Self-Sustainability Program

The old saying "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for life" sums up TVP’s intention of income generation program. This program is consisted of trainings in skills such as weaving and woodworking and micro-enterprise development. Here are some highlights.

TVP Artisan Store

Tibetan Artisan Store: In the spring of 2005, the Tibetan Village Project trained a few Tibetans in knitting, weaving, and sewing in Lhasa. Upon completion of their training, they opened a small store in Lhasa that serves as a cooperative space where the artisans can work and showcase their crafts. Artisans make several handcrafts including shoulder bags, cushion covers, door curtains, wall hangings, and some Tibetan clothes such as sweaters. The goal of the store is to preserve Tibetan weaving culture while continuing to provide skills training to new artisans, assisting with quality control of village-made products and creating market access since there are no markets in villages.

Melok Trade School in action

Melok Trade School is located just northeast of Lhasa. A Tibetan tour guide started it in the end of 2004. The school trains about 20 students, 2 teachers and one cook. The student term of study is three years: the first year teaches woodworking and sewing skills, the second year provides on-the-job training and the third year develops business skills. Products students make during their training such as desks, chairs, clothes, and other crafts, are sold or donated to local schools and clinics.

The first group of the trainees made remarkable progress by (1) gaining woodworking contracts (jobs that normally go to non-Tibetans) to finish over 40 houses, (2) saving money to build a showcase space for woodwork and (3) working in their own villages.  In the last few years, TVP has provided tools, equipment, clothes, and technical support. TVP is committed to helping to improve and expand its programs and making seed money available for those who wish to start their own businesses.

Six Motorbike Repair Shops Started: In 2007, a Tibetan scholar from Nagchu proposed and implemented a three-month motorbike repair training program that trained 12 Tibetan nomads in Nagchu. After many discussions, need and feasibility assessments, and planning, TVP provided a total of $6,570 in loans to ten villagers to start or improve six motorcycle supplies and repair shops in early August 2008. On average, each person received $657. or $1,095. per shop. With 3% annual interest, the payment will be deposited in a local bank every three months, and the loan will be paid back in two years.

As a matter of reality, motorbikes are becoming the preferred and dominant mode of transportation over traditional methods, like horse riding and days of walking in rural villages. In fact, some villages seem to have one motorbike for every household in spite of the high purchase and maintenance costs. When it comes to medical emergencies, the motorbikes often help to save lives. Above all, motorbike repair businesses attract more migrants in villages when local Tibetans do not have the proper skills and resources to keep their own local economy going.

Dolmaling Nunnery received $5,000.00 and managerial support in September 2008 to start a general store. The nuns have fixed an old room in the nunnery and turned that into a store with three primary objectives: (1) cater essential business needs of the nuns (2) reduce the unnecessary long distance shopping trips (3) generate income for the nunnery to promote self-sufficiency.

Dolmaling Nunnery is located in a village near Chamdo in Kham, eastern Tibet. The nunnery currently has approximately 390 nuns ranging in ages 10 to 70 years old. Of those, about 180 younger nuns return to their villages during the summer to help with farming and herding, so they can support themselves while in the nunnery. The remaining 220 nuns are essentially unable to work due to age, illness and homeless.