ROKPA Times March 2017 - For strong girls and women

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Editorial Dear friends of <strong>ROKPA</strong> What always touches me on my project trips is the fate of girls and women. The burden they bear is great. Nevertheless, the respect given to them is often small. Frequently, I meet women, who have to fend for their family without much social support, like the young mother of five children from the Tibetan areas of China. Her husband had died shortly after the birth of their twins. When I meet her, she is covered with white dust. To support herself and her children, the young woman carves mantras in stones which she then sells. Her eyes tear, her skin itches and her throat aches. She has no money to buy clothing to protect her from the dust, because the money is scarce. Just like this young mother, many women in the project countries of <strong>ROKPA</strong> live in great poverty. It is particularly hard for the women who belong to lower social classes, such as the so-called "untouchables" in Nepal. They are disadvantaged on three fronts: by sex, by poverty and by social exclusion. <strong>ROKPA</strong> is committed to these women. Your donation makes it possible for girls to go to school and to become independent young women. Thanks to your contribution, women in need can earn their own income and feed their family. And with your donation, you will provide the most destitute mothers with the essentials to offer their newborns a good start into life. We would like to thank you for your continued support for <strong>ROKPA</strong>. With heartfelt thanks for your generosity and warm regards to you! Yours, Lea Wyler Co-Founder and President <strong>ROKPA</strong> INTERNATIONAL Contents Editorial 2 Strong women thanks to financial independence 3 Women and education: Overcoming the traditional role concept with education 4 Women and education: Girls learn for an independent life 5 Women and work: Work brings dignity 6 Women and work: Working for mothers of children with disabilities 7 Women and health: Hope for the fourth generation / 20 Swiss francs as a starting aid for a baby 8 Women and health: Expecting mothers in the Tibetan Highlands are living in danger 9 <strong>ROKPA</strong> NEWS 10 A day in the life of / I work for <strong>ROKPA</strong> because 11 Board <strong>ROKPA</strong> iNTeRNATiONAL Lea Wyler, President and Co-Founder Peter Fanconi, Vice President Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche Gelong Thubten Andreas Vollenweider Imprint Editorial team: Tina Zaugg / Pippa Cope / Henriette Levy / Caterina Meier-Pfister / Jane Soper / Thomas Stettler Copy editing: Liane Brand (www.lianebrand.ch) / Meenu Bhargava English translation: Kaja Kurczewska Graphic design: Renée Reust / Staša Lampret Cover picture (Schoolgirl holds her hand up to speak): © Lea Wyler Photo on the back: © Lea Wyler Photos: © Fabienne Bühler / Sarah Graham / Trix Heberlein / Henriette Levy / <strong>ROKPA</strong> INTERNATIONAL / Lea Wyler / Tina Zaugg Text: © <strong>ROKPA</strong> INTERNATIONAL Print run: 6‘800 copies (German edition) Printed on Recycling Paper, produced according to the rules of "The blue Angel".
Rokpa INternational Strong women thanks to financial independence Ever since I have been acquainted with <strong>ROKPA</strong>, I have been very impressed and motivated to support their work, particularly in Nepal. From my experience with the Swiss Development Cooperation, I consider working with women to be a crucial basis for all other projects. Increasing the level of skills, self-confidence and education of women has a positive effect on their health, on their families and on their overall standard of living. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) focuses its projects in the poorest countries mostly on women, since they bear a greater part of the burden for the family's survival. In addition, they manage the finances of the family. In Bangladesh, the women in the village are given the responsibility of borrowing money for necessary purchases such as raw materials for their work or for the livestock. They are, however, also responsible for the return of this money within the agreed deadline. To supplement family income, girls often sew and sell the finished work. This additional income allows them to continue their school education which otherwise they may not have been able to afford. What is crucial is that the women earn their own money, and that this money can be used to improve the overall standard of living for the entire family. This leads to greater independence. The Women's Workshop founded by <strong>ROKPA</strong> in Nepal is an example of a project that leads to women's empowerment. It allows women to gain self-worth and, above all, independence which they can then pass on to their daughters. With the Workshop, and other projects that empower women and girls, <strong>ROKPA</strong> makes an important contribution in recognizing the dignity and importance of women in the project countries and in the promotion of a sustainable community - despite existential problems and setbacks caused by natural catastrophes. Trix Heberlein Member of <strong>ROKPA</strong> INTERNATIONAL Patronage <strong>ROKPA</strong>'s commitment to girls and women • <strong>ROKPA</strong> aims to counteract discrimination, provide education for girls, and promote the employment of women. Learn more about our projects on the upcoming pages. The <strong>ROKPA</strong> Women's Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal, provides for a regular income for single mothers (p.6). In the Tibetan areas of China, <strong>ROKPA</strong> finances housing, food subsidies, school material and transportation costs for female pupils affected by poverty, as well as scholarships for female students (p.5). In Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, <strong>ROKPA</strong> provides care of children with disabilities so that their parents, more often than not single mothers, can earn money for the family (p.7). In Cape Town, South Africa, <strong>ROKPA</strong> supports mothers and their newborns with food and baby equipment (p.8). Own income for a life of dignity 3
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ROKPA Times March 2017 - For strong girls and women

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