Ottawa Friends of Tibet (OFT) was founded in 1996 by Jurme and Angela Wangda and a small group of committed volunteers as a non-political organization dedicated to improving the health, education and economic conditions of Tibetans and Tibetan refugees in India and elsewhere. In 2001, OFT became a federally registered charity.
Our Mission
Our mission is to serve disadvantaged Tibetan children, men and women in India, Nepal and Tibet, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of Tibetan culture.
Our Objectives
To carry out and support programs that aid communities in Tibet and Tibetan refugees around the world by:
providing basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter to those in dire need;
providing medical care to those in need and carrying out preventative health care programs; and
awarding scholarships and grants to persons residing in such communities to support education and professional training.
The Ottawa Friends of Tibet also aims to establish an Ottawa Tibetan Centre to increase awareness and appreciation of Tibetan culture and to further the understanding of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
Current projects include:
Supporting Nhenang Palden Pawo Monastery
Scholarships for college and university education of Tibetan students with financial needs.
In co-operation with Child Haven International, funding for International Maitreya Foundation, now a hostel for Tibetan refugee students attending high school and university in Delhi, India
In 2014, the Tara Mandala Seniors’ Home Project in Kalimpong, India, was completed. Now 50 Tibetan elders have a permanent home there. It took 12 years for OFT to raise the $200,000 for construction. This was a huge accomplishment for a small NGO.
