Many of the elders in Herbertpur camp – nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in Dehradun, India – are veterans who served with the Special Frontier Force of the Indian Army.  The Indian government gives them a small pension but it’s not nearly enough for these veterans to survive their last years with dignity.  For almost a decade AHF has been helping to ease the burden of uncertainty for these destitute elders with a small stipend to cover everyday costs like tea and medicine.  AHF also supports cooks, food for kids, and occasional infrastructure projects like a solar-powered lighting system, new floors, and a special care room for sick elders.

In the absence of continued struggle, these elders have become industrious! Recently, a group of men began making noodles.  They started small, and evolved their recipe into something delicious.  Today they have a brand new machine (also supported by AHF), and they churn out vegetarian and egg noodles that are very popular in communities surrounding the camp.  Now the elderly community has a sense of pride in their enterprise, and they have a little bit more money to get by on.  Not to mention their noodles are in high demand!

He has been the abbot and spiritual leader of Kunsang Choling nunnery for these girls ever since, and in the process has given them a whole new life.  More girls have come, drawn by the chance for an education and to study Buddhist teachings.  Now some 50 young nuns can recite long Tibetan Buddhist texts by heart, many excel at the sacred art of mandala painting, and Lama Gondup recently added a “Khenmo” program (equivalent to a PhD) for nuns ready to study at that level.  Amidst the laughter and smiles and sounds of prayer, Kunsang Choling is more than a school; it is a home, a family, a sisterhood, and a new beginning for these young women.

So in 2005, AHF launched the Tibetan Enterprise Fund, a micro-finance program for Tibetan refugees, and has to date invested $100,000 in small income-generating projects – by Tibetans for Tibetans – with many more on the way.  We’ve helped Tibetan settlements run dairy farms, grow mushrooms, package and sell incense, operate a telephone service, and even start an internet café.

In the Jampaling settlement in Pokhara, for example, AHF’s Tibetan Enterprise Fund made it possible for the camp to turn several large tracts of land into productive rice and wheat fields.  We helped them buy a new tractor to till the fields, plant the crops, and carry them to market.  The tractor has even been spotted hauling wood.  This simple purchase has enabled Tibetans in Jampaling to earn a small profit for the camp, increase their own food security, and repay their loan to TEF so other Tibetan camps can participate.

From cows to computers and tractors to telephones, AHF is making possible an important goal for Tibetan exiles: the pride and dignity of self-sufficiency.