History

The Surmang Foundation

Spread across North America, Europe, and China, Surmang Foundation's (SF) mission is the alleviation of poverty through the promotion of health. We believe that a healthy life is a human entitlement and we've proven that by creating a model of sustainable healthcare that honors the intelligence and traditional cultures of China's ultra-poor communities such as Surmang.

SF is the umbrella organization of two foundations, Surmang Foundation (Friends of Surmang, Inc.) and Surmang Foundation Europe. The former was incorporated as a nonprofit in the US State of Colorado in 1988, while Surmang Foundation Europe is registered in Holland and was incorporated in 2003. In 2007, Surmang Foundation was also registered in China as a charitable organization.

Our Beginnings

In its 15th season of providing healthcare, Surmang Foundation began in response to the extreme poverty and isolation experienced by Lee Weingrad during his first visit to Tibet in 1987. Lee had been studying Tibetan Buddhism for several years in the U.S. with Chogyam Trungpa and, shortly after the death of Chogyam, traveled to his mentor's native Surmang.

During this visit, Lee developed a strong personal and spiritual connection to the warm people of Surmang and their region's pristine environment. This visit and the lifelong connections forged with the people and to China were the watershed from which all our ensuing programs have flowed.

Lee moved to China shortly thereafter, jumping headlong into a career as an English teacher, a student of Tibetan language, and the founder, President, and director of the Surmang Foundation.

The Foundation started out modestly, sending foreign volunteers during the summers of the early 1990's to hold clinics in monastery buildings and Tibetan yak-wool tents. In 1992, the Foundation signed an agreement with the Qinghai Provincial Government for the construction of a primary care clinic near the village of Jherekhe and down the hill from the monastery of Surmang Dutsi til.

In 2000, with an aim towards a more sustainable and high-quality clinic we acquired the services of Dr. Phuntsok Dongdrup, a Khampa Tibetan from Jherekhe, to serve as our first-resident and year-round doctor. Two years later, we hired a second doctor, Sonam Drogha, also with deep roots in the region. Both continue to live and work at the clinic, which was completed in 1996, training continuously both in Beijing and with visiting international physicians.

Looking Ahead

In 2003, the Foundation signed a partnership agreement with the Yushu Prefecture Ministry of Public Health, the prefecture where the clinic is located and where SF now has an office. The relationship eventually led to the registration of our clinic as a non-profit in China - the Foundation's ID is 001 on our new Yushu registration documents.

Stemming from this partnership, Surmang Foundation worked with the Yushu Prefecture health authorities to survey more than 400 nomadic women on health-related knowledge and practices. The survey indicated that women and children are particularly at risk, with alarming rates of premature mortality and illnesses. In response, SF began piloting a Community Health Worker (CHW) Project in 2006, which aims to fill a critical services gap by training local women in basic midwife and health promotion skills.

Bridging the Gap to a Sustainable Solution

In 2006, a satellite dish was installed at the clinic, brining telephone and internet service to the campus and forever ending the practice of communicating with the outside world via notes given to logging truck drivers.

The installation of the satellite dish also heralded the ongoing transition of SF's existing core projects to the model and support-network for the Foundation's partnership with our new sister organization Amara. Amara: The Rural China Health Alliance is working with government and private clinics to demonstrate that provider training, quality local-capacity and effective healthcare are achievable in any remote region of China.

The Surmang Foundation retains its primary focus on providing medical care and improving the lives of the residents of Surmang and the surrounding communities. Amara is a separate organization with a differing mission and approach. SF works with Amara to offer itself as a model for rural healthcare and a source of provider-training facilities and services.