TRAS Projects – An Overview

Since 1962, TRAS has funded an array of projects in India, Nepal and Tibet. These range from a large ten-year integrated rural development project amounting to nearly $1million, to ongoing multi-year educational and health-related projects of $30,000 to $60,000 each, to smaller projects needing annual or one-time donations of $2,000 or $5,000. TRAS has funded just over 300 projects in the region.

The early thrust of TRAS’s work was directed to supporting Tibetan refugees. Later TRAS funds contributed to the creation of the Tibetan settlements in northern and southern India. In the 1980s, TRAS reached out to Indian villages near and beyond the Tibetan settlements, and gradually was able to take on larger integrated rural development projects in Nepal as well. Current TRAS-supported projects continue to support our belief that communities thrive when their children are healthy and educated.

TRAS works in partnership with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India, Nepal and Tibet. We send no westerners abroad to manage or to work on projects. We value the fact that we are able to assist local NGOs in their efforts to help their own people.

The benefits of working through local NGOs include:

  • Local NGOs know the needs of their own communities
  • Their projects are culturally and economically viable
  • The local NGOs are strengthened in their ability to manage projects
  • Using local workers and supplies supports the local economy

Of the current twenty projects that TRAS funds, seven are described below.  (Click on the link for more information)

Support Tibetan children at  Dekyiling Tibetan Handicraft Centre Crèche in Dehra Dun, India

Support Tibetan children at Little Flowers Crèche in Dharamsala, India

Help Tibetan children read Tibetan through the Sambhota Schools Publishing Project

Help Tibetan mothers in Tuting in northeast India learn to read and write through the Tuting Adult Literacy Project

Support Indian village children’s health and education through the Voice of Children Project

Support the education of Nepalese village children through the READI Nepal Humla Education Project

Help Nepalese youth gain an employable skill through the Buddha Academy Vocational Training Project

For a complete list of current TRAS projects, please see TRAS Projects as of Jan 1, 2012

project map