Cultural Preservation

     In many mountain regions ancient customs and traditions are being rapidly lost to “modernism.” While modernizing life for mountain peoples is a worthy goal and certainly improves quality of life, traditions are no less important.

     Traditions are what ground us in the world, define who we are and provide a framework for our fundemental systems of belief and of law. Protecting these traditions for future generations ensures that progress does not result in homogenization of cultures. It’s this generations legacy for all generations that will follow.

The Deboche Nunnery Restoration Project

This project involves restoring the Pema Choling Buddhist women’s convent, also known as the Deboche Convent (also known as the Deboche Nunnery, Debouche Convent or Debouche Monastery), where 20 impoverished nuns live in a leaky old convent. The building is falling down, and many tourists walk past and never consider it. The nunnery was built in 1928 and it has had little or no maintenance since. The convent is the “sister-monastery” to the famous Thyangboche monastery on top of the hill between beautiful Deboche and Namche, along the Everest basecamp trek. Funding Need: $5,000 USD View Project Details...

Q'eros Music Documentary

Peru: The Q’eros are a Quechua-speaking people who live high in the Andes Mountains of southeast Perú. This documentary, created by Holly Wissler, is based on Hatun Q’eros, the largest and most remote of the Q’eros’ communities. Our goals are to help Holly document Q’eros’ musical rituals for the Q’eros community; to educate a larger audience; and ultimately to promote respect for indigenous cultures. View Project Details...

Thulo Syabru Monastery Restoration
	Nepal: This monastery was built 350 years all by one man, Garwang Rinpoche. It took him 12 years to build it. It sits a little way off from the village proper so in the past vandals have taken some of the statues and documents. This project will repair the monastery and protect it for future generations. Funding Need: $5,000 USD View Project Details...