sewing.
Your donation can support start-ups like
Chatra’s!
Project No. when donating: 5810
ROKPA then accompanies the business people on their new path
for two weeks, until they can finally continue independently. In
this way, they learn how to run their own small business and
realise what they are capable of and that they do not have to
depend on others for their livelihoods. The earnings are enough
to survive and send the children to school. The former beneficiaries
are now independent and proudly support their own families.
Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG
IBAN: CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1
BIC/SWIFT: CRESCHZZ80A
Postkonto: 80-19029-5
IBAN: CH54 0900 0000 8001 9029 5
Photos: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
4

FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY
Helping – a lifelong project
React, try, improvise: in a crisis, adaptability, new ways and new perspectives are
essential. But courage and strength are also needed to get through this difficult time.
This is what our team in Nepal has shown us in recent months.
At the beginning of the pandemic, it beg for food on the street, Anju came to
seemed a big problem that no one from the ROKPA Children's Home as a sevenyear-old.
Today, she has a Master's
Switzerland could travel to Nepal this
winter. Who would take care of the food degree in social work and is a caregiver,
distribution to the poorest, who have especially for the young children, as well
been fed and medically cared for by as a member of the management team.
ROKPA for 31 years? Today when we look And because the need is even greater
back, we realize it was exactly the right now, she also offers counselling and
thing to have happened, because our staff support for women who turn to ROKPA
in Nepal – the now grown-up ROKPA with their problems. And this on the same
children – have taken over the Soup site as the Soup Kitchen where she had
Kitchen project and are now running it received the urgently needed food and
independently! These former street clothing at that time.
children know the hardship and helplessness
from their childhood. The support during this crisis situation, but also
The projects not only continued to run
they have received from you, dear donors, developed in a natural and sustainable
over all these years, is now being given way. And not only that: new projects are
back to their peers in the form of
constantly coming to the fore, such as the
compassion, love and help. Each and start-up project you learned about on the
every one of them in their own way. previous page.
28-year-old Anju is an example: after her
pregnant, deaf-mute mother was abandoned
by her husband and they had to
Food distribution on the premises of the
Soup Kitchen
For more than 30 years, ROKPA has
distributed hot food and clothes during
the winter months. Every year from
December to March, about 600 meals a
day are served. In order to provide food to
people in need during the pandemic, last
spring we converted the Soup Kitchen into
an emergency food distribution centre.
Compared to the previous service, no
cooked meals are handed out, but basic
foodstuffs are distributed throughout the
year. This project will continue until the
Soup Kitchen can hopefully be reopened
next winter.
The need is great and seems to be getting
greater. But there is also good news:
Margrit Stahel, who has led this project
for ROKPA for many years, has decided to
start her own Soup Kitchen on another
site. This way, twice as many people in
Kathmandu can be helped. A very big
thank you to Margrit from all of us, with
all good wishes for the future projects!
Photo: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
ROKPA Team in Nepal, maskless for the
photo (L to R):
Naresh, Responsible for food distribution /
Sagar, Management Committee (MC)
member /
Hemraj, Operation Officer /
Bijay, MC member /
Jyoti, Responsible for food distribution /
Anju, MC member
Continue reading on page 6
5

FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY
The ROKPA team in Nepal with the volunteers
Emergency medical assistance
On February 2, we also opened the
Clinic, which is now open all year round,
under new management. This was only
possible thanks to the initiative of a
group of volunteers consisting of a
Tibetan monk, a doctor and a Nepalese
nurse. Other medical staff will join the
team later, including a physiotherapist,
an acupuncturist and a Tibetan doctor.
For the time being, simple treatments
are carried out; for larger interventions,
we work together with a local clinic.
The situation in Nepal
The country is divided: on the one hand,
case numbers seem to be steadily
decreasing and COVID-related deaths
seem to be on the decline. According to
the experts, however, it is difficult to
determine the reasons for the seemingly
low infection rate. There is a lack of data
and sufficient testing. "When new variants
come, herd immunity no longer matters.
Everyone becomes vulnerable again. My
biggest fear is that this thing can explode
again and we don't have the measures to
respond," says Dr Anup Subedi, a local
doctor specializing in infectious diseases.
On the other hand, there is the crumbling
economy. Unemployment and personal
debt have increased, especially in tourism
and the informal sector. Of the 2 million
tourists expected for 2020, just 230,000
came (source: www.theguardian.com,
article by Pete Pattisson, 11.2.2021). The
ROKPA Guest House and Restaurant as
well as the operation of the Hospitality
Vocational Training are also affected by
this.
Dear donors,
Besides adaptability, courage and strength during this crisis, we especially need you!
Thank you for being there for ROKPA during these difficult times. Because of your
generous donations, we can continue empowering ever more people to take care of
themselves and their families in your name. Through ROKPA, you gift sustainability to
those urgently in need. Thank you!
Photo: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL
6

News
Food distribution, Zimbabwe
Thanks to the emergency aid for needy
families in Zimbabwe, we have reached
over 5,000 people in Harare and the
surrounding area to date. Local confidants
and staff of the ROKPA branch in
Zimbabwe (RSN) identify needy families
and distribute food. For CHF 27, a family
can be fed for six weeks with a food parcel.
Support many more families with a
donation!
Guest House and Restaurant, Nepal
Photos: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL, Robert Bösch
Our team on site is very happy to be
there for the guests again! Tourists are
still few and far between, but more and
more locals are visiting the restaurant in
Kathmandu. A breakfast and lunch
buffet is offered. The beautiful, peaceful
garden offers plenty of space to spread
out the tables for the well-being and
protection of the guests. The in-house
ROKPA Bakery has been able to remain
open since the beginning of the
pandemic and is making an important
contribution to the food parcels for the
emergency relief project. In addition,
bread continues to be delivered to
various clients and Boudha got a taste
for our particularly popular cakes (Swiss
recipes!), which can only be found here.
The Hospitality Vocational Training is
also back in operation: Some of the
students – 17 young adults in all – are
continuing their hotel management
training in our company. The other six
have since found a job, but will also take
the final exam. We are very happy about
that!
The program consists of eight weeks of
classroom training and one week of
exams. Graduation and the presentation
of the certificate are planned for mid-
March.
7

News
“Run for Nepal 2021” Charity Run
From December 28, 2020 to January 6, 2021, 180 runners ran for the children in
the Children's Home in Nepal. Around the globe, in all weathers, over hill and dale.
A big thank you to all participants who raised the wonderful amount of
EUR 11.114,99!
This initiative shows that helping
has no boundaries and is possible
in many different ways. Contact us
with your idea: I look forward to
hearing about it!
Andrea Hefti
Communication & Marketing
Tel. no.: +41 44 262 68 88
E-Mail: andrea.hefti@rokpa.org
Images can also be found on Instagram and Facebook
under #runfornepal2021
Online event on May 11, 2021 (German) – Register now
It's still a bit early for a face-to-face meeting, so we cordially The event will be held in German. To register: send an e-mail to
invite you to a digital event. On May 11 at 6.00pm (CET), info@rokpa.org with your details. We will then send you an
Lea Wyler will tell you all about the latest developments in our e-mail with details of the event. We look forward to seeing you!
projects and why the topic of sustainability is so close to our
hearts.
Photos: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL, Run for Nepal
8

GET INVOLVED NOW!
Leaving a lasting
legacy –
wills and bequests
Do you wish for a world in which children can live carefree? Free from hunger and
worries? With a will or bequest, you give children in Nepal, South Africa and Zimbabwe
hope and prospects. In this way, your will and the memory of you live on in these
children!
Contact us for more information.
We will be happy to show you
where the need is greatest and
how we can best fulfil your wish.
Evelyne Plüss
Co-General Manager
Donor Relations & Projects
Tel.no.: +41 44 262 68 88
E-Mail: evelyne.pluess@rokpa.org
Photos: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL, Tal Siano
With a will or bequest, you leave a
lasting legacy for generations to
come.
9

PEOPLE AT ROKPA
Claire and Ravi – Málaga,
Spain
Ravi and I first heard about ROKPA through our good friend
Melanie, and were inspired by what they do. As an IT project
manager and translator, respectively, we were so pleased to offer
our skills to ROKPA as volunteers: Ravi as an IT support person
and myself as a copy editor for the ROKPA Times. We loved
contributing to an organisation that gives so much back to the
world, and we were immediately made to feel part of the ROKPA
family. We recently moved to Málaga, Spain, but took ROKPA
with us in our suitcase! We will continue to support the amazing
work ROKPA does from our little sunny corner of the globe!
Jenny Canau – Cape Town,
South Africa
Fostering the natural capacity of compassion and restoring a
sense of dignity: this is Jenny Canau's passion. She is the ROKPA
representative in South Africa and founder and part of the Circle
of Nourishment team at Mowbray Maternity Hospital in Cape
Town. This multi-volunteer outreach programme supports mothers
and their newborns, reaching between 200-350 women each
week. Jenny is a trained human rights lawyer and an internationally
accredited mediator who pioneers compassion and mindfulness
in education and the public sector. She has made a documentary
on Nelson Mandela about his attitude towards humility,
mindfulness and the need for meditation. Dr. Akong Tulku
Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe Rinpoche have inspired Jenny to help
where help is needed.
Photos: © Claire Twigger, Tal Siano
10

THAT ALSO MATTERS
The human body is very rare, like a precious jewel.
It is up to us to use this precious opportunity
in the right way.
Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche
Entry in a guest book in Helsinki on April 7, 2013, shortly before his death.
Survey: What is
sustainability for you?
Take part in the survey now and win one
of 10 lovely prizes from the ROKPA
Women's Workshop!
When children who used to live on the streets now run
the ROKPA Children's Home, when former "Children's
Home children" open a children's home themselves, when
Tibetan doctors trained by ROKPA pass on their knowledge
free of charge and help many people ....
This is how it works:
Open the camera on your
smartphone and take a picture of
the code. This will automatically
take you to the survey.
... this is sustainability for us.
Alternatively, you can enter this link in your internet
browser: www.rokpa.org/survey
11

ROKPA for
Helping where
help is needed.
Sustainable,
over 40 years.
Children's laughter at 3,500m
above sea level
Between the world’s highest peaks, ROKPA provides shelter, care, play and fun for around 60 children while their parents work in all
weathers. The "Prok" kindergarten is located in Nubri, Nepal, deep in the Himalayan region. Despite the pandemic, the kindergarten
was able to stay open almost all of the time. We will continue to provide a better life and schooling for children like these.
Photo: © Pema Nurbu
This is how you can support the ROKPA projects in Nepal, South Africa and Zimbabwe
Credit Suisse (Schweiz) AG:
IBAN: CH73 0483 5045 5090 1100 1
BIC/SWIFT: CRESCHZZ80A
Postkonto: 80-19029-5
IBAN: CH54 0900 0000 8001 9029 5
Many thanks for your
generous help!
Food/Living Costs
Project No. 8750
Women and Girls
Project No. 8300
In Switzerland all donations to ROKPA are tax-free.
Medical Care
Project No. 8150
Urgent ROKPA Projects
Project No. 8000
ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zurich | Switzerland | Telephone +41 44 262 68 88
info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org | www.facebook.com/ROKPA.org | www.instagram.com/rokpa_international