The Tibetan population and culture are on the verge of extinction, having suffered systematic eradication by Chinese occupiers since 1949. This Simplexity Health Solution project, Compassion in the Himalayas, was formed in April 1995 to address a host of needs ranging from nutritional to financial as well as educational and infrastructure support. Tibetan nuns and children at two monasteries in Dharmsala, India, receive the algae (visit their updated website for more information). The Reception Center in Dharmsala and the Tibetan Health Department also share algae with torture victims and new arrivals.

Sheri Winkelmann has been going to India regularly since 1996 to personally deliver blue-green algae and to follow up with prior recipients. On her most recent trip Sheri visited the Jamyang Choling nunnery, as well as the Reception Center and the Tibetan Health Department. Jamyang Choling is one of five Tibetan Buddhist nunneries in India, all of which provide opportunities for women of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to pursue the study and practice of their religion and to develop professional skills that will be a valuable service to the community. Almost the entire support for this organization is from gifts and sponsorships, though students continue to research projects that will make future economic self-sufficiency possible.

The Reception Center in Dharmsala, India is extremely grateful for the algae. Each year, thousands of refugees flee Tibet to India in search of political, cultural, and religious freedom. Many have trekked more than 1,500 miles on foot through the rugged Himalaya Mountains. After arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal, they are sent to the Reception Center. Many of these people have risked their lives to make this journey. The Reception Center has the difficult job of deciding which people (those usually in the worst condition) will benefit most from the algae. Because the Indian government is no longer accepting refugees, many have to turn back, and they are given the algae to use as sustenance for the return trip. Sheri was told that the results experienced after incorporating algae into their diets were so astonishing that several people are trying to get extra algae to relatives who are in Chinese prisons inside Tibet. Robbery is a fact of life at the border, but the algae is so important that individuals with algae will often try to get extra money with which to bribe the robbers so that they will be allowed to keep their algae.

Another recipient of Simplexity Health products is the Tibetan Health Department, which works primarily with newly received torture victims, who tend to have tremendous digestive and health problems. The health department is tracking the results for each recipient of the products, and has been impressed by the impact of the algae.

Living in caves in the surrounding areas are monks who spend their time meditating. Sheri was delighted to report that information about the algae has filtered to them, and several have come to the Reception Center to request some. They say it helps them meditate better, helps their concentration, and keeps their bodies from getting too cold.

Sheri shared one story after another with us, each case showing the life-saving effects that the inclusion of blue-green algae was having on those receiving it. The impact is not just on physical needs; the emotional effects of anxiety and stress have been reduced for many.

We asked Sheri why she continues to be involved with this project. "Initially I was drawn to this project and this culture because I didn't know of a people who had been persecuted and suffered such cultural genocide while reacting non-violently. I wanted to meet people who were able to face the worst kind of brutality without violence. Their expansiveness of thought and total selflessness is something I haven't experienced before. They are able to endure because their lives are greatly devoted to their spiritual practices and they are primarily thinking of their community rather than of themselves."

And this is part of what makes Sheri who she is. She has always loved learning about other cultures, and also uses her performance talents to promote peace. "I want to do everything I can to promote peace, uplift people, and bring joy to them."