I hope and pray this finds each of you in good health and spirit.

Three months ago today, the Ohana Maitreya Fund for Buddhist Nuns launched its campaign at Harmony Farms on Kauai. I truly hope that our ohana will encompass the world, but those first friends that gathered under the tent that rainy night will forever be my “monsoon ohana.” Thank you for being there!

I would like to bring you up to date on our progress. Our first mailing of our new and beautiful brochures to the Hawaii members of the International Campaign for Tibet is scheduled for February 25th, the date on which Tibetan New Year falls this year. Foregoing the usual festivities, Tibetans have chosen to observe their favorite holiday in quiet remembrance of those who died last March in the uprising against Chinese rule.

The Om Fund team members continue to spread our message at any opportunity. Lucy Jarvis and her assistant Scott McArthur will be handing out our cards and brochures at a week-long Tibetan film festival in New York City in early March. Lucy’s encouragement and enthusiasm and Barbara’s guiding spirit give me the courage and confidence that together we can succeed.

The next step in the development of the Om Fund will be to expand our web-site and internet links. I hope to develop a news page. Now that we have Tibetan translators to help us communicate with the nuns, our work should progress more quickly. Yet it is still India, and if India teaches anything it is patience!

It would seem to be a crazy time to fundraise. Yet the need is greater than ever, as all non-profits have had to cut their programs as a result of the economic crunch. I see this as an essential time to fundraise, and feel lucky that Ohana Maitreya was established before the crisis. Our economy is truly global and we are all connected. Even the remote village of Chango, shown in my slideshow as the village where everyone dances, has been affected. Many fruit growers returned from markets with no buyers for this year’s harvest.

However, there have been exciting developments at the new Tilokpur Nunnery. Thirty young girls from very poor families have arrived, so now it is truly time to complete the construction of their new home and school. My friend Chonye, has begun classes with the children. The nuns are looking for a full-time teacher.

With the help of our Tibetan translators I will be contacting several more nunneries to let them know of our existence and to see what is needed. Most of them are in various stages of construction. When we can show success at Tilokpur we can inspire hope and confidence. The Om Fund has an interest in seeing projects to completion.

I truly believe that the only way our world will survive will be through individuals coming together in a shared endeavor that touches their hearts. The old approach to fund-raising for non-profits was to rely on a few large donations. I know, I used to be one of those donors. Big money is very hard to find these days. Yet we all have a little, and we all have friends. It’s the Obama/Ohana approach! It utilizes the Web, and I am asking for your help to spread the word. If you have e-mail and would like to participate, please send your e-mail address to me c/o: ohanamaitreya@earthlink.net. I will then send you a short e-mail letter describing the Om Fund and how it started, with a request that anyone interested please forward the letter to friends they think might be interested, and on and on… You will be the one to press the initial send, so your privacy and choice will remain intact. It is now possible to donate online from our web-site. To meet the challenges ahead and to fulfill what as become my life’s work, to grow the sense of community spirit that Barbara inspired, I need my ohana. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of it. I will keep you informed of our progress.

Om Shanti,
Algienne Amrita
Founder, Ohana Maitreya

Attendees came from the Hawaiian Islands, the US mainland, and Tibet to lend their support and to celebrate the vision. The enthusiastic crowd found shelter from the monsoon-like rain under tents, Tibetan style.  See The Garden Island, November 21, 2008 article.

Kamstang Yeshe Rabgye Ling for Nuns is an ambitious new project in Kulu, Himachal Pradesh. The land has been purchased and funds are now sought to begin construction of a shedra to accommodate 300 nuns.