Today October 19, 2011 marks a day of global solidarity in an effort to raise awareness of the Tibetan plight. This year desperate acts of suffering have brought attention to the increase of Chinese military crack down inside Ngaba an eastern Tibetan region. The concerns of the increasing desperate acts of self-immolation of Tibetans who are suffering continues as an outcry to the International community for support to call a halt to the Human Rights violations under Chinese rule. It is a sad and desperate act when members of a community result to lighting themselves on fire to express the deepest of suffering from oppression.
The Tibetan community in exile is asking for people around the world to raise their voice in support of the Tibetan concern for Basic Human Rights to include freedom of religion and freedom of expression. I am writing this today to show support to not only those in Tibet but also to those living in exile who have struggled since 1959 to raise awareness of the concerns inside Tibet and to spread awareness of the growing desperation.
For more information regarding the news on the situation of Tibet visit the online news reports daily at: http://www.phayul.com
Also please take a moment to read a recent post written by a very informed and knowledgeable professor from University of Arkansas as he offers some ideas of how you too can show your solidarity with the Tibetan community. http://readwrite.typepad.com/
Additionally if you wish to speak out and give a voice to the Tibetans who are under oppressive conditions in Tibet please take a moment and email your representatives and tell them you are concerned and ask for more international involvement.
It is time to DIG in and get busy with the farmers as I head to Mundgod, India within the next few days. In the past six months there has been little opportunity to actually procure rice for distribution due to off season and my being in the north. But your donations and contributions have been adding up to allow for a very large distribution which will take place soon. Stay tuned for the details of those who benefit from you compassion and generosity.
Recent activity on the Pennies for Partnerships (PfP) project provides a great opportunity to grow the program with the official nonprofit status of the Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas. The excitement in me is sprouting as I met recently with the head of the Tibetan Agricultural Department to discuss PfP’s involvement in their future plans. We discussed the many ways in which PfP can assist the Tibetan Organic Farming initiative.
The first objective of PfP is to assist the farmers with economic development. This year the farmers have struggled due to excessive rains which has prevented farmers the opportunity to plant and harvest rice in a timely manner. Some farmers were able to plant late therefore harvest will come later this season around mid November. There is currently a surplus remaining from last year which we will procure with the gifts that have been contributed over the last six months and distribute to the Indian villages most in need surrounding the Tibetan settlement.
Also in the discussion of future activities of the organic farmers and the Central Tibetan Administrations’ (CTA) long term development plans, we brainstormed ways in which PfP can be involved. Since distribution is a major need the CTA is interested in opening a retail outlet for the organic cooperative. I plan to meet with the leaders in the Mundgod community to assist with the organization of further activities for a farmers market and development of marketing the products. My aspiration is to help empower the people to utilize their creative forces to develop a good marketing plan which will eventually grow their distribution not only locally but nationally and hopefully someday internationally. But as they say in India “slowly-slowly”, as we all know this will take time over the years to come. First there are initial developments needed within the local community.
Most importantly is an educational campaign for the local community which will raise environmental awareness of the benefits for buying organic. I am looking for volunteers who have expertise in this area and who can assist me with the development of a program that we can take to the local schools, institutions and organizations. We discussed presenting to the local leaders the educational awareness campaign in order to facilitate local support to the organic farmers. The farmers in Mundgod have an opportunity now to mill their own rice which eliminates the middle man. This provides the organic farmers the ability to offer their goods at a more competitive price presenting a benefit for the local consumer to buy organic at a price they are accustomed to paying for conventional goods. Considering most of the Tibetans live in poverty this is very important to make it affordable.
Other areas for development which will assist the organic farmers were discussed, such as the need for irrigation systems and greenhouses through the possibility of micro loans. Obviously this is a very costly area of development although a very important initiative. If farmers are given the opportunity to install irrigation systems they will produce two to three times the yield annually; an obvious economic benefit to help lift the farmers from the extreme poverty they are currently experiencing. Also, the development of greenhouses offers potential to grow produce during off season, providing an opportunity to fulfill a market demand. These are very important developments which will assist with financial security and economic growth to the organic farmers. I will discuss these aspects of development with the settlement leaders to determine what the actual investment is to install irrigation systems and build greenhouses. Recently I was contacted by an individual who has interest in possibly being the first to support a micro loan, we hope this will materialize.
Additionally we discussed the development of a program within the PfP outreach of rice distribution to include Tibetan teenage youth. By including the youth we will implement the educational components of environmental awareness as well as Compassion in Action to the local Indian neighbors who experience hunger. I will present this idea to the settlement leaders who will be able to assist further with avenues and ways to best involve the youth in the community.
So as you can see, there are lots of exciting ideas and ways we can assist the organic farmers. If you are interested in getting involved there are many ways one can volunteer from abroad. Please contact me for more information as it would be great to garner support from those who have contacts with groups looking for service projects. Keep in mind the initial Pennies for Partnerships campaign started with people donating their Penny Jars. You too can start a small fund raiser and ask those around you to donate their pennies for a worthy cause.
It is now even easier….you can donate directly online through the Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas (TCIA) and receive a tax exemption for your contributions. Please visit the link below to make your donation through paypal. If you would like to donate other than online please contact me directly and I can provide you additional details.
Please keep in mind you can show your support by sharing this information with others and subscribing to our blog. Jut subscribe by clicking on the colorful MANDALA on the left.
This important initiative is only made possible through your compassion and generosity and we thank you sincerely for your continued support.
Feel free to contact us directly through the comment field or email us directly at
penniesforpartnerships@gmail.com
Kind regards,
Leann Halsey
Director of Pennies for Partnerships (TCIA initiative)
As a member of TCIA and the director of Pennies for Partnerships (PfP), it is with much enthusiasm I announce the development of PfP now as an active initiative within the Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas (TCIA), a nonprofit organization, located in Fayetteville. Over the years I have had the opportunity to be involved with members of this organization, be it professors from the University of Arkansas who gave me insight to the Tibetan plight or members of the community I have engaged with in different ways. As well, I attended the first of their meetings but was shortly relocated to New Orleans, so I am thrilled to back connected with TCIA and be working together on important initiatives to assist the Tibetan community and preserve Tibetan culture.
Just a little history for you:
Professor Sidney Burris and Ven Geshe Thupten Dorjee are two professors I was blessed to have during my BSW degree at University of Arkansas. The two of them are amazing professors and I took classes on Nonviolence, Tibetan Buddhist Culture, and was involved with the first TEXT: Tibetans in Exile Today project (an oral history project). My first trip to India was with the TEXT project led by Geshe Dorjee and Dr. Burris.
Many of you were a part of the initial Pennies for Partnerships project where you donated jars full of pennies, and aluminum cans for recycling in order to help generate funds for one of the very important initiatives of TCIA called Tutors for Tibetans (originally titled Tibetan Children’s Heritage Fund). The first ever PfP fund raiser generated the initial support to start a pilot program which has now been in effect since 2008 and serves children in the Tibetan settlement of Mundgod. It is a tutoring project that is now expanding to another location within the same area. It is the hope of Professor Burris and Geshe Dorjee that some day the tutoring program will be made available to all children in the settlements.
In addition, Professor Burris and Geshe Dorjee were instrumental in bringing the Dalai Lama to the University of Arkansas in May 2011. TCIA offered a great deal of support and involvement for this incredible event. It is with much appreciation and gratitude to have such an amazing group of people support the continued efforts of Pennies for Partnerships. Here is the website address where you can find out more about the TCIA.
Also I would like to explain how this opportunity works. With the official nonprofit status all donations can be made online and will be tax deductible. As the two of us are pushing forward to make this happen there will be development of links on each of our websites, for now though if you or anyone you know is interested in making a contribution to the Pennies for Partnerships project please just go to the donations link and make your donation but YOU MUST DESIGNATE IN THE COMMENT BOX the donation is for the “Pennies for Partnerships” (PfP) farmers project or use my name or the word “RICE”!
As the details are furthered I will post again in the future.
As of now I have been in contact with the Organic Farmers Research and Training Division and they have explained there have been many complications for the farmers this year and they are very grateful for the support to the organic farmers. A schedule is in place for October to make the largest supportive purchase yet for the organic rice which will be distributed to the local Indian Villages where hunger is an issue. Also development for an organic market in
the Tibetan settlement is being discussed and how PfP can assist with this economic development plan for the Tibetan Organic Farmers.
Please if you are interested in supporting the growth of the Pennies for Partnerships project in support of the organic farming initiative you can go directly to the TCIA donate page and make your contribution for PfP (please note in comment box). Also you can give to this initiative by sharing this information with others. An additional way you can show support is, if you know of any groups or organizations interested in a service project I am happy to provide details and information of how to get involved. I can be reached at 1lhdawg@gmail.com
Thank you to TCIA for taking PfP under their philanthropic initiatives and thank you to you all for your years of continued support.
Time to think Rice…but first a quick update of what has been occupying my last several months.
I first would like to apologize for the long absence in not updating you all. Since I have been in the north the project of rice delivery has taken a break while I give in other ways to the Tibetan community with the use of my social work skills. I have been blessed with the opportunity to do volunteer work with Tibetan Women’s Association which is an amazing women’s run NGO. The types of things I have been able to do with them is report writing/editing, grant writing, and most exciting is attending different training and workshops.
Two workshops that were very informative and exciting were first the Dukar Project (pilot training) which is an organization I am happy to now have affiliation with. The project is under the umbrella of The International Center for Mental Health and Human Rights based out of Austin Texas. Gaea Logan is the director of the program and is offering a training program for mental health workers in the Tibetan community. This is a very exciting program and I look forward to the further develop and involvement. I provided the organization with a pretest/posttest evaluation to measure the best practices of effectiveness which showed positive results of the initial training for increasing confidence levels of mental health workers to provide mindfulness counseling. I am blessed to have met Gaea through TWA since the results of my research in 2009 furthered my awareness of depression and anxiety concern in the community. It is wonderful to see the development of a program to address this area. Take a look at their website and note the Dukar Project.
Also I had the opportunity to attend a Human Rights workshop offered by Human Rights Law Network. This was a collaborative effort of HRLN, an Indian based Human Rights organization, and the four leading Tibetan NGOs. The workshop focused on informing the Tibetan attendees of the Indian Laws and the fundamental rights of Tibetans in India. This provided me with a new level of knowledge regarding the Tibetans living in India and their legal status under Indian Law. I was responsible for reporting on the weekend event which allowed me to further develop my skills with the use of applying an analytical perspective to reporting as well as providing a program evaluation.
NOW for the update on the Pennies for Partnerships Project with Organic Farmers.
I am awaiting what is referred to as a PAP (protected area permit). Many of the Tibetan settlements in India require a special permit to stay in the Tibetan community and it takes a minimum of 3 months for processing through the Indian government. I am anxiously awaiting the approval in order to return to the south to coordinate the next Rice purchase and delivery. At this time I am happy to announce this will be the LARGEST distribution and it follows the anticipated growth of doubling each delivery size thanks to the generosity of you the gift givers. Depending on the opportunity to secure the price it appears 100+ households will benefit from your gifts to Pennies for Partnerships.
At this time I have yet to establish the logistical costs for such a large distribution and it is difficult to do from afar. I will however be looking for a donor that might be interested in contributing to the logistics as to this point all donations are secured to address hunger. In the past these costs have been minimal at around 3% of the total amount of rice purchased. If you know of anyone that might be interested in donating to the operational/logistical costs please provide them my contact information. penniesforpartnerships@gmail.com or 1lhdawg@gmail.com or they can make a comment of this blog for me to contact directly.
With the current donations and the possibility of adding an additional 100 households we are looking at, to date, the Pennies for Partnerships rice project will accomplish an outreach to 214 households. This constitutes the following breakdown:
214 households to be served (once distribution is completed in September) 25 kg bags of rice each.
Which is 11,770 pounds of rice or 5.9 TONS of rice gifted to those in need by Pennies for Partnerships gift givers.
Of course we hope this number will be increased as we gear up again and hope you will share this news with others who may be interested in supporting the project. Also I apologize but the give now button on the left is not working so if interested in contributing please contact directly. I am in need of some web maintenance but the administrator is currently occupied with other projects so I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but soon I hope to provide a direct link for an online gift giving option.
Additionally, I am awaiting (hopefully) good news from a potential partnership with an Arkansas based nonprofit organization who may take this project under their umbrella. If so this will be a wonderful opportunity to partner with an organization that also manages projects to assist Tibetans in the same settlement (Mundgod) and the mission to preserve the Tibetan Culture. More details to be provided hopefully soon on this development.
Once again I want to remind you all how very very appreciative I am of your support to the program and I promise soon you will see the results of your gifts in the distribution to those in need as well as to the Tibetan Organic Farmers.
Much respect and gratitude to you all.
Kind regards,
Leann
Please spread the word… Pennies for Partnerships mission includes economic development for poor organic farmers, address hunger and food insecurity, and outreach for community inclusion between oppressed populations.
Tashi Delek! Thanks to the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) and the 6th graders who attend Holy Trinity Interparochial School in Westfield, NJ who generously contributed the funds for the distribution in McLeod ganj, India. I would also like to apologize to the 6th grade class for the extended delay in finalizing the project. As well I want to express the wonderful gratitude and appreciation of those in the Tibetan community who received the gift of rice and also a copy of the lovely card you made.
The distribution in Mcleod ganj was focused on distributing to Tibetan refugees in need. TWA’s General Secretary Tsering Yangzom Oshoe and staff member Tenzin Deckyi administered the needs assessment to determine the beneficiaries in the community. Without their hardwork and effective research the project would have proven to be extremely difficult. They listed those most in need, located their homes, and contacted each beneficiary to let them know when we were planning to arrive. Also Dickyi was invaluable to the project as she knew how to reach all the homes in the most efficient time and she did all the translating.
The beneficiaries consisted of five families and four individuals. The families received a 55 pound bag of rice each with a copy of the card and the individuals received a 25 pound bag of rice and a card.
Due to the timely nature of completing the distribution before Holy Trinity school breaks for summer and wanting to provide an outcome for the students we changed the distribution to purchase rice from local Himachal Pradesh Indian farmers (purchased through the nice man at the market by my home) and we distributed to Tibetan refugees. Although this distribution was smaller than past rice distributions the logistics were much more complicated and took substantial time in planning, hence the delay.
The distribution found us getting a lot of good exercise as we made our way to the various homes up and down the Himalaya Mountain town. I discovered places in McLeod I had never been to as well we discovered some additional areas of concern that will be discussed with TWA to try to address the needs of one particular recipient.
Our final location took us to one Tibetan Nuns home; she had waited for several hours as the distribution was taking a great deal more time than we thought. She was very patient and very appreciative. She asked I write my name on the card as she expressed she wanted to pray for longlife for us. Thanks to TWA staff member Deckyi, she wrote down in Tibetan my name and the 6th grade class.
The Anni la (that’s how the Tibetans refer to the nuns) profusely thanked us, prayed over us and gave each of us a traditional Tibetan blessing with a khata scarf (white scare). She additionally gave one to me for the children of the 6th grade class of Holy Trinity while praying each time for longlife.
I think this was also a special moment in the day for the young Indian man Raju who labored for us. This is part of the community inclusion that the project offers.
Thank you to the students of Holy Trinity as this distribution was wonderful and very memorable. The Tibetan people are such an amazing community and I hope for you students someday you may experience the Tibetan culture yourself if you have not already. I know there is a large population in New York City so maybe you have been to some events.
I sincerely appreciate being your ambassador of giving and the messenger of your compassion and generosity.
May you each be blessed and have a wonderful summer break. Feel free to e-mail me at anytime.
penniesforpartnerships@gmail.com
As the Tibetans would say Thujeeche (Thank you).
Leann
I would like to first thank everyone who has donated to the Pennies for Partnerships and provide you an update.
We currently have funding to purchase approximately 85 bags of organic rice at 25kg (55 pounds each). This is an additional 2125 kg (4675 pounds). The schedule for this large distribution will occur in a few months based on receiving the proper permits and also following the harvest. Until then we would like to continue to generate funds for the projects with the hopes of distributing to as many families as possible.
The above total does not include 7 bags which will be purchased for the school project alone which we will be scheduling to do the distribution in the next week. Because of logistics and timing we are unable to procure Tibetan Organic Rice and deliver to the India village so we have modified the project. since the class will be breaking soon and we need to provide follow up to the students we have decided to remain in the spirit of both communities benefiting so we will purchase local rice from the Indian farmers in Himachal Pradesh and distribute to some of the Tibetan refugees most in need. Thanks to the Tibetan Women’s Association we are able to efficiently locate the families and individuals most in need here in Dharamsala.
So to bring you up to date fully.
Pennies for Partnerships has already served 105 families in India and will serve at this time an additional 92 household making a total of 197 households served. The total amount of rice purchases that has been provided by gifts to Pennies for Partnerships is 10,835 pounds of rice (4925 kg).
I would like to say this is only make possible by your generous contributions.
Also soon there will be a group of fellows arriving in India who have expressed interest in giving energy to the project to assist the farmers. This is a very exciting opportunity for us to welcome new and fresh energy in hopes of building upon the current foundation of Pennies for Partnerships.
I would like to also mention a discussion with a fellow social worker of whom I met when the relationship with the Tibetan Farmers was first being developed. Because PfP has always been a project that supported existing Tibetan organizations she and I have been discussing the way in which we can combine forces since she was inspired by this project to return to California and have a fund raiser for the Tibetan Old People’s Home in Mundgod settlement camp. She recently brought in approximately $1400 to assist with projects for the elders and also contributed money for PfP to subsist with the purchase of organic foods for the elders. More to come on the ways in which the partnerships will develop.
Again thank you and if you have a creative idea, want to get involved, or want to contribute please comment or e-mail me:
From today until midnight on May 11th I would like to celebrate the Dalai Lama’s visit to the University of Arkansas where I first came to learn of the Tibetan struggle.
In 2008 I had the privilege to study under two amazing professors at the U of A, Dr. Burris and Geshe Dorjee who introduced me not only to the Tibetan community but to Tibetan Buddhism and the cultural values of this community.
Dr. Burris and Geshe Dorjee have been instrumental in bringing the Dalai Lama to Arkansas.
I am sad to be missing the event at the U of A as I know it is a very exciting time but I am here in India, as a social worker, volunteering in the community of which I feel drawn to advocate and garner support for; especially after my experiences in 2008 with the TEXT: Tibetans in Exile Today Program and my social work internship with the Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA).
Today I would like to initiate an online celebration of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the U of A while at the same time drum up support for the Tibetan community in exile. There are many ways in which you can get involved and I will name a few.
WIN A TIBETAN HANDICRAFT – Buy an online raffle ticket by supporting the Pennies for Partnerships Rice Drive
Pennies for Partnerships is conducting a fund raiser to support Tibetan Organic Farmers, who are the poorest in the community and work the most labor intensive jobs and need assistance in economic development to sustain their environmental commitment to organic farming.
Pennies for Partnerships is having a RAFFLE. For every $15.00 gifted for a bag of rice your name will go into a drawing to WIN a Tibetan Handicraft Item. This is approximately the cost of 1 bag of rice which is 55 pounds (minus online transaction fees) and can feed a family for approximately one month.
There will be 3 WINNERS for the raffle not to mention all the people who will benefit from your gift.
Starting NOW anyone who contributes to Pennies for Partnerships will have their name put in a hat for a drawing to win a Tibetan handicraft gift sent from India directly to YOUR doorstep.
In order to participate you can contribute online.
or you can mail a check BUT YOU NEED to MESSAGE me for this info or e-mail me directly at:
penniesforpartnerships@gmail.com
or for those of you who live in Fayetteville, AR you can donate directly at the Bank of Fayetteville BUT YOU MUST MESSAGE ME FIRST for the information.
100% of your contribution will go for the purchase of rice (less fees for processing online transaction) to support the Tibetan Organic Farmers and the rice will be distributed to disadvantaged households who live on less than a dollar a day.
Let’s show the Tibetan community we care. Gift a bag of rice and WIN a Tibetan Handicraft.
Other organizations Pennies for Partnerships has supported previously do great work and have initiatives you can support. If interested in showing support to these organizations please contact them directly.
Pennies for Partnerships’ first initiative in 2008 supported the pilot program of Tutors for Tibetans (initially known as Tibetan Children’s Heritage), a program developed to offer Tibetan students assistance with their studies and directed by Dr. Burris and Geshe Dorjee. For more details visit their website http://artibet.com/activities/tutors-for-tibetans/
The Tutors fro Tibetans is under the umbrella of a wonderful nonprofit organization which you can support – The Tibetan Cultural Institute of Arkansas http://artibet.com/
Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) is another organization Pennies for Partnerships supported in 2008. TWA is currently assisting Pennies for Partnerships with information regarding families in need who will be recipients of a rice distribution to occur soon. For more information visit their website http://www.tibetanwomen.org/
In 2009 Pennies for Partnerships supported a clothing drive and also an online raffle for Lha Charitable Trust. Lha Charitable Trust has a support system in Fayetteville through St. Paul’s Episcopol Church for a community soup kitchen initiative. If you are interested in this project contact the church or the following organizations. http://www.lhasocialwork.org/ or http://www.lhainfo.org/
Support to these organizations are not included in the raffle.
This online celebration is an effort to recognize the Dalai Lama’s wonderful work in the world of teaching about Peace and Nonviolence by generating support for the Tibetan community. These projects are made possible by those of you who care.
Today is a fresh day with wonderful surprises and affirmation of the future of Pennies for Partnerships as the SPIRIT of GIVING prevails.
For the past week I have spent my energy in finding new avenues for ways to garner support for the project. A message came through so prominently on this beautiful sunny morning in the little Himalayan town of McLeod ganj, as there will sometimes be disappointments but then there will always be support and affirmation if your motivation is correct.
My big lesson I have learned is to PUT IT OUT THERE (in the universe) the opportunity to give and the spirit will arrive.
The SPIRIT OF GIVING finds a way to present itself in ways we may never see coming and the love for humanity will prevail.
Today I received an e-mail regarding a young woman I do not know who has requested in her invitation for her combined birthday/graduation party that in lieu of gifts she would like everyone to make a donation to Pennies for Partnerships. What an amazing woman who has the spirit of selflessness and compassion. Much gratitude for her thoughtfulness of others and her generosity. I can only imagine her future is very bright as she will certainly be blessed for her actions.
In addition this past week I received notices from 10 people in 6 states in the U.S. that have offered to advocate for the project by volunteering to facilitate promotional materials. They have volunteered their time to distribute flyers to businesses and community organizations to advance the visibility of the project. This is also an incredible gift to the project as giving is not always about monetary contributions but about the ways in which one can offer support to others. So also many thanks to those who offer their time and energy to see to it that advocating for others in our global community is a worthy cause. Sharing information and believing in the SPIRIT of GIVING is a huge gift.
So if you or anyone you know is interested in getting involved with Pennies for Partnerships please provide them information of the project. We can garner support from many avenues such as distribution of information to businesses and organizations, schools, sororities/fraternities, church groups, sustainability and environmental groups,…etc. There are materials available to support groups, classrooms and organizations interested in service projects as well as we are always open to new ideas.
Anyone interested in being a part of the distribution process please contact me – we are currently planning the largest distribution yet for the end of August first of September where we will return to South India and volunteers will have the opportunity to meet Tibetan Organic Farmers and witness harvest season. As well volunteers will have the opportunity to engage in the giving process when we arrive to the doorsteps of the Indian Villages unannounced. I cannot tell you what an amazing experience it is to be a part of the community inclusion when Tibetans and volunteers surprise deliver rice to the doorsteps of those who experience hunger and to see the immense appreciation from the community for the support and gifts provided from the international friends. (if you would like to correspond with two volunteers from Ohio that were a part of the first distribution to see what their experience was like please let me know).
Also please keep in mind anyone interested in making a gift contribution can do so ether online right now through the Give Forward fund raiser which the orange button on the left will take you directly there or you can provide the website to others Give Forward http://www.giveforward.com/penniesforpartnerships
Also many thanks for the generosity of those who have contributed through the Give Forward site in the past week….all gifts small and large are 100% beneficial and go completely for the purchase of rice. We are 10% of the way and if you can help spread the word through your social network it would be a way of giving as well. In addition it is wonderful to see the presence of the International support and special thanks to our newest country representative from Italy. Pennies for Partnerships is receiving International support as SPIRIT GIVERS from the following countries have shown support of Pennies for Partnerships: U.S, Germany, Italy, and Portugal and with the online opportunity for contributions we hope to see this representation of the international friends expanding even more as distribution of flyers will also be made soon in locations in India.
Also please remember this project is made possible because of YOU; I am only the messenger of your compassion.
More updates to come and if you would like to distribute materials please e-mail me directly or comment on the page; I will e-mail you back.
1lhdawg@gmail.com or penniesforpartnerships@gmail.com
My enthusiasm and excitement for the future of Pennies for Partnerships is through the roof today as I see the amazing support and compassion of those of you have the SPIRIT of GIVING.
Thank you!
Much love,
Leann Halsey
Man no man, woman, or child go hungry in a world of plenty!
Hello everyone! Thanks to all who support the Pennies for Partnerships project so I am giving you an update:
The project supports Tibetan Refugees in the Organic Farming Community while at the same time assisting Indian Villagers who live on less than a dollar a day and experience hunger in their daily lives. I have been told the Tibetan Organic Farmers are struggling the most due to poverty in the refugee community while working the most labor intensive job. There is much concern for these farmers and the Tibetan government in exile is very thankful for your support to the farmers as the outreach assists greatly with economic development while the organic market is being developed in India.
The project purchases 25 kg (55 pounds) of organic rice for $14.00 each and delivers to the doorsteps of those in need.
Thanks to you we have distributed to date to 105 household a total of 5775 pounds of rice. With the recent receipts the planning for the next distribution is in the works. At this time we can purchase 58 bags of rice and distribute an additional 3190 pounds. This would bring the total to date: 8965 pounds of rice and 163 households.
There is a fund raiser in the works to add to this number because there will be a great deal of personal cost and time to travel to the Tibetan Farming Community as well there are substantially many more people in need as India is in the top 29 countries with the highest hunger index. If interested in supporting this project there is an online option for gifting rice which is through the Give Forward website (see Give Now button on the left). As well you can mail a check or make a direct deposit if you prefer; just comment or e-mail me and I will provide you details of how. 1lhdawg@gmail.com
According to the Economist magazine India ranked 67th among 85 countries in terms of access to food with an index of 24.1. Values between 20 and 29.9 on the index denote an “alarming” hunger situation. (data taken from http://www.hindustantimes.com/Hunger-haunts-India/Article1-611546.aspx)
Another report from 2009 stated that 230 million people are undernourished — the highest for any country in the world. Malnutrition accounts for nearly 50% of child deaths in India as every third adult (aged 15-49 years) is reported to be thin (BMI less than 18.5). According to the latest report on the state of food insecurity in rural India, more than 1.5 million children are at risk of becoming malnourished because of rising global food prices. ((data taken from http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-02-27/india/28009938_1_global-hunger-index-food-insecurity-india-ranks).
Thank you to you all for your continued support and effort to assist the Organic Farmers while addressing hunger in our global community. Your efforts are what make this possible.
This post is a continuation of the post from below:
An ALL Monk Non-violent Peace March
In a noticed handed out to the today by the Kirti Jeypa Monastery in Dharamshala April 26th at the prayer vigil and send off off for the monks Peace March to Delhi they highlighted the objectives. This is taken directly from the handout.
“We, monks at the Kirti Jeypa Monastery in Dharamshala, north India, and Sukhe Kirti Monastery in Darjeeling, east India, are organizing an ALL Monk Peace March from Dharamshala to Delhi. This march is aimed to express support to our bretherns and fellow monks in Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, Tibet.
Through this march, we are putting forward three point demands to the International community and the Chinese government:
1) We appeal to the peace and justice loving people, governments, parliamentarians, NGOs and particularly our Buddhist brothers and sisters all over the world, for extensive campaigns and to pressurize the Chinese government to immediately stop the ongoing brutal crackdown in Ngaba.
2) We call for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Tibet including the Panchen Lama and in particular recently detained Tibetans from Ngaba including Lobsang Tsundrue and Lobsang Dhargay from Kirti Monastery.
3) We urge Chinese government to respect human rights, freedoms of expression and freedom of religion of all Tibetans inside Tibet. IN particular the monks should be allowed to freely pursue thier spiritual studies and be allowed to conduct the manastic administrative affairs in a free atmosphere for the wellbeing of resident monks and spiritual heritage of the monastery.
We urge all the justice and peace loving people and governments worldwide to support our just cause.”
This is to provide more details as to the purpose of the non-violent peace march which found many Tibetans today with a heave heart as they saw they fellow members of the community depart for their long journey.
To make a contribution to Pennies for Partnerships you can either gift online look for the button to the left or
CONTACT me Directly through the comment section or at
1lhdawg@gmail.com (sorry can”t get it to link at this time).
and I can give options for direct deposit in Fayetteville, AR or you can mail a check
I sit with a heavy heart as I just watched approximately 150-200 Kirti monks (from Dharamsala monastery) leave the Dalai Lama’s temple in McLeod ganj. The feeling of intense sadness and worry loomed in the air as the community watched the monks depart for the 500 kilometer march to Delhi. In an effort to show solidarity with their fellow monks in Ngaba, Tibet the Kirti monks in India are participating in a peace march to Delhi, which I have been told will take approximately 20 days.
Today, April 26th, The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community joined in special prayer at The Dalai Lama’s temple with prayers for the Kirti Monastery monks and the Tibetan community of Ngaba County, Tibet. In addition prayers were made for the release of the Panchen Lama who has been missing since 1995.
The recent crackdown on the Kirti monastery in Ngaba County, Tibet has brought about intense military presence and restrictions of movement on the people of Ngaba especially within Kirti Monastery. Below is a summary of the Tibetan Women’s Association press releases calling for International assistance in raising awareness of the extreme human rights violations and mistreatment of the monks and the Tibetan community.
As you will read below you will see the situation continues in Tibet after 52 years of brutal crackdowns and presence of the Chinese military which continues to violate human rights. These are reasons why we in the free countries need to take a stance to show support for the Tibetans inside Tibet and outside Tibet. I know I have spent a great deal of time requesting your financial contributions for the Pennies for Partnerships projects with little attention to the issues as to why the Tibetans are in exile. Tibetans fled to India in 1959 to find refuge from the Chinese occupation which has forcibly restricted them from their freedoms and opportunities of self determination.
As we become aware of refugee issues we become aware of the extreme conditions in which they live today. They are separated from their homeland which includes for many their families and their culture. In India, although they have found safety they have also found many struggles. Poverty is only one of the concerns, which is why I ask for your support to the Tibetan Farmers but I also ask for your support for Human Rights in Tibet.
Please if you have a way of sharing this information with others so they can become informed please do so. Also at the bottom of the page I have included a link to a very good news source to keep abreast of the situations inside Tibet.
Current TWA Press Releases
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Exile Tibetans Demand Immediate International Intervention into the Deepening Crackdown in Kirti Monastery- April 24 (summary)
In the aftermath of the deepening crackdown in Kirti Monastery and the ensuing arrest of hundreds of monks, the Tibetan Women’s Association and Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet organized a mass protest rally in Dharamsala on April 24 to condemn the ongoing crackdown in Tibet. Hundreds of Tibetans; monks, nuns, school children and lay people along with Tibetan supporters marched from Tsuglakhang temple in Mcleod Ganj to Kachari Square in Lower Dharamsala demanding global vigilance and arbitration over the heightened Chinese repression in Amdo Ngaba.
On Thursday (April 21) two elderly Tibetans, Dongko (male, aged 60) and Sherkyi (female, aged 65) were killed after enduring excessive beatings from the Chinese police. The two people died in their attempt to prevent the 300 Kirti monks from forcibly being hauled into the trucks driving them to an undisclosed location. Eyewitnesses claim that “people had their arms and legs broken, one old woman had her leg broken in three places, and cloth was stuffed in their mouths to stifle their screams.”
On Wednesday (April 20), several hundred officials from nearby counties gathered at Kirti Monastery to conduct ‘patriotic education’. According to International Campaign for Tibet, “in scenes that appear to be reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution, when monks gave answers that the officials did not approve of, the monks were severely beaten.”
Since the last many weeks, Kirti Monastery has been turned into a virtual prison with foods being impounded, movements restricted and the 2500 monks being made to starve. Kirti Rinpoche (living in India) has appealed for international support to save Kirti monastery in the wake of the crisis facing the monks and the local people in Ngaba.
Contrary to the Chinese government’s claim that the condition in Amdo Ngaba is normal, the video footages and the still images that came out of Tibet showed that following the unrest, Ngaba has been under severe lockdown with heavy presence of paramilitary and armed forces.
“The crackdown on the Tibetans by the Chinese authorities impedes the international human rights conventions that China signed and ratified especially the Right to freedom of religion’ and the Right to freedom of thought” said Lukar Jam, the vice President of Gu Chu Sum Movement for Tibet.
Tension is rife in the region with foreign journalists being barred from entering the restive region and with the phone and information communication channels also being blocked. The absence of international intervention and lack of adequate legal protection and free media coverage will only exacerbate the situation.
We urge the United States Government to raise this crucial issue during the annual meeting on human rights between the United States and China scheduled to be held next week in Beijing. We call for the urgent intervention of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion, International Human Rights organizations, the Global Buddhist Associations and the world leaders to pressurize the Chinese government to immediately stop the crackdown, end the siege in Ngaba and to release the arrested monks of Kirti monastery.
TWA Solidarity with Ngaba Kirti Monastery – April 13th (summarized)
The current situation in Ngaba Kirti Monastery is of grave concern as 2500 monks are at risk of starvation due to the complete blockade by Chinese military.
In rehash of the events which occurred since March 17th , intensified Chinese security in Ngaba County, Tibet, restricted all Tibetans as of March 20th from ceremonial practices. In addition, all regular religious programs in the monastery were suspended indefinitely.
On March 21st Kirti Monastery was subjected to the Chinese Patriotic re-education campaign initiated inside their monastery. The so called “love your country, love your religion” campaign was conducted over a five day period.
Between the dates of March 22nd and March 25th community members were arrested and detained (a total of 33 arrested which 22 people are still detained: 8 monks and 16 lay people). Recently reports of Tibetan monks under the age of 18 have been taken by force from the Kirti Monastery along with youth in the community who have been arrested.
As of April 7th Chinese security forces cordoned three of four gated entrances by constructing cement walls restricting all movement in and out of the monastery; therefore, no one is allowed to come or go and the food offerings from local Tibetans, which sustain the monks, have been completely prohibited. The grave concern now is starvation of 2500 monks who are directly affected by the crackdown.
April 1st to April 8th brought about complete blockade of the Monastery with extreme restrictions of movement, harassment, and food shortage. The authorities up to this point have taken drastic measures to quell any possibility of continued solidarity or show of support. At this time the monastery officials have maintained a peaceful environment with continued emphasis on non-violence. The concern now is how long can the monks sustain with no food, how long will the human rights violations persist and how long will the monks remain quiet?
Due to the extreme conditions of human rights violations in Ngaba County Tibet, TWA appeals to the international community and the United Nations to urgently issue intervention to stop the ongoing security clampdown and arbitrary arrests and detentions of Tibetans. TWA urges the authorities to immediately stop the deplorable human rights violations of food denial and forced starvation imposed on the monks of Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County. In addition the restrictions on freedom of movement must be lifted.
Please we ask not only the Tibetan community but the international community to join in solidarity with our Tibetan brothers and sisters in Ngaba County, Tibet. In addition, we pray for the wellbeing of the 2500 monks directly affected by the intensified security and restriction of food supply. Please join us around the world in support.
Thank you for your time in reading and becoming informed. Also keep the monks in India who are marching to Delhi in your prayers for safety in addition to all those in Ngaba County, Tibet who are under such intense restrictions.
Also you can show your support for the Tibetan community and Human Rights in Tibet by taking one simple step and placing your facebook picture as the Panchen Lama who is the youngest political prisoner in history taken at the age of six and been missing since 1995. He would have been 22 yesterday but no one of the Tibetan community knows of his where abouts.
Thank you and if you are interested in supporting the Pennies for Partnerships Project there is a link in the side bar for gift giving.
Much appreciation to you all for keeping the Tibetan community in the forethought.
Hello. I am happy to post the opportunity to support the Pennies for Partnerships Rice Drive to address hunger through the Give Forward fund raising option.
You can now give the gift of rice through one simple click on the above link. The fund raiser has been established with a first time goal of obtaining $5000.00 but as we are all aware there are many more people to be fed than just those who would benefit from this amount. Obviously the project is able to accept beyond this amount but this would be a wonderful start.
An article in 2009 noted that there are “230 million people undernourished in the rural poor population”
Food inflation in India has become a growing concern. In the news in March it was reported that food costs have soared between 2009 and 2010 by 25%. In addition one of the reports noted that India has about half of the world’s under-nourished children. This is creating difficulties for addressing the UN Millennium Development Goals to be obtained by 2015. The international community can assist.
For more information about the hunger issues of India read the article “Hunger Haunts India” posted back in October.
“The country has a high “hunger score” of 24.1 and ranks behind all its neighbours, barring Bangladesh. Values between 20 and 29.9 on the index denote an “alarming” hunger situation.”
The report mentioned that even though in India there is advancement in the middle class there is also a dimension of great concern such as those who are deprived due to vulnerability, powerlessness, exploitation, marginalization and alienation which perpetuates poverty in certain sectors of society. These are the people we are trying to reach with the Pennies for Partnerships project.
Please if you have the ability to give we are currently in the next planning phase for distribution and your contribution is much appreciated.
Gifts of all size are greatly beneficial to those who often go hungry in a day.
Thank you for your consideration and generosity. Please remember you can also give by sharing this link and the link to the Give Forward site with your e-mail contacts, family, friends, colleagues, and social networking sites like facebook and twitter. It all helps.
I am so happy to announce Pennies for Partnerships’ first gift from a caring and compassionate group of 6th graders who attend the Holy Trinity Interparochial School in Westfield, NJ.
I was recently notified that a group of young students explored the details of Pennies for Partnerships and found it to be a cause in which they believed in and wanted to support the idea of addressing hunger in our global community. The project was first introduced by one of the Pennies for Partnerships’ longtime supporter Denise Brezik. Aware of the social studies curriculum which included the study of India, Denise sent the blog to the teacher to plant the seed of interest. The teacher, Mrs. Cullinan presented the blog to the students who showed great interest in the project. She presented the students with the opportunity to develop a way in which they could show their support. The students decided they wanted to all contribute by gifting some of their personal money to buy rice to address hunger.The students pooled together their resources and made a gift offering of $100.00 to purchase rice to gift to people in the Indian villages who often experience hunger due to destitute poverty.
In addition to their fundraising efforts they used their creative efforts to artistically design a lovely card which incorporates not only the beauty of the Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, common in Northern India (and often seen just outside my window) but also the large bag of rice which is the signature of Pennies for Partnerships. Symbolically they showed the growth of beautiful flowers which I portray as the beauty of the seed of compassion.
I would like to sincerely thank all the students of Mrs. Cullinan’s 6th grade class for their $100.00 gift and their most kind words of encouragement for the continuation of the project. In addition, I would like to remind them that it is the people like themselves who are the reason this project exists; I am only their messenger. As a representative of those who will benefit from this most generous gift, I would like to sincerely thank all who participated.
Posted above are the pictures of the lovely card.
As well I want to say to the 6th graders:
“Your actions are exemplary of great change agents and I am confident you will all make a difference in the future of our global community! Keep up the good work!”
If you or anyone you know might be interested in developing a program in their classrooms, churches, sororities, clubs, groups or organizations, I am happy to assist with providing materials that could help to enhance the opportunity; such as powerpoint presentations, flyers, or ideas for events.
In addition one great way to partner with the project would be to share the link to this blogsite with your contacts in your e-mail account as well as with your facebook friends, your family and anyone you think might be interested.
Hello everyone. I apologize for the delay in posting. My travels have brought me back to McLeod Ganj, India where my first interest in the Tibetan refugee population was ignited in 2008. I arrived here two weeks ago and it has been a little bit hectic as I have moved three times and have been sick for almost the entire 2 weeks. So I certainly apologize. In addition I am also volunteering with the Tibetan Women’s Association who I worked with on my first visit here in 2008. It is so great to back working in the office with these incredibly intelligent and committed women. Their advocacy work is immense and in addition to the Pennies for Partnerships I think they will keep me busy working on grants and research for publications.
Meanwhile the Pennies for Partnerships has not gone unattended all together. I have been working on partnering with a nonprofit organization in Arkansas to help facilitate the development of the project which will also hopefully provide an online payment option. In addition, I just discovered a wonderful nonprofit organization that partners with grassroots projects like this around the world; thanks to a great mentor who initially started a social service organization here in India but is now completely self reliant Lha Charitable Trust. The application process is in the works to partner with the organization located in the United States so more details to come on both these wonderful potential opportunities.
So to date the project has facilitated gifts of rice to 105 families with a total of 5775 pounds of rice delivered. Thanks to the many kind, generous gift giving people who have made it possible to deliver to the peoples doorsteps to ensure they receive 100% of your generosity. The next distribution is in the planning but because it requires some travel to the location where the organic farmers are located it will still be several weeks. In addition, there is a need for increased funding to make the next distribution even bigger and better than before.
I will soon be meeting with the official from the Tibetan Department of Home who oversees the entire Tibetan Organic Farmers project and I will address the planning for the next purchase of rice from the Dheradun Farmers.
My time in Bylakuppe was very informative as to the training and research that has gone into the effort to have all farmers switch over to Organic farming.
The training assists farmers with understanding the natural resources such as using cow manure to enrich fertilization. They walked me through the entire process:
If you or anyone is interested in participating by giving a gift of rice which supports organic farmers and reaches out to people who suffer from hunger please contact me directly at 1lhdawg@gmail.com
Also sharing this information with your contacts, on your facebook throughout your network is also a great way to give- please provide the link to this site
Thanks again to everyone for all you have done and continue to do to make it possible to outreach to those who struggle in the developing world and live with extreme issues of poverty, hunger and oppression.
Also exciting plans to come involving school projects, community projects and more ways you can get involved thanks to the many wonderful people and their creative thoughts and ideas. This is only made possible because of you. I am only the messenger and it gives me great joy to be your ambassador of giving.
Thanks to you the partners/donors of Pennies for Partnerships we successfully distributed 2750 pounds of Tibetan Organic rice this morning.
We reached an entire village which consisted of 50 homes and 80 families. The pictures are worth a million words so this blog will be focused on photos and a few of the compelling emotions and experiences.
One the greatest encounters was with a blind woman 103 years old. She brought me to tears as she was so appreciative she profusely thanked us, prayed over us and blessed us a million times over.
The smiles on the faces brought great joy knowing lives were touched with your gift today.
There was one part of the community that was obviously poorer than the others and their homes were more difficult to get to. The path was very narrow and thanks to the Tibetan Organic Farmers’ staff assistance the tractor went as far back in the woods as possible.
Then we discovered the families who lived on a footpath which was even more difficult to reach.
The community came together to make certain these homes were served and many of the young men came together to help deliver to these homes.
The families were deeply touched by the gifts and the efforts to reach this community ended up to not be as difficult as originally feared.
We reached not only the poor but the elder and disabled who are not able to work.
It is because of you that the people of this tribal community will have a few days in this year of less hunger and less suffering. I can assure you they are truly appreciative for your gifts and they send a huge thank you to you all.
In addition I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of the Tibetan Organic Research & Training Center staff who worked diligently to make this happen.
The tribal community does work that assists in environmental concerns by working diligently to recycle plastic.
Their efforts are greatly appreciated as the issue of overwhelming amounts of plastic in India is a serious concern. They know we appreciate them and they appreciate you.
If you would like to participate or know anyone who would like to assist in supporting the Tibetan Organic Farmers and feed hungry people by donating 55 pounds of rice please share this website. You can send a comment and I will directly respond as how to donate.
To date Pennies for Partnerships has distributed to 102 households in India.
A total of 5610 pounds of rice have been donated. Each bag (55 lbs) costs $14.00. In addition 100% of your contribution goes towards the purchase of rice and I personally see to it that each bag lands on the doorstep of those who experience hunger in their daily lives.
Thank you from all the people including the Tibetan Organic Farmers.
I have arrived to the next Tibetan settlement camp in Bylakuppe, India (south India). It is currently the Tibetan New Year which is called Losar and things are little quiet here. I arrived the night before last and started the search yesterday for the next Indian Village to be the recipient of the Pennies for Partnerships project.
Based on discussions with people in the community it has been determined that a community of people who work to collect plastic and other recyclable items are in need of assistance.
I visited the community with the assistance of my Tibetan monk friend Yama. We arrived unannounced to assess the community and found a recycling plant where there are mounds of plastic. Anyone who has been to India knows the amount of plastic piled up is a major environmental concern. So as always we were quickly noticed by the community and one man approached us to ask how he could assist. We mentioned we were interested in learning about the community (never mentioning the purpose) and he called one young boy to translate. I was told the community is known as Dungry Garasia in Kushalnagar, India and they are a Rajasthan Tribal Community brought here to work for a recycling company that makes what appears to be PVC. I was told there are 80 families and 50 houses.
They showed me the machinery that breaks down the plastic and then how it is formed into the pipes. I explained that the type of work of collecting the plastic for environmental purposes is very important work and affirmed their efforts. I have often seen people carrying very large bags of plastic and wondered what they do with it so this was a very informative visit.
Then we met some of the families in the community who live in meager conditions. I was told that in the beginning they had some support for food rations but this support has stopped and there are hunger concerns in the community (this was brought to light without any discussion of our project details).
So after meeting with this community I feel as though this is a good village to contribute to as it addresses hunger needs, and the people do work that also support environmental concerns for the purpose of recycling.
We would like to distribute to the entire community but the funds have yet to be received to facilitate such a large distribution. Please if you are interested in supporting this community contact me via comment and I will provide the details of how to contribute. Remember 100% of your contribution goes towards the purchase of 55 pound (25 kg) bags of Organic Rice from Tibetan Farmers which costs approximately $14.00 and will feed a family as we were told for approximately a month.
Thank you for your consideration and interest in gifting to those who suffer from hunger issues.
Pennies for Partnerships and Tibetan Organic Farmers Deliver to Basket Weaving Community:
Tashi Delek and Hello! I am happy to say that the delivery to the Indian basket weaving community in a village within Mundgod was very successful. The team consisted of a Tibetan Organic Farmer who drove the jeep, the representative for Organic Farmers of Mundgod from the Dalai Lama’s office, Tempa, an Indian laborer, and me.
The project took some time as there was much research needed to identify the community most in need. In addition I visited the basket weaving community and walked around to survey the area and meet the people. There is a great deal of support coming from the Tibetan officials as there is a dire need to find outlets for the farmer’s products; in addition I was informed that the farmers are the very poorest in the Tibetan community. The leaders of the community and all the people are very appreciative for the purchase of the rice and they are supportive of helping Indian communities as India has given so much to the Tibetans in providing them a new place to establish their culture. The Indian community was also very appreciative as the surprises and smiles on their faces are worth a million.
One woman told the driver of the jeep that the gift of 1 bag of rice saves her from the worries of a month rationing. Because they never know when they might sell a basket they ration until the sale of a another, often limiting their food intake. The woman was very thin and the look on her face was that which made me think she was going to cry.
So by the end of the delivery we had determined a new term for this type of giving…”guerilla giving”. Although it has a different meaning the reason this term was coined was because of the need to drop as many as possible then drive off as the crowds gather and then return a little while later or drive to a different road. This eliminates getting mobbed as there is more need than is possible to distribute. Hence the term “guerilla giving” as a very strong force of energy is put into the distribution to connect with the individuals but quickly move so to mange as many deliveries as possible. It is a force of giving that is unique but requires a positive term…so “guerilla giving” has a very positive connotation.
Suggestions have been made from the church manager and the Indian politician to do distribution in conjunction with an existing organization. The complication with this is in India you never know if the total amount being contributed is actually arriving to the people. Hence our way, Pennies for Partnerships, and the opportunity to bring a surprise smile and see firsthand the people who receive the gift. It is amazing and the Tibetan representative in the end told me that he had never been involved in anything like this and really enjoyed it. Also the Indian laborer told the Tibetan man to tell me “it was very nice to be involved in such a good project”.
Interesting enough as the last bag was distributed the people had started to come out and ask for their home to be served. This is always the most difficult time as there is never enough to give to all who are I need. During this crucial time our jeep would not start. This forced us to slow down and really interact with the community. All the men, including children that were close came to help push us up the small incline.
The women and other children gathered around as they smiled and offered tea and anything to show their gratitude. We found a wonderful way to celebrate the experience by taking group photos.
From what I can tell lives are being touched in many different ways through this project which would not be possible without you the donors and your generosity. I have included many photos for you to see the experiences although it is impossible to have a photo of every home served. We delivered a total of 26 bags on February 16th.
May I also give to each of you my sincerest gratitude for reaching out and helping those who are poor and hungry. You have also enriched my life by providing me this amazing experience to touch those who are often forgotten and slip through the cracks of society; especially in a culture that still practices the discriminatory caste system. The gift of a 55 pound bag of rice which costs approximately $14.00 is the equivalent of an entire weeks wage for the average laborer as the Indian politician explained that the men are guaranteed 100 days of work a year, working 8 hour days, and receiving a total days wage of 150 rupees ( approximately $3.00 a day). Oh yeah and women get 100 days a year at 80 rupees (less than $2.00 a day). An interesting comment made by the Indian Politician of a higher caste stated “we don’t really have people who live on less than a dollar a day because we have very good programs to assist with the 100 days of work”. SO if you do the math the men make about $300 a year which is less than $1.00 a day and the women well you can see the discrimination and inequality in the policy which provides a lower wage. Even more appalling was the Indian politician’s statement “now the women have it really good”. Sometimes we find the culture is unique and different and although there must be respect there also is need for change. Thank you for your gifts provided through the Pennies for Partnerships Rice Distribution; you are changing lives!!!!
Due to the nature of technology and the ability to go global Pennies for Partnerships is now offering easy access for donations using Paypal. To make donations online see button in leftside bar.
So we have received the delivery of 26 bags (55 pounds each) of organic rice and the research for the distribution is in the process. Things are a little more complicated here because at a Tibetan refugee settlement camp there are some necessary guidelines and permits for foreigners who choose to visit. Hence I have experienced some limited movement. I hope to have the bags of rice delivered to the nearest Indian community on Feb 15th which will be Feb 14th in the States so it is given with love from all of you.
After the distribution I will move to the next community further south. The Tibetan Organic Farmers are preparing for that order/delivery now. The rice will be provided by the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe and is the largest camp in India. At this time there is $144.00 for that purchase although there is more than $200.00 outstanding in commitments from donors that have yet to be received. I realize weather has prevented some of you from making it to the post but if you plan to donate it would be so awesome to receive your contribution as we will be able to serve so many more families.
To date we have served 52 families – 26 will receive in the next few days = 78 households. IN addition based on the records of donations yet to be received (including the recent $144.00 received) we should be able to serve an additional 24+ homes although there are 9 people who have yet to announce the dollar amount they plan to donate; therefore even more will be served based on receipt of your contributions.
I was at first advancing based on the honor system but a few weeks have passed and those dollars have still not come in so now I am only able to serve once the contributions are received. So I plead with you for your follow-up and thank you in advance for your wonderful and generous contributions. Also you all need to know 100% of your donations go towards the purchase of rice as I am personally covering the cost of all logistics such as transportation and labor expense (unless someone wants to contribute to logistics I am committed to 100% of your donations purchasing food to fight hunger).
Remember if you need the details of how to contribute please e-mail me directly at 1lhdawg@gmail.com and I will send you the information in a private e-mail. Also for those who have sent notice they are interested in donating I need each of you to e-mail me at 1lhdawg@gmail.com and tell me the amount you plan to contribute so I can be negotiating and preparing the deliveries from the Tibetan Organic Farmers. In conclusion it is so appreciated if you have corresponded and said you will contribute if you will please follow up. Your participation is critical in supporting the cause. Also if you know of others who might be interested please share this blog link https://indiasocialwork.wordpress.com/ to your e-mail contacts and facebook friends.
Much appreciation to you all,
Leann
For additional information about the history of the Tibetan Organic Farmers initiative please see the following link. http://tibetgov.net/agri_organic.html
Pennies for Partnerships with Tibetan Organic Farmers February 8, 2011
Tashi Delek and hello. So many wonderful things are happening here in Indian and most importantly the project for Pennies for Partnerships is developing into a wonderful relationship with the Tibetan Organic Farmers. I had the second meeting yesterday which was really nice to visit the exhibit and meet more of the players involved. In addition one of the candidates who is running for Prime Minister Mr. Tashi Wangdu invited me for tea. We discussed the initiative of the partnership with the organic farmers and the objectives. We discussed the financial benefits to the organic farming community, the benefit to the poor Indian villages to address hunger and even more importantly the ability to forge good relations between the two communities. Bringing together the two communities is an important part of this as there is often dissent between the two as some poor Indian communities are envious of the Tibetan refugees support from the international communities. This allows them to see that the Tibetans also care for their wellbeing and that the international community cares for them both. We are all brothers and sisters of this world and we all deserve to be free from hunger in a world of plenty.
The next distribution is being prepared as the Tibetan organic farmers had only been packaging in 5 kg bags so they are preparing for our project the 25 kg (55 pound) bags which will be gifted to the poorest in the villages.
At this time I have placed an order for 26 bags based on receipt of contributions. There are additional contributions that have yet to be received but as it stands if all contributions are mailed in we will serve an additional 20 families although it will be more as there are some people who have yet to notify me of their amount of donation.
This will mean over a hundered families have been served through your wonderful gifts.
A little history on the Tibetan growers: There are approximately 160,000+ Tibetan refugees living in India. The settlement camp I am presently visiting is located in Karnataka State and in the 1960’s the Indian government agreed to provide 4000 acres of forestland, which at the time was nearly uninhabitable, to the Tibetan refugees. They worked diligently to cultivate the lands and make roads and now Karnataka State is the resident of the largest Tibetan colonies in exile. Over 60% of the Tibetan population in India subsists on agricultural occupations. In 2002 the Tibetan exile Government in India adopted an initiative for organic farming. There are currently 978 farmers cultivating on 4051 acres of land in 12 major agricultural settlements in India. In Mungod (where I am presently visiting) there are approximately 222 farmers from three camps and represents the largest number of farmers participating in the organic practices compared to the other Tibetan settlement camps.There is approximately 877 acres being organically cultivated and an additional 2177 acres expected to meet organic certification in the next few years. The organic products are registered and meet the guidelines since 2006 for organic certification through the Indian agency IMO Control Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore. The product is sold through the Federation of Tibetan Cooperative in India (FTCI) and the local Tibetan cooperative society. An area of need is distribution for market of the organic products and greater education of the environmental benefits and health benefits.
If you are interested in supporting the Tibetan Organic Farmers you can do so through the Pennies for Partnerships project by donating to the purchase of rice to be distributed to the hungry poor people of the Indian villages.
Enjoy the photos and more will be posted after the next distribution is made. Much appreciation to the organic farmers cooperative for providing a healthier option of rice to be distributed to the Indian community at the same price previously purchased at the conventional Indian market. This new partnership is one I feel strongly about as there are many benefits to be considered. I too hope you will see the benefits for refugees, poor hungry people, bringing communities together, and the green initiative for our future generations.
Thank you for your kind and generous support of the project. e-mail me if you are interested in this project and feel free to spread the word. It only takes a little make a big difference in others lives.
Hello everyone. I am contacting you to let you know I have forged a new partnership with the Tibetan Organic Farmers. This is a wonderful partnership so we can support the Tibetan refugees while at the same time provide healthy food to the poor Indian villages. The Tibetan Organic Farmers Association has agreed to assist us with this ongoing project and have agreed to sell us the 25 kg (55 pound) bags of rice for the same price as we would purchase from the Indian market.
I am thrilled to know they have large supplies of organic foods and will be able to support this project. I also hope to negotiate to have them supply the Lha community kitchen project if they have not already determined an agreement. The farmers are so happy and I will be meeting with them today to take photos that I can post.
We have at this time an additional funds to support a distribution to another 26 families which I will be coordinating today. This will make a total of 52 families to date that we will have served. Thank you to all for your kindness and generosity.
More photos and updates to come about the Organic Farmers and the village we will distribute to.
Kind regards,
Leann
Please email me or post comment if interested in supporting the Pennies for Partnerships food drive project.
It was a glorious day in Bodhgaya, India on Republic Day January 26, 2011 as the first of the Pennies for Partnerships food drive was successfully distributed. A total of 13 homes received a 55 pound bag of rice. These are Indian families living in destitute poverty. The families live in makeshift homes constructed from mud and straw; they live without electricity and running water. These are some of the millions of people who live on less than a $1.00 a day in our world.
The food drive brought many smiles and great thanks from the families who received a surprise visit just after sunset. We quietly walked into their homes with a greeting of “Namaste”. Thanks to Om, our partnered social worker the message was delivered to the people that we were bearing the gift of rice. There was amazing gratitude given with thanks “Danyabad” along with smiles, outreach with hand holding, hugs and even tears.
The team of distributors consisted of Om (Indian social worker), Shannwaz (shop keeper), Marilyn and Chris from Ohio (who overheard the initial conversation with Om and became actively involved as contributors and distributors), as well as myself and the laborer of whom I do not have the name.
The pictures say a thousand words and the last 3 bags that were distributed were the most amazing but also the most difficult. The reason they were the most touching was because these families had disabilities such as blindness, and deformities due to polio. It became very difficult in the end as the word had spread and people from neighboring streets were coming and pleading for assistance. Obviously there is a huge need and not all people can be reached by such a small outreach project but we can only do our best to try to touch lives.
For those of you who are not aware in India the Caste system is still very strong in some places and the state of Bihar I am told the caste system is very much a part of everyday life here. The people we reached out to yesterday are of the lowest caste which means they are discriminated against and are regarded as the “untouchables”. This means their lives are limited for opportunity and poverty is often the only way of life they will ever have. I was told the people of the higher caste are taught to not have pity on them and the people of the lower caste are taught to not have envy for those who are of the upper class.
The opportunity to reach out and touch them with love and kindness, offering the gift of holding hands, hugs, and sitting with them for a photograph is something that not only deeply touches my life, I believe Chris and Marilyn’s life but also those who received the gift of love, compassion and generosity from Pennies for Partnerships.
Thank you for making this gift possible not only for those who received but for all of us who feel the joy of giving. There are still so many people who might be able to benefit from your generosity and gift of compassion. If you are still interested in giving this project is one that can be continued in communities throughout India. We will do an additional distribution today from the donations that came during the last day. Fortunately we will be distributing a little more than the same amount as yesterday which is wonderful because there were so many families in the very close area that were left out. This will let them know they are not forgotten.
May no man, woman or child be hungry in a world of plenty and may we care for our brothers and sisters of the world.
To contribute please e-mail me directly 1lhdawg@gmail.com and all contributions are welcome and appreciated. It only takes a little to make a major impact. Bag of rice cost only $14.20
My journey has begun. I departed Fayetteville, AR on Jan 11th on a 10:30 flight to Newark, NJ where my cousin Denise met me and we visited in the airport for about an hour in a half. Thanks to her gift of trail mix I sustained myself during the Dalai Lama teachings as it was so busy with approximately 40,000 people it was a little hectic to leave during the lunch. Also I was so lucky because my flight departed just as the storm moved in and according to Denise the airport was closed shortly after my flight took off; she indicated my flight might have been the last flight out that night. This is good because had my flight been delayed I might have missed the flight in India which took me to the Dalai Lama teachings in Sarnath, which is the location of the first teaching of Buddha. The teachings were awesome to be in the pilgrimage of all the Tibetans and my first day started in the best way possible. The Dalai Lama gave a special audience early that first morning I was there for all the foreigners; couldn’t have gotten any better. So I gave a shout out Hello from Arkansas in preparation for his journey to the U of A. Also, I had such an incredible experience due to Geshe Dorjee taking care of me by connecting me with a young monk who went above and beyond to assist me with everything. Sonam, Geshe’s student met me at the airport which was nice because I had not slept at all and had been traveling for about 40+ hours. I was completely disoriented arriving in Varanasi. Sonam was my angel. He found a room for me with a professor at the University and the accommodations could not have been better. “True Indian hospitality!” Then when I departed on the night bus to Bodhgaya Sonam saw me off. The day after I left Sarnath Sonam sent me a text message to tell me I was on the front page of the paper in an article of the Dalai Lama teachings. I am excited to see as I was not able to get the paper here in Bodhgaya. Sonam has saved some copied from what I understand which is awesome because there were no cameras allowed in the teachings. Below is a photo of my two angels in Sarnath.
So the experience at the Dalai Lama teachings was really something to to see. So many people working together to make it happen in a small place with few accommodations. So I met one very nice monk from South India and he showed me where the 6,000+ monks were staying. They built a tent city which each tent had several hundred monks sleeping on the cold ground.
Of course there was the magic of spirituality surrounding the entire town with most all people there to pay homage to the historical site of the Buddha’s first teachings of the Four Noble Truths.
Now I am in Bodhgaya which is where Buddha gained enlightenment. I have been enjoying my quiet time but honestly I was exhausted and got a little sick from the travels. Feeling better today. So I was going to head to the beach and hangout for a month but instead I am thinking of remaining here in Bodhgaya for some time that way I can connect with the community. Bihar is the state and from my understanding it is the poorest state in India. I am living among the beggars camp which surrounds the house I am staying at. My room is nice but I do walk by the mud and straw huts to get to anything. I am considering a way to do something for the community while I am here for a few weeks and want to do a food drive for the Indians. The people in this camp do not harass me for money when I walk by and they greet me with smiles. The children are the ones I feel so much compassion for. They know no different as well their parents may not either. They live with so little and I wonder sometimes how they find their food to eat. I see them digging in the ditches in the garbage and it breaks my heart. The last three days I took 1 young Indian boy who were on the streets trying to find a way to make a buck and had lunch with them. One young boy told me how his dream is to be a doctor, another told me he thought one man from France was going to come back to get him and give him a better life. I am so happy to know that these children have dreams and I hope they find that dreams come true. Meanwhile there are those who I am not certain if they get a meal everyday. I spoke with a local social worker who assured me that this group in the community is truly in need and is not the group of beggars that travel around to different areas during the high season to make money. So here is a glimpse into their life and the community in which needs a little outreach.
Other visits to India the Pennies for Partnership participants have donated money for different projects in the Tibetan community. This time I would like to do something (small as it might be) for the beggars who live in the neighborhood and who I encounter in the daily. If you are interested in donating to the cause here are the details:
For a 25 kilogram bag of Rice it costs 625 rupees: this translates to approximately
$14.00 for 55 pounds of rice. Can you imagine how much 1 – 55 pound bag of rice would mean to a very poor family? For a family of five this could sustain them for approximately 2 weeks or a little longer.
Please if you are interested e-mail me directly at 1lhdawg@gmail.com and I will provide the details as to how you can donate.
100% of ALL donations will be given to the beggar community through the purchase of rice which I have located a social worker to assist with the logistics.
May there be NO HUNGER among our brother and sisters of the world.
Please if you have the ability to donate even the smallest amount can contribute to a bag of rice which would help those who often go without food in a day. This is an independent mission as we have done in the past for Pennies for Partnerships to contribute to one of the poorest areas in India. This is strictly a gift to the community and is not associated with any one particular organization but comes from the beautiful friends and family in the United States. I have partnered with one Indian social worker by the name of Om who will assist me with the project.
By the way the project is spearheaded by the first donation that was given at the MOV/Crazy Neighbor show at George’s Majestic on January 8th, 2011. A young man I met for the first time gave me $3.00 to donate and I told him I would feed someone with it.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.
Please take a moment and watch our Tibetan Awareness Campaign. It is a collaborative effort with a cohort Veronica. We have both spent time in India among the Tibetan Refugee Community and have presented some options of how you can get involved. All photographs were taken during social work practicums.
Also I will be returning to India in January and formulating a way for those who would like to provide support to programs can get involved. Please leave a comment for me to contact you privately via e-mail if you are interested in providing support or have ideas to offer. I plan to return to the original location of the pilot program Tutors for Tibetans in South India. This is an area where many of the children have limited educational opportunities and their parents are not able to assist with homework due to illiteracy. Please help us empower these children for a brighter future through education as it is a key factor in lifting individuals from poverty.
Hello. So I have decided to stray a little from my normal focus of Tibetan issues because I have recently been appalled with the discussion of the new mosque in New York. I first want to say I think it is horrific that we a nation of freedom and liberty would even take to the conversation about not permitting the mosque to be built-in Manhattan.
First it is in my opinion that the hate and prejudice in America against religious groups needs to stop. Tolerance of difference needs to be taught more in our society. I understand the hurt and pain of those who lost loved ones in the 9/11 tragedy but at the same time we must not make every person of the Muslim faith to be associated with those who chose the path of violence. I can only imagine the deep feelings of sadness the Muslim -American community is feeling and the disappointment of those who associated themselves with their faith. In every faith there are people who do not practice the beliefs accordingly and tend to not represent the group as a whole. This we must learn to discern and distinguish the difference.
It is because of a personal experience in India that I share this with you.
Nearly every Muslim I met and had conversation with was compelled to tell me that their faith is not represented by the radicals. The message felt as though the people are desperate to preserve their beliefs yet how can they separate from those who damage the name in which they give their spirit. This is perplexing and there are many incidences in our society where we can look at similarities.
This week I commented on a post of NPR with regards to the issues of the mosque. There was a wonderful posting by a Muslim woman who I commented to for her courage and strength to speak out. This is her reply to me:
“I can’t tell you how touched I was by your message. It lets me know that there are fellow citizens who care and that I and other Muslim- Americans are not in this alone. If there is anything that I have learned from current times, my readings, my education as a counselor, but more importantly my religion, it is this: that we all (and i include the Muslim- American community) must learn to speak out against any injustice anywhere towards anyone in this world.
Your message gives me hope that I am not alone with this belief.
Just as it is important for me and other Muslim-Americans to speak up, please know that we consider our fellow Americans speaking up to be just as necessary in these times. .
Once again thanks so much.
I hope you have a wonderful week 🙂 ”
I share this message with you because I feel it is a critical time to speak against the hate in our society and to spread the message of love and tolerance. Please join in building our world to be a place of tolerance and acceptance for difference. Let’s build bridges between the differences as opposed to barriers. Let’s make the world nonviolent with our actions and our words.
Death toll from landslides in Tibet’s Amdo Province has more than doubled Tuesday to 702, with 1,042 others still missing, Chinese state media said late Tuesday.
Some 1,243 people have been rescued and 42 of them were found seriously injured, Xinhua said, quoting Tian Baozhong, head of the Chinese provincial civil affairs department.
So I just am a little concerned about the possibility the United Nations, bearer of the Declaration of Human Rights (DHR), is being bullied. My understanding is that the DHR holds explicit notions of freedom of expression. Well isn’t freedom of expression what ART is all about? So shouldn’t we be concerned as a global community that the heart and soul of the declaration is being dominated by a world leader? Isn’t this the purpose for the United Nations and issues regarding human rights? Why would they give their power away?
So as I write this blog many of you have no idea what I am referencing to…well take a look at this article and if you have feelings of concern for our liberties feel free to pass it on.
This sculpture was at onetime on display with 144 images of victims and survivals of violence. The images were removed and the artists work was censored after a request was filed …read who requested these images to be barred from the exhibit. Then I challenge you to consider why?
First I would like to say thank you to all of you for your interests and efforts in the Tibetan cause. I know and realize there are so many different social concerns and it is difficult to determine when and where to give. As well I want to say thank you to those who have given to the campaign for safe water (see below for details in reaching the goal).
Today I am asking for only a small level of generosity and compassion from a lot of people. Pennies for Partnerships was created with the idea to distribute the call to action among the large numbers of us who do care and who can give a little. When I say a little you must know that the smallest amount you can think of is appreciated and utilized. The Pennies for Partnerships campaign seeks to benefit others through small acts of human kindness.
Palyul Choekhorling Nyingmapa Buddhist monastery registered non-profit charitable institute in Kangra, India
These are some of the lives you will impact with better health and better quality of life. If you will please just help me get 400 people to give $5.00 each we would meet our goal of only $2000.00. A little today goes a long way for tomorrow …. It’s easy you can do it from your cell phone even…paypal: http://lhainfo.org/donate.php
So you want to know why you should do it?
BECAUSE YOU CAN
I am asking that you forgo the next bottle of water, coke, or beer and instead give to the purchase of a water filter that will provide safe drinking water to 250+ people. Below are some of the faces of those you will be helping. Please give a little today it’s easy and it’s cheap….. Remember Pennies for Partnerships
Mailing address: P.O BOX 19826, New Orleans, LA 70179, USA
or
notify me directly and I will let you know where to mail it directly.
Thank you again to the current donors who have contributed $330.00 towards the small goal of $2000.
You all are awesome for giving your support and generosity. Leaving your mark piece by piece. It’s these little random acts of kindness that keeps us all bonded in the global community. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Leann
P.S. If we could just get the following…. I have that many in my e-mail contact or facebook or twitter but maybe you can help spread the word that it’s a great cause and it’s a pennies thing…..
1000 people $2.00
400 people $5.00 each
200 people $10.00 each
100 people $20.00 each
50 people $40.00 each
or one really nice person!!! Please share this with your friends. Thank you.
June 20 is WORLD REFUGEE DAY. In an effort to continue the commitment to reach out and help those who have been displaced from their homes and are faced with difficulties of extreme poverty Pennies for Partnerships is launching a new safe water campaign.
Each year Pennies for Partnerships provides support for new projects in the Tibetan refugee community in India. Your past support to the fund-raisers have touched the lives of many disadvantaged people who live each day without the modern conveniences we take for granted. One of these modern conveniences is safe drinking water.
I have recently been informed of a concern in India at one monastery of a Tibetan monk who works with the LHA program. If you remember LHA is where I worked my field placement last spring and they do what they can to provide services to the community; it takes the international community to make it possible for LHA to overcome the detrimental conditions faced within the Tibetan refugee community. LHA was originally started by a social worker from Tulane University. In a continued effort to assist with the difficult issues faced as refugees I need your help – they need your help.
Faced with serious health concerns due to no water filtration system at their residence, horribly contaminated water conditions are creating a health concern among the young and old. The water is so terribly contaminated that even boiling the water has not been making it safe to drink. The health risks have caused a great deal of illness among the community which consists of 250 monks age six to seventy.
The World Health Organization indicates the seriousness of the problem throughout our global community:
About 2.6 billion people – half the developing world – lack even a simple ‘improved’ latrine and 1.1 billion people has no access to any type of improved drinking source of water. As a direct consequence:
1.6 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera) attributable to lack of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation and 90% of these are children under 5, mostly in developing countries;
160 million people are infected with schistosomiasis causing tens of thousands of deaths yearly; 500 million people are at risk of trachoma from which 146 million are threatened by blindness and 6 million are visually impaired;
intestinal helminths (ascariasis, trichuriasis and hookworm infection) are plaguing the developing world due to inadequate drinking water, sanitation and hygiene with 133 million suffering from high intensity intestinal helminths infections; there are around 1.5 million cases of clinical hepatitis A every year.
For a small investment of $2000 a filtration system can be purchased and installed at the facility to ensure safe water for the individuals. As in the past it takes only small donations to add up to the amount that could make it possible for the young and old alike to be protected from daily concerns of diarrhea and hepatitis. Any additional donoations will go to another health initiative – Asthma. There is a horrible mold problem in the rooms and asthma has become a complication and has even been the cause of death to a few in the community. They have no funds to address these health iniatives.
Please will you do something today to recognize World Refugee Day- June 20:
Please give to the Safe Drinking Water campaign for Palyul Choekhorling Nyingmapa Buddhist Monastery.
Donations of small and large are welcomed and appreciated.
You can contribute through the LHA PayPal account and contribute online or mail to the New Orleans Office. (please note for Safe Water Drinking Campaign)
Thank you for your consideration and contribution to acknowledge the World Refugee Day.
Your compassion is greatly appreciated in the Tibetan community.
Kind regards,
Leann
I hope to post photos soon of the many young boys who are affected by the unsafe water so if you need more information please post a comment and e-mail me.
Today His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be giving a talk and participating in a discussion at the University of Northern Iowa.
Tuesday, May 18 Events
The University of Northern Iowa will be streaming using an embedded Flash player as well as streaming with Real. Flash player 10.x is required to view Flash content. Otherwise download Real Player for Windows, Mac or Linux.
Our professors from the University of Arkansas are there as they lay the ground work for the visit of His Holiness to the University of Arkansas next May. Stay tuned for more details of the visit which can also be accessed by linking to two websites:
Every visit to India the Pennies for Partnerships has made a contribution to the Tibetan refugee community in India. The first partnership initiative was in summer 2008 when Pennies for Partnerships raised contributions for both the Tibetan Children’s Heritage Fund (now Tutors for Tibetans) and Tibetan Women’s Association. The second initiative contributed to Lha Charitable Trust where the Pennies for Partnership participants donated clothes which added to a very successful clothing drive and also the online raffle which contributed close to $1000. To date Pennies for Partnerships has contributed approximately $3000 total with each organization receiving about $1000.00 and clothing worth more than a thousand dollars.
This year on my return to India I would like to take the initiative for Pennies for Partnerships to address a health concern. Safe drinking water is a serious issue. There are many serious problems with unsafe drinking water that cause a great deal of health complications among the people. Another health issue being addressed is how the moist climate perpetuates a mold problem which causes health issues of Asthma and other respiratory complications. People are dying from these two issues and small contributions from many of us can rectify the problem.
I am just planting seeds right now as I brainstorm how we can continue the support that is much needed for a community that has so few resources to address these serious issues. This new initiative will maintain the previous concept of Pennies for Partnerships… it just takes a little from each of us to add up and make a difference.
Please stay tuned for further details of how you can be involved to help save lives with very little effort.
Also details about the visit of the Dalai Lama to University of Arkansas can be accessed through the Tibetspace link on the left side bar.
Your continued interest in supporting Tibetan refugees is compassionate and considerate as well as much needed and appreciated.
Pennies For Partnerships is a collective effort to raise contributions to benefit the Tibetan people. Thank you to everyone who participates.
... ... Beneficiaries 2008:
Phase 1 - Tibetan Women's Association. The Stitches of Tibet economic development program for women; also a publication - “Tears of Silence” to be released on the 50th anniversary of the original uprising of March 10, 1959 - reporting on the status of Tibetan women.
... ... Phase 1 part 2 - Tibetan Children's Heritage. You will see pictures where we met with two teachers who will benefit from the fund raiser and the 40 children who will also benefit from the efforts of Jigme Paljor and Karma Tsomo. When we discussed the needs of the children, the teachers expressed the need for books, notebooks, comics, and cushions to sit on. The children also need raincoats because they do not have a bus service and all of them walk to school. Some of their families are farmers so they walk a pretty good distance.
... ... Phase 2 - Donations 2009: clothing drive at this time. My Tibetan friend in India, Dolkar, has two grandchildren who are in much need of clothing and shoes. The boy is 1 1/2 and the girl is a newborn. Items not needed for Dolkar will be donated to Lha. I have had an offer from a kind person to pay for the fee to transport these donations. ... ... Phase 2 part 2: Make Your Mark campaign. Pennies for Partnership started a campaign for the Lha Charitable Trust called “Make your Mark Campaign” offering prize raffle for donations of markers and money to buy reusable markers for school supplies.
... ... Phase 3 - Donations 2011: Food distribution now. The organic farmer’s project aims to create self sufficiency, more biodiversity, and harmonious nature for all sentient beings. Their efforts are to make the earth green and safe for future generations to come. If you are interested in supporting the Tibetan Organic Farmers you can do so through the Pennies for Partnerships project by donating to the purchase of rice to be distributed to the hungry poor people of the Indian villages. If interested please look for the PayPal Donation button on the blog or e-mail me at 1lhdawg@gmail.com
... ... NEW Mid-2011 - Please Make A Donation through the PayPal button at the top of this website! via Pennies For Partnerships affiliation with TCIA
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Other Sources
The news headline links, below, are collected from around the internet (a wide variety of sources), from articles referring to Tibet. These links do not reflect my opinion, but are provided here for perspective and keep track of representations of Tibet in the news media.
India-Tibetan Social Work 
