Put glasses on Tibetan refugees!
Tax deductible
Tashi Delek! (Hello in Tibetan)
We are raising funds to support the Louisiana Himalaya Association Clear Vision Program! Sponsored by you, this program provides eye exams and glasses to Tibetan refugees who cannot afford these services. A donation of $20 covers the cost of the examination and the glasses for one person. Any donation helps, the more we raise, the more Tibetan refugees with clear vision!
During our time in India we traveled to the Himalayas where we visited Dharamsala, which is the current home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile. There we volunteered with the Louisiana Himalaya Association (LHA), helping and learning from Tibetan refugees.
LHA is a grassroots social work organization founded in New Orleans in 1997, with a counterpart in Dharamsala. It hosts a variety of programs to support the Tibetan refugee diaspora. LHA is 100% volunteer based, meaning all of the money that you donate goes directly to Tibetans in need.
During our time volunteering we were fortunate to meet and become friends with many Tibetan refugees, learning about their culture and hearing their stories. Kindness and compassion seem innate, and the Tibetans radiate joy and optimism despite exile from their home. Many of our Tibetan friends have not seen their families or home since childhood.
They were forced to leave their families and home in hopes of a safe future. In groups they daringly hiked over the Himalayas, some passes over 19.000 feet, to freedom in India. This journey to freedom, still happening today, takes up to a month with much of the walking done at night in freezing temperatures to avoid Chinese troops. While some make it over, unfortunately many have died while others have been caught by troops and put into labor camps where they are often severely tortured even today.
Some background - Tibet was invaded by China in 1950. By 1959, over a million innocent Tibetans had been killed by Chinese troops while thousands were forced into labor/torture camps. The fifteen year old Dalai Lama, followed by thousands of Tibetans, were forced to flee to save their lives. Those left behind have been faced by harsh punitive measures and bans on Tibetan culture and language in an act of cultural genocide.
This exodus from Tibet has been ongoing since that time. Oppression and extreme human rights violations in Tibet have continued up until today. There was a sharp deterioration due to the global attention that China received for hosting the 2008 Olympics and the subsequent uprising in Tibet. Now whole families are prosecuted if a member tries to flee. Also border security has tightened, resulting in a steep decline in successful escapes. The resulting situation is so hopeless that certain Tibetan activists have turned to self immolation in a desperate attempt to draw Western attention and aid to their cause.
We are very passionate about helping this wonderful group of humans who have suffered deep injustices throughout their lives. Many Tibetan refugees have never been able to get their eyes checked, and therefore don’t know they need glasses. When people receive the proper prescription for the first time they are amazed at the details in each leaf, and they are relieved of never ending vision headaches. We ask that you contribute whatever you are able, as well as to share this go fund me. Please also share what is going on in Tibet to those who are unaware.
BIG THANKS for taking the time to read this! Please feel free to reach out with any questions to Fabiana or Spencer, and we will do our best to answer!
Below are some resources at your disposal if you wish to further educate yourself on the reality of Tibet today.
LHA’s website - Volunteer Info and more ...
More in-depth information on the occupation of Tibet
A documentary made by climbers of Chinese authorities killing Tibetan refugees while they were crossing the Himalayas
More on the ramifications of the 2008 Olympics
Organizer
Fabiana Lake
Organizer
Truckee, CA
Louisiana Himalayan association
Beneficiary