How a Dream Became Reality

Tendol Gyalzur's dream (1990)

First of all, I would like to tell you how the orphanage started. I'm an orphan myself and I had always thought that one day I would do something for other orphans. But I didn't know what to do or how to start.

In 1990, I went back to Tibet for the first time since my childhood. Usually people who travel to this country are interested in religion or landscapes or visiting there relatives. When I arrived, all I could see were the orphans and the street children. I was so moved by these children that I decided to do something for them. There are orphans all over the world, but I am Tibetan and I wanted to help the orphans in Tibet.

When I went back home to Switzerland, I couldn't stop thinking about this and I talked to my family and friends. At first everyone told me it was an impossible dream and I should forget it. I'm not rich or well educated and I didn't know anything about the situation in Tibet. But I couldn't get it out of my mind and one day I just decided to start. It wasn't reasonable or carefully planed - it was just something that came from my heart. So I took out all my savings and the money from my life insurance and I went back to Tibet.

It wasn't easy. There were many problems but I thought that if I was strong and trusted other people, there would trust and help me so the project would work. If it didn't, I didn't know what I would do. I thought it would be the end of my life. So I just started. Whenever I was sad or worried or didn't know what to do, someone would come and help me. That is why this project works - through the help of so many people, both in Europe and in Tibet-China.

When I returned to Tibet it was winter and it was very cold. One day I saw two beggar children, very badly dressed, looking for food in the rubbish. I could see myself in these two children and decided to offer them a meal. We went to a restaurant but the manager wouldn't let us in. I was furious and fought with him and forced him to let us have something to eat. It was the first time in my life that I had fought for anyone other than myself or my own family. From that time on, I realized that the only thing I wanted to do was to fight for the rights of these abandoned children.

Some time later, I went to the Tibet Development Fund (TDF) in Lhasa and I talked to them about my plans and about the situation of the orphans in Tibet. I had about 800 Swiss francs of sponsoring money, my own savings and loans from friends and relatives, in all about 28'000 dollars.

With this money I wanted to rent a house for an orphanage but TDF said it would be better in the long term to build a home and they decided to offer me the land I found a place at Toelung near Lhasa and we began to build in May 1993.

Everyone who helped me worked day and night and the orphanage opened on the 6th of October 1993, with the first seven children and a couple of house parents. I had chosen these children ,from about 50 who needed help but I didn't have enough money to take care of any more.

With the help of many good friends in Switzerland, Germany and Austria we started a foundation to support-the orphanage in the future. Seven people worked very hard during their spare time and free of charge to raise money for the project and to make sure that the accounts are completely transparent. At least once a year, we have an information event in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, where we present the work of the foundation and the development of the charity. Meanwhile we have also donators from the States of America and many other countries.

Because of all this help and support, we have been able to raise more money and take care of more children. At the moment we have two orphanages - one in Toelung near Lhasa and one at Gyalthang/Shangri-La, Yunnan Province - where around 100 children in total have found a home and at each place are cared for by a couple of house parents. A lot of the older children visit a boarding-school in Lhasa and in Gyalthang. Around 10 youths have moved to China for there studies.

Some have already left the orphanage and earn their own money. But the orphanage is their home and their family is here, so they can visit the orphanage whenever they want to.
In Lithang, Sichuan Province, we support the life and education of 63 children of nomads by financing their stay in a school for nomads. The children receive a basic education in reading and writing that will be very important in their future lives. In addition and also by financial support, the foundation makes higher, education possible for 10 youths in Thartsedo, Sichuan Province. Every child is an individual and we are responsible for each one of them enough to have a nice house and a little money. You always have to fight for the rights of each individual child and make sure they develop in a healthy way. It is a gardener's job to make sure the flowers blossom and it is our job to ensure that the children's qualities can blossom, too. Of course there are worries and problems and the work is never done. But no one can prevent you from watering a plant and no one can stop you from helping a child. It is my hope - and it is the hope of all those who help me - that we will be able to give these children a good education and help them to become good human beings. Despite of all the difficulties, when I see these children grow up,  I feel that I'm the richest, happiest and luckiest person in the world. I think this is true for everyone who works to help us with this project - the children themselves are our reward.

If, in the future, we find more good-hearted people to help us and if we can raise more money, I hope we will be able to help even more children in need and offer them a home where they will be loved and cared for.

Tendol Gyalzur