Lha hosted a group of 14 students who were participating in our Cultural Exchange Programme, they were from the School of Social Work, 2015 at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and led by Dr Ron Marks, Dean of the School of Social Work and Professor Carolyn Weaver.

They stayed in Dharamshala for around two weeks, visiting the various Tibetan Government-in-Exile departments and non-government organisations to learn about Tibetan community and culture. They participated in the Lha eye and dental care project, part of our Clear Vision Project. As well as participating in Lha projects the students also volunteered at the Tong-Len Charitable Trust.

Lha has been gifted a new On-Line UPS (uninterrupted Power Supply) by the student group and Dr Ron Marks. The UPS will enable us to continue to provide our services in the face of the erratic local electricity supply with its frequent and unpredictable power cuts which have so disrupted our activities in the past. The Tulane University group made the donation to celebrate Lha’s tenth year and to acknowledge Lha’s social welfare and community services which benefit thousands of Tibetan refugees, local Indians and people from Himalayan region.

Lha would like to express our huge appreciation of this gift and the students’ time and support for the local community services.