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COMMUNITY KITCHEN FOR TIBETAN REFUGEES: SEPTEMBER 9 TH , 2010. Introduction . Anoop Jain BS Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University class of 2009 Came to Mcleod Ganj in summer 2006 3 years later, wanted to give back in a bigger capacity. In the Beginning….
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Introduction • Anoop Jain • BS Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University class of 2009 • Came to Mcleod Ganj in summer 2006 • 3 years later, wanted to give back in a bigger capacity
In the Beginning… • Desire to build a public radio station • Students could practice English • New medium to spread word about the Tibetan cause
Response to an Expressed Need: Qualitative Public Radio Station?! About 20,000 ft of space that could be filled by everything a human could ever need Decreasing Importance Family, love, sense of belonging, religion Shelter, clothes, warmth, security Food, clean water, access to medicine
Purpose of This Kitchen • 1. Better Nutrition and Health for Tibetan Refugees • By providing cheap, well-balanced meals • By offering nutrition and health education classes • 2. Cooking Training Facility/Tourist Restaurant • The kitchen will be a training venue for those refugees who want to become chefs, waiters etc • By bringing in chefs from around the world, we hope to train our chefs in a variety of cuisines. They will be given a certificate • Money from restaurant will be used to help sustain the project • 3. Event Venue • For special family events and occasions • These exist here, but are very expensive
Kitchen Progress • Construction will begin in October after the last group leaves and after the rains end • Hoping it will be open by Jan/Feb • Working with Sarah Walker (University of Brighton, England) to develop nutrition curriculum • Both of us will be back early spring to incorporate that in to the English language course curriculum • During now and opening, will be focusing on cost analysis and sustainability
Tibetans in India • Chinese occupation started in 1951 • Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959 • He has been followed by thousands of Tibetans • Before 2008: Approximately 2,000 refugees came to India per year • Since 2008: Number of refugees has dropped to approximately 900 per year
Health of Exiled Tibetans • 109,015 Tibetan refugees living in India, Nepal, and Bhutan Reported Incidence of Illnesses of Tibetans Living in Exile, 2009 Life Style Disease Pathogenic Disease Source: Tibetan Department of Home 2009 Census Data. To be released later this year
Our Students • Surveyed 110 students • Survey was double sided: One side English, one side Tibetan • A translator was used in every class to explain the questions in Tibetan
Demographic Data of LHA Students Not all survey participants recorded data in the following categories
Tibetan Food • Tsampa: Roasted barley flour (or wheat/rice flour) mixed with salty butter tea • Nutritional value: Nutritional value of barley flour per 100g Also contains trace amounts of Ca, Fe, Mg
Thukpa: Type of Tibetan noodle soup • Thenthuk is a type of Thukpa. It is usually served with either meat or some type of mixed vegetable • Momo: Type of dumpling filled with either meat or mixed vegetables. Served with chilies and soy sauce • Butter Tea: Tea leaves, butter, salt, milk • Traditionally made with Yak butter, but not readily available in India
Response to an Expressed Need: Quantitative Chai: Milk tea or butter tea Bread: Traditional Tibetan bread Other: Porridge, eggs, cereal
Other: Meat, tingmo (Tibetan steamed bread), porridge, tsampa
Thukpa: Could be thukpa or thenthuk Other: Tingmo, tsampa, bread, rice, dal, meat
Testimony • Doma: Came from Tibet in 2006 with her family (husband & 3 children). Took 1 month and 20 days to walk across the Himalayas. • Stayed at the Tibetan Reception Center in Dharamsala for 21 days. When they left, they only had one blanket with nowhere to sleep • They now have a tiny house with no bathroom. 500Rs/month • 3 meals a day • Sometimes they are forced to miss meals • BF = Tsampa or Bread. Egg maybe once or twice a week. Also Butter tea • Lunch = Rice & Dal with some mixed veg • Dinner = Thukpa/thenthuk with mixed veg • Doma told us that she would love to learn how to cook healthy, well balanced meals that are affordable
Conclusions • No one is starving • This community needs help with health/lifestyle education • Only eating 2.5 servings of fruit a week • Should be 2-4 servings per day • Diet is entirely too carbohydrate heavy • Not enough protein and vegetables • Too much butter, fatty oil, salt is used in food preparation • Lack of knowledge regarding healthy eating/cooking
Problems We Might Face • Money • Price of fruits and vegetables is on the rise • Our students and members of this community can not afford to buy foods that are considered healthy • Students not taking full advantage of the services we are hoping to offer • We want to influence long-lasting, holistic health/lifestyle change
Moving Forward • Working with different schools, monasteries and organizations in the MG area to implement a health, nutrition and lifestyle curriculum with them • This will help create healthy living awareness throughout the Tibetan community • Implement monitoring system to find out how beneficial our services are • Free health clinics like the free eye exam • Our students can go visit other organizations and present on the importance of health • Serve as living examples • Opportunity to practice English
Thanks for your time! Questions?