The Tibet Fund

Annual Report 2001

The Tibet Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and strengthening the Tibetan communities, both inside Tibet and in exile, through programs in health, education, economic and community development. Since its founding in 1981, with the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibet Fund has grown into the principle fund raising organization for the Tibetan people, both inside Tibet and in-exile.

The Tibet Fund Mission

The Tibet Fund’s primary mission is the preservation of the distinct cultural, religious and national identity of the Tibetan people. It advances this mission by coordinating international assistance efforts on behalf of the Tibetan people and the administration of grants which support projects that:

  • Support and strengthen the Tibetan refugee community in India and Nepal.

  • Offer scholarships and cultural exchange programs to Tibetan students.

  • Support health, education and small economic development projects inside Tibet.

  • Foster the growth of other organizations designed to address the identified needs of the Tibetan people.

PROGRAMS:

Tibetan Refugee Community:

Humanitarian Assistance Grants to Tibetan

Refugees:

Among its many special projects, the Tibet Fund administers the Humanitarian Assistance (HA) grant awarded by the Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migration of the U.S. Department of State, which is congressionally mandated to assist Tibetan refugees. The primary goal of this award is to support and strengthen Tibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal.

Each year the Tibet Fund prepares and submits grant application to the Bureau of Population, Refugee and Migrations based on proposals it has received

 

    



from the various departments of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). The Tibet Fund has been awarded HA grants annually since 1991. This funding has been used to support various projects including those described below:

Assistance to new refugees:

Due to ongoing hardships in Tibet, Tibetans continue to escape from their homeland. Since 1987 an average of 3,200 new refugees have arrived in India and Nepal each year and the rehabilitation of new refugees is a top priority for the CTA. The primary source of support for the new refugees comes from the Tibet Fund which provides funds for the operation of three reception centers at the strategic locations of Kathmandu, Delhi and Dharamsala. Most Tibetan refugees escape from Tibet into Nepal, where they are directed to the Kathmandu Reception Center. The Center provides the new refugees with first aid, emergency medical attention, counseling, immunizations, food and shelter for a few days to rest and recuperate, and makes arrangements for onward travel to India. Refugees with contacts in

Tibetan settlements in South India are sent directly there; those heading for Dharamsala are sent to Delhi, where they are cared for and assisted by the Delhi Reception Center during their stopover. In Dharamsala they are interviewed by officials who attempt to secure more permanent arrangements for them. Young children

 

 

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