Rokpa International
Rokpa International , proper spelling: ROKPA INTERNATIONAL, (from Tibetan rokpa , which means something like "help" or "friend") is a Swiss aid organization based in Zurich . The organization is represented in 15 countries.
The relief organization wants to improve the lives of people in need - regardless of religion or culture. The focus countries are Nepal , Zimbabwe and South Africa . The work of ROKPA mainly focuses on the areas of training, medicine and nutrition / livelihood.
history
On March 27, 1980, the Tibetan doctor and lama , Akong Tulku Rinpoche , Lea Wyler and her father Veit Wyler founded the Rokpa International association based in Zurich. Rokpa's activities began with helping Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal. In 1982 the finance department of the Canton of Zurich declared Rokpa International tax-exempt, the other Swiss cantons followed later. The branch was founded in England in 1985, in Germany and Belgium in 1986 and in the Netherlands in 1988 .
In 1990 the first projects in Tibet could be realized. The Rokpa alley kitchen was opened in Kathmandu and has been run every year during the winter months with the help of volunteers from all over the world. In 1990 branches were established in France, Austria, India and Spain. In 1991, a clothes depot was set up in Kathmandu, which is also open in winter. Here homeless and destitute people are provided with warm clothes. This depot still exists today (as of 2010). There, the poor are also given free medical care during the winter months by doctors and nurses from various countries. In the same year Rokpa branches were established in Canada, USA, Italy and South Africa; a year later one in Zimbabwe. In 1993, an orphan school built and supported by Rokpa was opened in Yushu in eastern Tibet , which was later expanded to include a clinic and a training center in Tibetan medicine . A women's workshop was opened in which women were trained in sewing.
In 1993 Lea Wyler received the Order of St. John in Zurich . A branch was opened in Nepal that same year; two years later in Poland. In 1996 the Rokpa Children's Home was opened. It offers 35 children a home in a familiar setting and enables them to attend a local school education. The women in the women's workshop became professional. They have been supported and their children continue to receive education through Rokpa. The sale of the manufactured goods began. The proceeds go back to the workshop. Rokpa shops were set up in Boudha in Tibet , Samye Ling in Scotland and at the Rokpa headquarters in Zurich. In 1997 a subsidiary was established in Ireland. A year later, ten women were working in the sewing workshop in Kathmandu. In 1999 Rokpa Switzerland was founded as a country organization and branch of Rokpa International. The Rokpa shop received the Fair Trade seal in 2000 and Lea Wyler was awarded the Jonas Furrer Prize in Zurich .
A Finnish branch was established in 2002. In 2003 the foundation stone was laid for the new Rokpa children's home in Kathmandu / Nepal. Akong Tulku Rinpoche received the Beacon Prize in the same year and the Yunan Prize a year later . In total, Rokpa and Akong Rinpoche have received over 50 awards for their charitable work. In 2004, Rokpa International as an umbrella organization and Rokpa Switzerland received the ZEWO seal of approval . For the 25th anniversary, Rokpa inaugurated the new Rokpa children's home in Kathmandu / Nepal in 2005. The BBC made a Lifeline film in Nepal about the activities of the aid organization. In 2006, Akong Tulku Rinpoche met Jia Qingling , a Chinese government official. In 2007 Rokpa organized a benefit Advent concert in Zurich. In 2008, Rokpa Switzerland held a charity gala that raised CHF 180,000. In 2009 a new guest house with 14 studios and apartments was opened in Boudha / Kathmandu. This project aims to secure the long-term financing of the Rokpa children's home. In April 2010 the Rokpa orphanage was largely destroyed by an earthquake in the Tibetan highlands of Yushu. Despite the 30th anniversary, Rokpa decided to concentrate its aid on the earthquake victims and to minimize the planned anniversary activities.
In 2018, Rokpa opened the Akong Rinpoche Memorial Center (ARMC) vocational training center in Kathmandu. Here, young people are trained in hotel management in cooperation with EHLsmile from the Lausanne Hotel Management School and women are trained as seamstresses, knitters or weavers in the extended women's workshop. The operation of the ARMC is partly financed by the income from the Rokpa Guest House and the Rokpa women's workshop.
organization
Rokpa International has offices in 20 countries: Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Canada, Nepal, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Zimbabwe, Spain-Basque Country, Spain, South Africa, USA.
Each country has an official country representative and some branches that coordinate the activities in their country and transfer the collected donations to the headquarters of Rokpa International.
At an annual international general assembly (AGM) in Samye Ling , Scotland , the country representatives report on their activities and discuss future relief measures, which will be decided by the board of Rokpa International. Rokpa President Akong Tulku Rinpoche and Rokpa Vice President Lea Wyler are responsible for monitoring the projects. You spend up to six months a year in the project areas to check the status and progress of the projects on site. You will be supported in this work by the local / regional Rokpa representatives as well as volunteers from the donor countries.
working area
The work focuses on the following topics
- Education and care for street children and orphans
- Promotion of girls and women
- Promotion of Tibetan Medicine
- Medical supplies
- AIDS programs
- Retirement homes
- Alley kitchens
- Emergency aid
- Preservation of culture
- environmental Protection
financing
The board members of Rokpa International work on a voluntary basis. Countless hours of volunteer work are done every year by the many helpers.
According to its own information, almost 90 percent of the donations go directly to projects. Rokpa International has had the ZEWO seal of approval since 2004 . This Swiss seal of approval distinguishes non-profit organizations that are regularly checked for the conscientious handling of donations, keep transparent accounts and have functioning internal and external control structures.
Rokpa ambassador
Various celebrities appear as Rokpa ambassadors, including Charles Dance (actor, screenwriter, director), Marc Forster (film director), Sandra Studer (TV presenter) and Andreas Vollenweider (harpist).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ ROKPA: ROKPA Network |. Retrieved May 16, 2019 .
- ↑ ROKPA: What we do. Retrieved May 16, 2019 .
- ↑ SWISS Magazine March 2018 - THESSALONIKI . In: Issuu . ( issuu.com [accessed March 15, 2018]).
- ↑ Marc Forster, director: He is committed to the Rokpa aid project. Retrieved May 16, 2019 .