Aim

Our objective is to support the people of Surmang through establishing a system of healthcare. In this way we want to enhance the capacity of the Tibetan population to live their lives humanely.

Our mission is:
enabling the right to survival,
creating access to basic services,
contributing to revitalization
among the critically poor

In a shortened version:
Ensuring the right to survival  
Alleviating poverty by promoting health

Organization

Surmang Foundation is founded in 1988 by Lee Weingrad after his first visit to Surmang. Lee was deeply shocked by the incredible poverty and the bad health conditions of the local population and he decided to help. Regular healthcare and education were and still are almost inaccessible to the Tibetans because they cannot afford to pay it and because of the remoteness of the area

The Foundation consists of two branches:
• an American branch, registered as a non-profit organization in Colorado (USA), covering the coordination and performance of the project in China and the fundraising activities in the USA;
• an European branch, mainly active in fundraising.

The European branche officially is a ‘Stichting’, registered by the Chamber of Commerce in Leiden (Netherlands) as ‘Stichting Surmang Foundation Europe’, number 28100515.

Both branches have a website that is linked mutually.
The American site has most information about the project. Read more …

Since 2005 Surmang Foundation officially is a partner of the Soong Ching-ling Foundation, one of the oldest and most respected of Chinese Charities. It was founded by madam Sun Yat-sen, honorary President of the People’s Republic. This partnership bestows enormous legitimacy on our efforts in China.

We perform our activities in agreement with the regional authorities and cooperating extensively with the local population. Work is done by local people as much as possible, using local materials.

The Foundation has several people on its pay roll:
• Lee Weingrad (CEO) and Ann Lee (assistant project manager), both working in Beijing
• doctor Phuntsok and Drogha in Surmang.

Beside this people are involved in the project temporally:
• a project coordinator who is working in Yushu and (during summertime) in Surmang
• translators for the volunteers who come to Surmang in summer
• the Community Health Workers, who are working in Surmang for the ‘Mother and Child’ project.