A Letter from Sarah K. Lukas, President of FOTWA
January 1998 Letter
Greetings! Over the past two years I've spent nineteen months in India working on projects with Tibetan refugees. Traveling north to south, I renewed old friendships, assessed the needs of settlements and checked up on our projects and sponsorships. As president of Friends of Tibetan Women's Association (FOTWA), I wanted to see where we could continue to be of most help.
In Mundgod, I am happy to report, all four cows which we had donated to the Old People's Homes are pregnant! The elders will have a steady supply of milk, but the fund to buy eggs for tuberculosis patients has run out. Many Tibetans suffer from advanced stages of TB. These medicines are expensive and can only be partially underwritten by the hospital. My friend Chonya died two years ago at age 37 of advanced stages of the disease. When I met her in the hospital, she was so weak she could barely lift her head from the pillow. Thupten, her husband, was beside himself with grief and worry about what would happen to their four children, ages 4 to 13. Since Chonya's death, sponsors have generously provided for the care and education of their children.
At Mundgod's Doeguling Tibetan Hospital, administrator Tenpa D.K. needs a computer and printer in the worst way, right now they have none. They also need funding for a health education program so people in the community can learn about hygiene, nutrition and ways they can protect themselves from TB. Over the years we have worked with the regional Tibetan Women's Association (TWA) in Mundgod who distribute money from our sponsors. When I met with them, they reminded me, "Please don't forget the grannies!"
I haven't. FOTWA was established in 1990 as a nonprofit organization to help Tibetans in exile I remember the personal request of my friend Rinchen Khando, sister-in-law of the Dalai Lama and then acting president of TWA, for help for Tibetans with the greatest needs. It has been a difficult journey for Tibetans who have left their homeland; our sponsors lessen the hardships by providing funds for food and shelter, clean water and medicine, education and elderly support.
At Tibetan Homes Foundation in Mussoorie one of my favorite projects took place: The Painting Club! In month long sessions over the past 3 years, schoolchildren came up after class to make paintings about their experiences. They painted about separation from family, memories of home, the journey out of Tibet and of life in another country. The clubs were a time to play, to be creative and to heal. The paintings became a vehicle for expression and I noticed that as the paintings improved, so did their self confidence.Paldonlak, a 15 year old girl was initially so shy that she had to really be encouraged to come up and paint. But she overcame her shyness after making a few paintings to visit me to request more art supplies. It is her painting of Mom that greets visitors to this website.
I returned to the states in August with over 400 paintings that are gradually being seen and appreciated. I am very excited about our yearlong exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe and our book, The Art of Exile: Paintings by Tibetan Children in India, published by the Museum of New Mexico Press.
As FOTWA heads into its eighth year, I thank those of you who have given generously of your time and resources to help those Tibetans in greatest need. And I ask those of you new to us to join in our adventure to help people help themselves, to preserve a culture rich in tradition and to help spirits soar.
With many Tashi Deleks,Sarah Lukas, January 1998