We selected The Himalayan Health Fund, an organization dedicated to providing healthcare to the underserved people of Ladakh, in northern India.

With the early help of the 14th Dalai Lama, the HHF constructed and opened the Ladakh Heart Foundation Hospital. In establishing this hospital, they found a way to complement the arsenal of traditional medical techniques (such as meditation, yoga, breath-work, acupuncture and herbs) with a state of the art western style medical facility. There can be no better example of the benefits of sharing knowledge and skills across cultures.

Ladakh is a large region of isolated mountainous land on the western edge of the Tibetan Plateau, approximately 1,000 kilometers north of Delhi. The area, perhaps best known for the warm smiles of its people and the beauty of its dramatic landscape, is only accessible via the highest commercial airport and two of the highest roads in the world (open only five months of the year because of snow and ice). The Ladakh Heart Foundation Hospital offers some 300,000 residents a local, full service medical facility, including 80 patient care rooms, a pharmacy and lab.

But there is more work to be done and needs that are not met. At present, the HHF is focused on raising money for operating rooms, generators and solar water and heating systems for the hospital. Residents of Ladakh also need education to manage the dramatic shifts in lifestyle and diet as farming has given way to modern development, even in this remote part of the world. Such changes have increased the number of residents coping with diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease, as is true in so many other communities worldwide.

We are grateful to our friends at The Diamond Umbrella Foundation, who, for more than 10 years, brought workshops to The Culture Center exploring how energy moves through the body, meridian tapping and the use of aromatic essences for better health, and for introducing us to The Himalayan Health Fund.

We hope that you will join us in supporting the work of The Himalayan Health Fund which provides an inspiring example of how cultural exchange can improve the lives of people all over the world.