Mission Statement

NORLHA is a not-for-profit, non-political, non-religious, non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its membership is open to all (against a small membership fee) and consists essentially of private individuals.

NORLHA’s long-term goal is to reduce poverty in the Himalayas by contributing to the region’s economic development. The organization is committed to supporting sustainable improvement in the living conditions of the neediest populations in the Himalayas, and particularly Tibetan communities in the Province of Sichuan (China). Through carefully crafted and locally run projects in specific sectors, the organization actively supports poor communities to achieve self sufficiency and dignity over time.

Founded in 2005, NORLHA has built its operational expertise and implementation capacity in community development in the Province of Sichuan (China) (Kham in Tibetan) as well as in Kathmandu (Nepal). NORLHA’s short- and medium-term targets in these areas are as follows:

In health care, to contribute to improving health services for Serxu’s (Sershul in Tibetan) population : to reduce child mortality, to cut maternal mortality, to provide basic health care in villages and to provide education in health and hygiene to nomads and villagers in the valleys of Serxu (Sershul) district, Sichuan (Kham);

In nutrition, to promote the growing and consumption of fresh vegetables, through continued support for the construction and running of greenhouses in villages in the Serxu (Sershul) district, thereby substantially improving the region’s semi-nomadic people’s diet, currently composed mostly of yak meat ;

In education, to improve teaching conditions in schools in the same region as well as in Nepal, thereby improving the economic and social prospects of children and of the community at large;

In the environment field, to sensitize the local population to environmental issues and set up waste collection structures in the Serxu (Sershul) region.

NORLHA works in collaboration with local groups as well as others, with a view to achieving results that are effective and culturally appropriate, equitable and participatory.

NORLHA depends on voluntary contributions and donations which it manages in accordance with the highest ethical and administrative standards. The organization is a full member of the Fédération Vaudoise de Cooperation, a body mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to oversee the implementation and quality of development projects of the Vaud Canton's NGOs, and to provide advice on their relevance and effectiveness.

In addition to its resources devoted to development projects, NORLHA maintains a small Emergency Fund to allow for rapid intervention, including humanitarian aid.