Raktrul Foundation
The Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche established The Raktrul Foundation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2000. This all volunteer charity is dedicated to improving the lives of Tibetan people. Please note, however, that the Raktrul Foundation is separate from Kunzang Palchen Ling and is not affiliated. Visit the Raktrul foundation’s website for complete information: http://www.raktrul.org/
Himalayan Medical Project
Vision and mission statement
The Vision
Our goal is to create a network of health clinics throughout the Himalayas specializing in “integrated medicine,” the combination of conventional and holistic approaches to disease treatment. After 3 major earthquakes in the region in the past 5 years the need is critical for such an endeavor.
Raktrul Foundation has been providing health care services, solar power and services for children in Tibet for the last 6 years. Our medical focus is on people suffering from a vast array of ailments, with an emphasis on chronic medical conditions. Our strength lies in our teams of volunteers. We typically have had teams of MD’s, physician assistants, nurses, dentists, acupuncturists and more. This has been done through the Raktrul Foundation (501c3), that has overseen and funded the last 6 missions to Tibet. Our experience in the field has given us the capability to create teams and resources to go to areas in need and offer healthcare to local people who have poor or no access to medicine. Our goal has always been to start a full-time clinic.
We now have the opportunity to bring this to fruition in Sikkim, a small Indian state just to the east of Nepal. Sikkim is known for its famous tea from Darjeeling in the south and majestic Himalayan peaks in the north. We have been offered a 3 story existing clinic from Gharwang Rinpoche, the head of Zurmang monastery; about 15 miles from the capital, Gangtok.
The Mission
We are going to Sikkim in October 2015 with a team of doctors and volunteers to offer healthcare and begin the process of opening a permanent clinic in the building offered to us. We are seeking funding to buy medicine, supplies and pay for translators and expenses in Sikkim. All team members will pay for their own travel expenses.
Currently we are looking for $50,000 to begin this project in Sikkim. We are asking you to help us meet this goal. Use of funds will be directed to obtaining medicine and medical supplies, transportation, translators and hiring a part-time doctor and full-time nurse to keep the clinic running after we have left. We have already identified candidates for these positions and will interview them during the mission.
Sikkim is an area very similar to where we have worked in the past. Many of the people are Tibetan in origin and we will be working out of the clinic treating local people and monks and nuns from surrounding monasteries. Our current mission to Tibet for the summer of 2015 came back in early August. The team had 3 MD’s , a dentist, acupuncturists and nurses! We were fully funded. We now have this opportunity to go to Sikkim and will do similar work, but more importantly, the goal is to establish a permanent clinic. This has been our hope from the onset of these missions. Our team of volunteers has been formed for Sikkim and we are obtaining medicine and supplies for this mission. We will leave in early October.
Ultimately, we plan to replicate this model at many sites throughout the Himalaya. We have contacts and resources throughout the region and feel confident that we can do this on a larger scale. While this area is one of the most beautiful places in the world it is also one of the poorest. The earthquake in Nepal has left that country in shambles and it will take a decade to rebuild. Earthquake victims, especially those injured by collapsing buildings and landslides frequently suffer with complicated fractures, chronic pain, and debilitating PTSD. Those patients will benefit greatly from the diverse range of healthcare specialists using the Raktrul team’s holistic approach.
The board of Raktrul Foundation sees this opportunity in Sikkim as the breakthrough we have hoped for to enlarge the scope of our activity in this region. We hope that others will see the potential in our work and will participate not only financially but by coming to the area with us and engaging with the people of this beautiful area. We greatly appreciate your interest and financial support.
FINANCIAL PLAN
Our projections require approximately $50,000 in funding during the first 9-12 months of operation to fund the initial center development and personnel costs. Monthly expenses are expected to be $5,000, which will pay for a part-time doctor, full-time nurse, medicine and supplies for the next 9-12 months.
Links:
Here is a video that was created at the onset of our early missions, it is still timely and shows the viewer the scope of our work:
Raktrul Foundation: http://raktrul.org/
To donate you may click this link: You may mail your donations to:
Or send a check to:
Raktrul Foundation
PO Box 205, Bearsville, NY 12409-0205