Los Angeles Friends of Tibet

Clean, safe water at last: LAFOT's gift to the Transit School is up and running

Young Tibetans who have fled across the Himalayas to India often seek shelter at the Transit School near Dharamsala, which offers vocational training or academic education that is often unavailable to them in Tibet.

Until recently, the Transit School had also given these Tibetans a more grim opportunity: to catch chronic and occasionally fatal water-borne diseases.

Like many facilities in Indian villages, the Transit School relies on a well for its water supply. In its unfiltered state, the water contains organisms responsible for dysentery, tuberculosis and other chronic health problems. These newly arrived Tibetans, whose bodies are unaccustomed to the climate and the organisms that thrive in it, are highly susceptible to illness. The school, which currently serves 600 students and 54 staff, reports that water-borne ailments have twice reached epidemic proportions in the past few years.

The plight of the school came to the attention of Los Angeles Friends of Tibet (LAFOT) in 2008. When a generous supporter offered to host a fundraiser to benefit LAFOT and its primary program, The Tibet Connection, board members decided to donate part of the proceeds to a Tibetan aid project. "There are many worthwhile programs in India that help Tibetans, but we wanted to fund something that wasn't getting the attention or financial support that the more 'popular' programs get," said Lisa Kelly, president of LAFOT.

Rebecca Novick, senior executive producer of The Tibet Connection, recommended the Transit School. A resident of Dharamsala, Rebecca had learned firsthand about the deadly effects of the school's water supply. "I will never forget the exhausted face of a Scottish doctor as he explained to me the connection between contaminated water and TB," she said. "These young Tibetans were dying in his arms simply because they didn't have clean water."

What made the project even more appealing was its simple solution - a water filtration system. "To risk your life escaping from Tibet only to die later of a preventable disease is tragic," said Lisa. "With one significant donation, we could make an enormous impact on the health of many people."

LAFOT's November 2008 fundraising event with Professor Robert Thurman netted enough to completely cover the cost of a water filtration system. Several guests made additional donations to the Transit School toward housing and education expenses for students.

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile's Department of Education, which operates the Transit School, submitted a proposal to LAFOT for the purchase and installation of a reverse osmosis filtration system. The board approved and delivered the funding early in 2009. The system was ordered from a company in southern India, who delivered and installed the system in the fall. A small building was constructed to protect the system from the elements.

In a recent report to LAFOT, the DOE noted that one Transit School staff person, who had been suffering from gastric, kidney and urinary tract problems, says he is no longer experiencing symptoms after consistently drinking the filtered water.

"Thanks to the generous people who supported our 2008 fundraiser, LAFOT was able to provide clean, safe water for current and future generations of Tibetans served by the Transit School," said Lisa. "We're grateful that we had the opportunity to make such a difference in so many lives."

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Los Angeles Friends of Tibet - P.O. Box 641066-Los Angeles, CA 90064 | email: friends@latibet.org