To donate, please use the postal account ROKPA 80-19029-5 or the bank account at

Clariden Leu AG, Bahnhofstrasse 32, P.O. Box, CH-8070 Zürich.

Account: ROKPA, 0065-455090-11-1,

IBAN: CH70 0506 5045 5090 1100 1, BIC: CLLECHZZXXX

We need your help!

In Switzerland, donations to ROKPA are exempt from tax. ROKPA has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL | Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zürich | Switzerland

Telefon +41 44 2626888 | Fax +41 44 2626889 | info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.orgNo.1 / April 2012 / Volume 32

Helping where help is needed: sustainably, for over 30 years.ROKPA ROKPA TIMES

Every year ROKPA gives many children and teenagers – currently almost 10,000 –

the opportunity to go to school and receive vocational training. ROKPA has been doing

this for many years.

Every winter, 400 homeless people receive warm meals in the ROKPA soup kitchen. In

Kathmandu, ROKPA is funding a children’s house, where up to 70 orphans and former street

children have found a home. We help mothers facing critical situations to find work. We

have been able to achieve a lot with your money: further donations will achieve even more. Yushu: 2 years after the disaster

Andreas Vollenweider &THE ROKPA KIDS on Tour

SMS donation

of up to CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX

(amount, numbers only) to

488.

Example for donation of

CHF 20.–:

Rokpa 20 to 488

Dear Friends of ROKPA

Yushu Region The Yushu region is located on the

south western border of the Chinese

Qinghai province in the Tibetan

mountains. It covers an area of

261,000 km2 and is sub-divided into

seven counties and 47 districts.

230,000 people live in Yushu, 96%

of them are of Tibetan origin. On

April 14th 2010, Yushu suffered a

severe earthquake.

3

CONTENTS

Editorial 2

TIBET

Yushu two years after the disaster 3

ROKPA SWITZERLAND NEWS

Andreas Vollenweider &

THE ROKPA KIDS 4

ROKPA SWITZERLAND

Small steps can go a long way 6

I AM ROKPA

ROKPA KID / Involvement /

Staff 7

Impressum

Text editor: ROKPA Communications

Image editors: Barbara Meier / Thomas Stettler

All photographs and texts: © ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Print run: 10.500 copies

Printed on FSC paper

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL has been ZEWO certified since 2004.

Dear Friends of ROKPA,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am writing this from New York, where I participate in the UN

Women meetings each year. This year, the topic is the rights of

‘rural women and girls’. These are rights that ROKPA has been

trying to achieve for years. We don’t talk much about them, but we

do a lot. Our activities continue to be successful and sustainable.

Let me summarize our activities:

We ensure that orphans and street children get an education.

We support talented students from the poorest backgrounds.

We give medical assistance to needy people. We save Tibetan

medicinal plants from extinction. We feed the hungry in the ROKPA

soup kitchen. We feed Tibetan nuns. We support education in

schools, monasteries and universities. We give cast-out mothers

seed capital and help them and their disabled children. Our work is

sustainable and we achieve a lot – with your invaluable support.

Without your support nothing is possible.

ROKPA is now in its 32nd year. However, when we completed our

financial reports for 2011, we made an alarming observation: for the

first time in our history, donations are decreasing. Previously,

donations had been increasing slightly every year. Why are we now

facing a slump in donations? We cannot explain it. For this reason

we need you – our highly appreciated donors and supporters - more

than ever!

If we are to continue providing assistance as efficiently as we have

done over the past 32 years, we need more funds. Prices are rising

– for everything. This is especially true for the countries in which

ROKPA is active: high prices there are not caused by price wars

among providers (???) but by scant supplies, and prices are reaching

levels that are pushing more people into poverty(the poor simply

cannot afford). Despite the price increases we must keep going and

do our best to support, feed and train those people in the world

who might otherwise face a terrible future.

On this journey, we continue to count on you. We need YOU!

Thank you.

Yours,

Lea Wyler, Vice-president of ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

TIBET

Yushu two years after the disaster: life in a tent

Yushu is recovering from the earthquake

at a very slow pace. Many people

lost relatives and material possessions;

some of them lost their livelihood.

Their suffering continues.

For two years, Drolma and her mother

have been living in a tent. She works as a

nurse in Yushu Hospital. Life has become

even more difficult since the earthquake.

Drolma lost many family members and

friends, and she also lost her little house.

It is very cold, draughty and dusty in their

tent. In winter it gets so cold and wet that

she can hardly sleep. If she wants to have

a shower she needs to go to the public

baths, but they costs money. Some people

have given up bathing completely: they

can’t afford it anymore.

The tent offers no security whatsoever:

it cannot be locked. Someone always has

to stay at home, otherwise thieves would

just help themselves to Drolma’s meagre

possessions.

The government is building large

numbers of small houses, which offer

80m2 living area. While this is a wel-

come initiative, it is not without pro-

blems for Tibetans: they typically have

large families with up to nine children

and need more space than this.

Some people have lost their livelihoods

and are now drifting without hope:

Tibetan farmers and nomads who sold

their land and cattle to tide them over

have tried to settle into the little houses.

But without animals they have no income

and cannot buy anything. Without a

school education, they cannot get jobs.

It is a sad fact that part of Yushu’s Tibetan

population can survive only by begging

and stealing.

Other changes concern all residents, not

just the Tibetans. Food items that used to

cost 5 Yuan before the earthquake now

cost 12 Yuan – more than twice as much.

The difficult living conditions make some

people apathetic or even antisocial: they

stop communicating with their environ-

ment. Many people turn to religion: young

people in particular are seen praying more

often. It will yet take a long time before

Yushu’s wounds are healed.

Interview: Dröntso

ROKPA presents:

Andreas Vollenweider &THE ROKPA KIDS

In May 2012 the show will go on. From the streets of Kathmandu to the stages of Switzerland.

In 2005 Nepalese children who once

lived on the street appeared on Swiss

(and international) stages for the first

time – it was a smashing success.

Now, in 2012 their show will go on.

The performances of the ROKPA KIDS with

Andreas Vollenweider certainly remains

in the memories of all those who had the

chance to see them seven years ago.

Andreas Vollenweider also vividly remem-

bers how it all happened: Originally, an

evening of dance, music and information

about the organization ROKPA was

planned. But that’s not how it turned out.

Arriving from Kathmandu on their first trip

overseas, the children arrived in Scotland

and met ROKPA co-founder and president

Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche at the Samye

Ling Tibetan Center. They were supposed

to rehearse a play about their lives under

the direction of Lea Wyler.

On the first morning of the rehearsals,

Lea placed an empty cardboard box in the

middle of the rehearsal room. For us, an

empty box is something to be folded

together and thrown away. For Nepalese

children, however, it is something very

important, very valuable. It can be their

home, protecting them from the cold, the

elements and from dirt.

The sight of the box reminded the children

of their early days. They began to put

together a piece of dance theater, in which

they could tell their own stories. In this

way – together with the support of former

actress Lea Wyler and Polish star director

and ROKPA sponsor Gzegorz Bral –

a work of “theater” came to life that, with

its authenticity and directness, touched

the audience.

After the success of the tour in 2005

(including a three-week run in a sold-out

house at the theater festival in Edinburgh)

a second edition was planned for 2010.

This, however, had to be cancelled on

short notice because of the catastrophic

earthquake in Yushu, which made it

necessary to devote all efforts to emer-

gency relief efforts. Yet we and the

children would not be discouraged, and

so on 13 May 2012 the show will go on.

For weeks Lea Wyler has been rehearsing with the ROKPA KIDS

in Kathmandu for the tour. Here in Switzerland Andreas Vollenweider and

numerous volunteers have been preparing a very special ROKPA KIDS tour.

Several popular Swiss music stars, as well as television and radio hosts will

contribute to the event, providing the right atmosphere for the performance

of the little stars. All performers will be appearing at no charge as a sign of

solidarity with the ROKPA organization.

For more information, visit www.rokpa.org/kids

Would you like to help advertise for the ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER & THE ROKPA KIDS tour?Hand out our attractive fl yers and hang posters

in locations where the tour will be stopping:

Zurich (premier), Schaffhausen, Winterthur, Bern,

Stans, Basel, Boswil and Zug - In businesses,

restaurants, doctor’s offi ces and everywhere

where people come together (and where you have

been given permission). Or give fl yers to your

friends and colleagues. We, of course, would also

love to see you at one of the shows.

You can order the mentioned information

material at info@rokpa.org or by calling: +41

44 262 68 88

Advance ticket sales:

– 0900 325 325 (1.19/min)

– www.starticket.ch

– 1’500 advance sale locations (SBB, Die Post,

Manor, Coop City and more)

In Zurich:

www.kaufl euten.ch/ticketvorverkauf

In Zug:

karten@theatercasino.ch, 041 729 05 05

Helfen, wo Hilfe gebraucht wird.Nachhaltig, seit über 30 Jahren.

ROKPA

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von:

Stiftung „Perspektiven“ von SwissLife | Egon-und-Ingrid-Hug-Stiftung | biOnline.ch

Tourneedaten

Premiere: Beginn 17.00 Uhr Tickets (auch Abendkasse): CHF 70.–* (Balkon nummeriert)CHF 40.–* (unnummeriert, freie Sitzwahl)Tournee: Beginn 20.00 Uhr Tickets (auch Abendkasse): CHF 40.–* (unnummeriert, freie Sitzwahl)

*Kinder bis 12 Jahre zahlen nur den halben Preis.

15. Mai | Schaffhausen | KammgarnMit Steff la Cheffe & Daniela Lager

18. Mai | Stans | Kollegium St. Fidelis Mit Bastian Baker & Dani Fohrler

23. Mai | Zug | Casino (alter Saal)Mit Florian Ast & Röbi Koller

16. Mai | Winterthur | Alte Kaserne Mit Marc Sway & Christine Maier

19. Mai | Basel | ElisabethenkircheMit Jaël (Lunik) & Mario Torriani 17. Mai | Bern | Aula des Progr

Mit Anna Rossinelli & Susanne Kunz

22. Mai | Boswil | Alte KircheMit Sina & Joschi Kühne

13. Mai | Zürich | Kaufleuten Familien-Vorstellung:Mit Seven &Sandra Studer

Premiere

Ticketvorverkauf: – 0900 325 325 (1.19/min)– www.starticket.ch– 1’500 Vorverkaufsstellen (SBB, Die Post, Manor, Coop City und weitere) Zusätzlich in Zürich: www.kaufl euten.ch/ticketvorverkauf

Und in Zug: karten@theatercasino.ch, 041 729 05 05

ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER & THE ROKPA KIDSEhemalige nepalesische Strassenkinder erzählen die Geschichte ihres bewegten Lebens durch Tanz und Theater.

www.rokpa.org/kids

ROKPA präsentiert:

Präsentiert von bekannten Schweizer Fernseh- und Radio-Moderatoren und mit je einem Auftritt eines musikalischen Star-Gasts.

Beginn 17.00 Uhr

Beginn 20.00 Uhr

SMS-Spendebis CHF 99.–

ROKPA XX (Betrag, nur Zahl) an

Zielnummer 488.

Beispiel für CHF 20.–:ROKPA 20 an 488

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von:

Stiftung „Perspektiven“ von SwissLife | Egon-und-Ingrid-Hug-Stiftung |

Tourneedaten15. Mai | Schaffhausen | Kammgarn

Mit Steff la Cheffe & Daniela Lager 16. Mai | Winterthur | Alte Kaserne

Mit Marc Sway & Christine Maier 17. Mai | Bern | Aula des Progr

Mit Anna Rossinelli & Susanne Kunz

13. Mai | Zürich | Kaufleuten Familien-Vorstellung:Mit Seven &Sandra Studer

Premiere

Ticketvorverkauf: – 0900 325 325 (1.19/min)– www.starticket.ch– 1’500 Vorverkaufsstellen (SBB, Die Post, Manor, Coop City und weitere)

www.rokpa.org/kids

ROKPA präsentiert:

ANDREAS VOLLENWEIDER &

THE ROKPA KIDSEhemalige nepalesische Strassenkinder

erzählen die Geschichte ihres bewegten Lebens

durch Tanz und Theater.

Acht Aufführungen in der Schweiz mit den Stargästen:

Mit Ihrer Spende

spenden Sie Zukunft.

ROKPA INTERNATIONAL

Böcklinstrasse 27 | 8032 Zürich | Schweiz

Telefon +41 44 2626888 | Fax +41 44 2626889

info@rokpa.org | www.rokpa.org

Seven | Sina | Florian Ast

Marc Sway | Steff la Cheffe | Jaël (Lunik)

Anna Rossinelli | Bastian Baker

Helfen, wo Hilfe gebraucht wird.

Nachhaltig, seit über 30 Jahren.

ROKPA

ROKPA, das effiziente Schweizer Hilfswerk, unterstützt seit

über 30 Jahren Kinder, Jugendliche, Mittellose und Kranke in

Nepal und Tibet. Rund 10’000 Kinder können dank ROKPA

in jedem Jahr eine Schule besuchen und so ihre gesicherte

Zukunft anstreben.

Regie: Lea Wyler mit den ROKPA KIDS

Regie- und Produktions-Assistent: Tommi Zeuggin

Promotion: Claudia Boggio (das Office)

Koordination Gäste: Sylvie Rossi (Impact Music Inc.)

Licht & Ton: Christian Lenz, Stéfane Schneider

Technik: Dr. W.A. Günther (Media Rent)

Externe Beraterin: Viviane Fried (friedevents)

Gesamtleitung: Lea Wyler, Andreas Vollenweider,

ROKPA Schweiz

Die Mitwirkenden stellen sich ohne Honorar zur Verfügung und

drücken so ihre Solidarität mit dem Hilfswerk ROKPA aus.

Die Einnahmen werden nachhaltig und zielorientiert in Nepal

und Tibet eingesetzt.

Veranstalter: Weltmusikwelt

Faascinating Concerts, 8427 Rorbas

hugo@faascinating.com

So können Sie spenden:

Postkonto: ROKPA 80-19029-5

Bankverbindung: Clariden Leu AG,

Bahnhofstrasse 32, Postfach,

CH-8070 Zürich

Konto: ROKPA, 0065-455090-11-1,

IBAN: CH70 0506 5045 5090 1100 1

BIC: CLLECHZZXXX

Neu: SMS-Spende bis CHF 99.–

ROKPA xx (Betrag, nur Zahl) an

Zielnummer 488.

Beispiel für CHF 20.–:

ROKPA 20 an 488

In der Schweiz sind

Spenden zugunsten von

ROKPA steuerbefreit.

Zudem ist ROKPA seit

2004 ZEWO-zertifiziert.

Mit freundlicher Unterstützung von: Collano |

HSBC | IWC | Stadt Zürich | SwissLife

4 5

ROKPA SWITZERLAND NEWS

With the friendly support of: Collano | IWC | Stadt Zürich |

Stiftung „Perspektiven“ von SwissLife | Egon-und-Ingrid-Hug-Stiftung | bionline.ch

6 7

What a great example!We recommend this initiative.

Join us!

Contact / orders:

Marlis Lüscher

1943 Praz-de-Fort

phone: 027 783 22 79

marlisluescher@netplus.ch

More information at:

www.rokpa.org/sui/de/rokpa-

schweiz/wal-ro-puppen/

Small steps can go a long way...

Raising 21,000 Swiss Francs for

ROKPA with dolls.

Marlis Lüscher is one of the many

committed volunteers that support

ROKPA. With her Wal-Ro-doll production

she was able to generate substantial

funds, which are used projects benefitting

orphans in Yushu. So far Marlis Lüscher

has been able to convince 32 helpers to

produce dolls and stuffed animals for a

good cause: ROKPA. The volunteers are

between 9 and 72 years young. Even

entire families are helping: While daddy

and his younger daughter are sewing

dwarfs, the older sister shows amazing

stamina: investing hour after hour, she

develops her own creations. At present,

she is making tiny teddy bear key chains

that prove very popular.

Important message to donors:

With your generous help we were able to help many people over the past

years. The following recipients of ROKPA donations work self-sufficiently

today and no longer need our direct aid:

There are remaining funds left in the sponsor accounts,

which ROKPA would like to use for current projects and

other people in need. We kindly ask you to agree to us

using these funds for different purposes. If you do not

notify us about how you would like to use this money

by May 30, 2012, we are going to assume that you

agree to our suggestion (silent agreement).

However, should you not agree, please contact our

ROKPA headquarters in Zurich (+4144 262 68 88 or

info@rokpa.org).

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for

your invaluable support in the past and, hopefully,

the future.

Marlis Lüscher works in Valais most of the

time, and she‘s keeping busy. However,

she is willing to open new „production

sites“ in other places as well - or rather is

ready to demonstrate how small dolls can

be of big help! This is how small active

work groups come into being. They consist

of women, men and children who are

having a great time with this work.

Classes on how Wal-Ro-dolls are made

take two week-ends of time.

Marlis sells these products via the internet,

on markets and in various world shops.

In addition, she has found another great

way to sell her product: Helpers organize

a day of an „open doll house“ at their

place and sell the pretty textile dolls to

their friends.

Tsering Paljor 66 / Lhamo Dolma 142 / Phuntsok Samten 159 / Ani

Karma Tsultrim Dolma 254 / Pema Chöden 303 / Tsering Norbu 306 /

Tashi Lhamo 332 / Mrs. Yangkyi 361 / Kunchok Dolma 461 / Nyima 518 /

Dolma Tsering 521 / Lama Godhi 564 / Tseten Yudon 584 / Tenzin Tobden

589 / Tseten Dondup 591 / Tashi Palden 594 / Jigme Dawa Dorje 596 /

Lama Sonta 638 / Wangmo 733 / Sönam Wangdu 747 / Ngawang Yudon

780 / Kalsang Dolma 989 / Tsering Lhamo 1002 / Thabgyal 1014 / Pato

1046 / Kama Tsering 1048 / Karma Jampa Rabten 1064 / Yeshe Tsewang

1076 / Phurbu Tsering 1077 / Pema Wangyal 1108.

I come from a place called Dolpa which is ten days

away from Kathmandu by foot. In this village it gets

very cold during the winter and hot and dry in the

summer. One winter my sister Dolma and I moved to

Kathmandu, where our brother Pema lives with

ROKPA. „Mummy“ Lea finally decided that I could

stay. Many things were new to me. I didn‘t want to

take showers because I had never heard about this

chore in my village. At meal times I would ask for a

spoon, but only „Dai“ (brother) Tenzin was able to

understand my dialect and gave me one (everybody

else was eating with their hands as it is common in

Nepal). Back then I was fairly shy, but now I am

doing pretty well at school. Soon I‘ll get the chance

to go on a dancing tour to Europe. It is wonderful to

travel to an unknown place, which is why my dream

job is that of a flight attendant.

I am a child of the ROKPA family...

When I was looking for a reasonable place to volun-

teer, I immediately noticed the ad for ROKPA in the

classifieds:

Wasn‘t this the organization a friend had recommen-

ded to me? Then the images of my former trip to

Nepal came to mind. Once again, I felt the shock

about an obvious, dire poverty existing right beside

tremendous wealth. I looked right into the unfor-

gettable eyes of curious children, women carrying

heavy goods, and beggars by the road side. Yes, here

at this organization, which had been helping sustai-

nably for years, was my place! Since the fall of 2011

I have mainly been raising money and donations,

mostly in Romandie. Wish me „bonne chance et bon

courage“ (good luck and lots of courage, translator’s

note), as ROKPA can use both!

I work for ROKPA...

Irene and Christian Wenger have agreed to host the

ROKPA KIDS in their home during the kids‘ dance

tour in Switzerland: „My husband Christian has

supported ROKPA for the past 10 years, and when

Lea Wyler ran into trouble finding a place to stay for

the ROKPA KIDS, we decided that we as a dream

team wanted to support this good cause. Now, I am

very much looking forward to allowing some chaos

into our well-ordered daily routine and to using my

time to spoil and pamper these kids a little. Ten

Nepalese children and teenagers are going to challenge

us and keep us busy every day. I‘m sure we‘ll have a

great time together, and afterwards we’ll have many

beautiful memories and stories to tell. We like suppor-

ting ROKPA because we know that this aid organiza-

tion uses resources responsibly and sustainably, and

our support is actually worthwhile.“

We support ROKPA...

Tsering Chöden

Anna-Katharina Bosshard

Irene und Christian Wenger

ROKPA SWITZERLAND I AM ROKPA