Your donation can help protect the fundamental rights that allow Tibetan refugee families to live in safety. Together with you, we support three essential pillars of a dignified life: stable housing, continuous education and accessible healthcare.
Every contribution has a concrete impact on the Tibetan community of Bylakuppe in India. By working closely with trusted local partners, we ensure that your generosity reaches the people and services that need it most.
For every 1€ received in donation through December 31 we added a donation of the same amount, thanks to Unione Buddhista Italiana. Together, we can make a difference.
The community of Bylakuppe, in the state of Karnataka in India, is one of the largest Tibetan settlements in the world outside Tibet. It was created in the 1960s, when thousands of Tibetans fled to India after the Chinese invasion, forming communities of exiles. Over time, Bylakuppe has evolved from a temporary refugee camp into a stable settlement with schools, houses, monasteries and a social fabric that keeps alive core Tibetan values of compassion, non violence and respect for all forms of life.
Despite this, life remains precarious. Although they have lived in India for more than sixty years, people remain stateless and officially refugees: a legally fragile condition that can change suddenly and makes long-term planning impossible. At the same time, the exile community relies heavily on international solidarity, a factor that has become particularly critical in recent months. The United States government has significantly reduced funding for Tibetan refugees, creating new uncertainties for many essential services.
In this context, every intervention that supports fundamental rights —such as housing, education and healthcare — directly improves the quality of life of Tibetan families in India. It also helps preserve the unique cultural heritage of Tibet, a legacy of values that matters to all of us. We are glad to work with trusted local partners such as the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan Children’s Village and Vimala Italia ETS to co-create solutions that support the community’s well-being and growth.
In the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe, the protection of fundamental rights depends on the functioning of essential services that constantly require new resources in order to continue operating. Access to housing, education and healthcare are basic needs that have a profound impact on the stability of many people’s lives.
In Bylakuppe, several families do not own a home and live in temporary, often dilapidated accommodations. Many houses were built with materials that have deteriorated over time and are now unsafe. Sheet metal roofs collapse under monsoon rains, water infiltrations weaken the walls and in many homes there are harmful materials in the air, such as asbestos and mould. The lack of reliable electricity, running water, secure doors and adequate ventilation often make daily life difficult and at times unsafe.
Schools and preschools are just as essential. For many children they are not only places of learning but also safe environments where they can find care, connection and emotional support. It is common for young people to both study and live on school campuses, because they are orphans or because they lack stable social networks that could support them in India. To ensure daily care, safety and a continuous educational path, these institutions require ongoing support.
The local Tsojhe Khangsar hospital also needs resources to keep essential services running, especially the maternity ward. The clinic provides free assistance to women before, during and after childbirth, and to newborns in their early years. It is a vital service in an area where families once had to travel long distances for adequate medical care. Today the hospital is a crucial reference point for the Tibetan community and for many Indian women from surrounding villages.
With a donation you can improve the daily life of Tibetan families living as refugees in India, helping protect their right to safe housing, continuous education and accessible healthcare. Your support helps keep essential services running for those who currently have no stable guarantees in the Bylakuppe community.
Every gesture matters and creates real change. Your support can ensure continuity for the community’s essential services and open up better prospects for many families in the years ahead.