On April 27th Barbara Pfeiffer from  ROKPA Germany will share her memories of travelling with Akong Rinpoche to the ROKPA projects in the Tibetan areas of China. From 2004 to 2012 Barbara joined Akong Rinpoche for at least one month every year during his trips to visit all the projects. Barbara is the head of the board of directors of ROKPA Germany. She has been fundraising for ROKPA since 1986 and especially for the original monastery of Akong Rinpoche in Chamdo, ART. 

Akong Rinpoche's main intention for working in the Tibetan areas of China was not only to help the Tibetan people to be able to lead a better life, but also to protect and support the Tibetan culture and traditions. So ROKPA not only supported school-kids and teachers, doctors and clinics for traditional Tibetan medicine, but also numerous monasteries of the different traditions within Tibetan Buddhism. Akong Rinpoche never prioritised his own monastery, where nowadays about 200 monks and nuns are studying and practising.

This will be a fascinating event and we are very happy that Barbara is able to come to Samye Dzong London. She will show slides of various former projects in different parts of the Tibetan area as well as slides of Buddhist monasteries, and you will hear about life and study in the monasteries and nunneries. It will also be an opportunity to support the monks and nuns of Akong Rinpoche's monastery through a skills auction, which we will send more information about in the January newsletter.

All funds raised from the event will go towards Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche’s monastery in the autonomous region of Tibet and the monks and nuns living in the monastery. 

About the Skills Auction,

As part of the afternoon we will hold a Skills Auction with all funds raised from the event will going towards Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche’s monastery in the autonomous region of Tibet and the monks and nuns living in the monastery.

What is a skills auction? How does it work?

You offer your skills for a period of time - people who are interested bid for the skills in the auction on 27 April - the person who bids the highest bid for the skill at the auction gets it - the two parties then arrange a time and details for the activity (ie. dog walking, guitarlessons etc etc. ) to take place - all the money from the auction goes to Akong Rinpoche's monastery in Tibet.

Examples of skills you can offer can be found below-

• FITNESS AND FUN (can you offer yoga classes, martial arts classes, reflexology, massage, acupuncture/acupressure, other health consultations and physical wellbeing activities)

• ARTISTIC & CREATIVE SERVICES AND LESSONS (can you offer guitar or cooking lessons, take a photograph, paint a picture?)

• ORGANISATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES (decluttering, filing, professional services, cleaning services, washing the dishes and others)

• OTHER (Do you have accommodation to offer, can you walk dogs or cook a meal? Go on, surprise us!)

If there is a skill that you'd like to offer for the auction, please complete and submit the form before 28th March, to give us time to organise the event. And thank you in advance to all those who are able to help.

Please submit the form before 28 March, to give us time to organise the event.