are immediately sent to the Tibet an Children’s Village, monks and nuns are sent to monasteries according to their choice of religious tradition, and young adults are sent to the Transit School. The remaining refugees are provided with initial support, after which they must find a means to support themselves while they wait for a permanent placement.

The majority of the roughly 140,000 Tibetan refugees in India, Nepal and Bhutan receive health care at one of the eight hospitals and 66 primary health care centers under the jurisdiction of the Department of Health in Dharamsala. The Tibet Fund works closely with the Department of Health and supports much of the health services via funding from the HA grants and other sources. Some of the major efforts include the tuberculosis program, which provides TB screenings and care throughout the settlements; the very successful Maternal Child Health and Immunization program which has resulted in more women coming in for pre-natal care, and many more Tibetan children being immunized, resulting directly in substantial reduction of the infant mortality rate; and the program to provide essential drugs, and in some cases, provision of cash to medical facilities in the settlements to purchase essential medication, such as penicillin, and other supplies.

A large number of young Tibetans who continue to escape from Tibet do so to receive an education because they are deprived of this opportunity at home. This has greatly increased the number of students in the 82 schools for Tibetan refugees in India, Nepal and Bhutan.

Community Development:

The Department of Home is responsible for the rehabilitation and socio-economic welfare of the Tibetan refugee and its work is vital to the well being of the refugee community. An important aim of the Department of Home is to establish refugee communities which are cohesive and where members have an opportunity to become self-sufficient.

The Tibet Fund helps the Department of Home in this important work by providing support for capacity building, vocational training and income-generating projects. Tibet fund has provided funding for individuals to attend workshops and conferences relevant to issues facing the Tibetan refugee community. After attending the conferences, these individuals return to their communities with new skills that benefit the entire community. Similarly, the Tibet Fund provides funding for staff members of the Central Tibetan Administration to attend training workshops

In addition, Tibet Fund has provided funds to construct community halls, which facilitate interaction among members and provide much needed gathering places and venues for cultural, religious and social events to take place.

The continued influx of new refugee has caused a serious strain on existing facilities within the settlements. Many of these new arrivals are not able to find housing and must therefore live in temporary facilities, often just shacks which do not provide adequate shelter from the elements. To address this situation, the Tibet Fund has provided funding to build additional housing in Dharamsala and in some of the poorest and most desolate refugee settlements.