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Tibetan Village Project

About the Tibetan Village Project

The Tibetan Village Project (TVP) is a non-profit, non-political
organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development while
preserving the rich cultural heritage of Tibet. The organization was
founded in 2001 by a Tibetan couple, Tseyang and Tamdin Wangdu, with
support from friends and family.

Their Story

Tamdin Wangdu grew up in a remote village in central Tibet. Like many
other Tibetans, Tamdin did not have the opportunity to go to school,
have access to clean drinking water, medical care or electricity.
These necessities still do not exist in many places of Tibet. However,
Tamdin's dreams led him to explore opportunities and possibilities. He
left Tibet and came to the United States in 1993. In the summer of
2001, Tamdin learned that his father had died at age 57 after
suffering four long days of acute stomach pain. Not a single
healthcare worker was available in or near Tamdin's village to prevent
his untimely death or even to determine its cause. Tamdin believes
that just knowing how to perform CPR could have saved his life. In
memory of his father, Tamdin and his wife Tseyang, started the Tibetan
Village Project in order to fund a medical treatment and prevention
program in his village and surrounding areas. Now several years later,
the Tibetan Village Project has expanded its programs to support
schools and community development projects.

School Project

By our estimates, 40% of school age children in rural Tibet do not
attend school. Many factors exacerbate this problem. Farmers and
nomads, who make up the majority of Tibetans, generally cannot afford
to pay school fees. In many regions, schools are insufficiently
staffed while available teachers often have scarcely more education
than their students. Additionally, farmers often depend on their
children to work as farm hands because agriculture in Tibet is still
only partially mechanized. Tibetans simply have little incentive to
invest in education when their children can look forward to little
more than access to primary school and limited job prospects
thereafter. As a result, Tibetans are caught in a vicious cycle that
leaves them with few opportunities for educational and economic
advancement.

As of now, TVP assisted in building one school in 2003 that now has 95
students. Since then, TVP has shifted its focus towards supporting
schools that are already built but are having difficulty staying in
operation due to a lack of funding and materials.

TVP's rural educational program focuses on Tibetan language
preservation and literacy. TVP annually provides funding to several
schools (800 -1200 students and orphans) through stipends, tuition,
food, warm blankets and clothing, textbooks, and school supplies.

Little Yoga Warriors will be working directly with the Choudon
orphanage located in one of the narrow backstreets behind the Potala
Palace in Lhasa. Choudon Orphanage is a small orphanage with 75
children that is operated by an individual. Among other contributions,
Don Cullen, a donor in the Australia TVP, raises funds to purchase
daily vegetables and cooking fuel for an orphanage school in Lhasa. In
addition, TVP provides volunteers to assist with operations and to
interact with the children.

Conscious Journeys

Conscious Journeys is a program of Tibetan Village Project, and it has
been carefully designed for the mindful traveler who not only wants to
see the beautiful sights of Tibet, but to touch, taste, and experience
life in Tibet. Whether meditating with nuns, cooking for orphans,
sharing tea with nomads, or teaching villagers environmental ethics, a
Conscience Journeys adventure will open your heart and mind forever.

Conscious Journeys believes in responsible travel and works to
minimize the exploitation of Tibet's fragile natural and cultural
environment. Our program balances touring and volunteerism through
cultural immersion, environmental education, community service, and
adventure travel.