Founder and President of the TibetanAid Foundation Dorjee Tsewang grew up in a small mountain village in Qinghai Province of Tibet and was one of nine children raised in a simple clay house. After finishing school, Dorjee dreamed of a life outside of Tibet and made the painful decision to leave everything he knew behind to pursue a future filled with opportunity. His incredible journey from Tibet to a better life began in 1995. For thirty days, Dorjee traveled through treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather on foot through the world’s highest mountain range, the Himalayas. Food scarcity, insufficient clothing, and an extreme climate were not the only obstacles in his way. Due to the strained political relationship between Tibet and China, Dorjee and the group of Tibetans he was with could only travel at night to avoid Chinese patrols. Miraculously, he survived the journey and found himself at a refugee camp in Dharmsala, India.

As Dorjee navigated a new country and culture, he had to deal with the tremendous emotional trauma and obstacles many refugees face. But an encounter with the Dalai Lama gave him the hope and inspiration he needed to move forward to create a better future for himself. In 1996, Dorjee met his wife Dolkar Tso, who had made the journey from Tibet three years prior. During this time, Dorjee and Dolkar found the best way to learn English was from American tourists and developed a deep friendship with a couple from Santa Barbara, California. These friends would play significant roles in the next journey of their lives and later become Dorjee and Dolkar’s sponsors in order for them to come to the United States.

Twenty-three years later, Dorjee and Dolkar have two sons and own Mandala, a thriving restaurant in Ojai, California. Their time here in the United States has had its obstacles, but also its triumphs. They feel incredibly fortunate for the life they have created and grateful for all those who supported them throughout their journey. Now, as proud U.S. citizens and active members in the Ojai Community, Dorjee and Dolkar are committed to paying it forward through their work with the Tibetan Aid Foundation.