The Tibet Welfare Group is a small Melbourne-based group that raises funds for Tibetan refugee communities in India and Nepal. It also raises funds for projects for Tibetans in Tibet. Major problems still exist for the Tibetan communities in this region, as there continues to be a steady stream of about 3,000 new refugees every year. Many of these people are political refugees and have suffered imprisonment and torture. In addition, the infrastructure, such as water and sanitation, on which all the Tibetan communities depend, is old or non existant and requires immediate attention.

We are always being presented with new projects for consideration, while working on implementing others. We presently support work in India, Nepal and Tibet.

A major project over the past few years has been to raise funds for the implementation of an eye camp in Ladakh, where many people in the Tibetan community suffer blindness from cataracts, a condition which is reversible with a simple surgical procedure. The altitude increases the incidence of this condition. We were not able to undertake a camp in Ladakh as we first hoped, but have just completed an eye camp in Sikkim, with 1,500 older people being screened and 150 having cataract surgery. This took place over a period of ten days with a staff of ten, four from the Fred Hollowes' Tilganga Eye Clinic in Kathmandu. The total cost of this camp was $5,600. Thank you to all who contributed to this camp. We are talking to the Tilganga Eye Clinic about working in partnership again for another camp.

A recently completed project was a new sewerage system in Jampaling settlement, near Pokhara in Central Nepal, where the money we raised funded the construction of a series of toilets and bathrooms for the community.

Some of the other projects that we have undertaken are:

Funds have just been forwarded to the "Tibetan Survivors of Torture program" which supports Tibetans who have escaped Tibet after having suffered imprisonment and torture in Tibet under Chinese rule. Our funds will support counselling work and the purchase of a fax machine - the latter much needed by the Tibetan Government-in-exile.

Welfare and the Environment: the Welfare Officer from Dharamsala was sponsored by TWG to come to Australia to undertake a three week fact-finding trip to examine environemntal aspects and methods for implementing environmental plans, especially ways to teach the rest of the community these concepts. Dawa is trying to solve environmental problems such as recycling, disposal of toxic and non-toxic waste and soil and water degradation.Find out more about this project.

One fundraising venture involved a young woman who cycled from the southernmost to the northernmost points of mainland Australia to raise money for our group's activities.

Find out about our events happening over the next few months.

Find out about screening of 'Cave in the Snow'.

So, how you can get involved?

If you wish to assist and support the Tibet Welfare Group in its work, please contact us for more details at: Tibet Welfare Group, P.O. Box 618, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, AUSTRALIA or to the President, Sue Hendy, by e-mail.