The generation of Tibetans now in their seventies and eighties have suffered great tragedies and survived many challenges. It is this generation that followed HH The Dalai Lama into exile and crossed the Himalayas into an unknown land. Many of them were nomads or farmers with no work or language skills for them to start a new life in exile. Almost all of them started their new lives in exile breaking stones by the roadside at minimum wage.

It was a great change for them from the cool plateau of Tibet into the heat and humidity of India. Many of them did not survive – victims either to tuberculosis or their new found poverty. The Tibetan grandparents for whom we seek your help are the strong ones – the survivors. Many of them have depended on the ability for hard physical labor to survive. In old age they face an insurmountable challenge and that is why we seek your support. For $35 a month, you can provide much dignity and comfort. For the elders, your sponsorship will be like winning a small lottery – an unexpected annuity just when survival seemed most distant.

Tibetan families are close knit and children and grandchildren do take care of their parents and grandparents. But, in cases where elderly Tibetan do not have family, they can be very vulnerable. Tibetans in exile do not have social security or a comparable old age pension scheme. That is why it is vital that we find support for them. The sponsorship funds help to purchase food, clothing, medicine and other essentials. It may help an elderly to go on a long wished for pilgrimage.

For a few years TCEF has worked with Gu Chu Sum, Dharamsala, to sponsor ex-political prisoners. Gu Chu Sum is an organization that is dedicated to helping Tibetan ex-political prisoners start new lives in exile. We’re honored to help knowing that these are people who have endured great pain and suffering for Tibet and its culture.