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THE HISTORY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND GOALS OF THE TESSA HORAN FOUNDATION
The Tessa Horan Foundation grows gardens in pursuit of creative community, health awareness and sustainability, locally and globally. Our service continues to expand, branching out from Santa Fe, NM, to The Kingdom of Tonga, to Kathmandu, Nepal. Our motto comes from the acronym of Tessa:
Trust
Earth
See
Sustainability
Abound
And isn't it remarkable that Tessa spelled backwards is ASSET?
Accomplishments to date for The Tessa Horan Foundation
- In the fall of 2006, Tessa's family traveled to the village of Tu'anuku, on the island of Va'vau in the Kingdom of Tonga and built a library next to the school where Tessa was to teach full-time. In her last email to her family, three days before her death, she expressed a desire to fund a library for the village, which had no books. The library was completed and stocked with books, art supplies and a work desk. this project was undertaken and completed with the help of many of the villagers, as well as several of Tessa's colleagues from Group 70.
- In partnership with the Mountain Fund, a Volunteer Information Center has been built in Katmandu Nepal. This Visitor's center brings in hundreds of volunteers, coming from around the world to work in local hospitals and work in many foundations and organizations around Nepal. These individuals have donated hundreds of hours of free labor and expertise for the betterment of Nepal. They also go on medical treks to remote areas of Nepal, providing needed services to isolated villages.
- In February 2007, the Tessa Horan Foundation awarded a scholarship to a young woman from Tu'anuku named Sau Moa, through the Tuipelehake Leadership Scholarship program of the U.S.'s National Tongan Society. At the "Peace by Piece" weekend March 23-25, this scholarship was officially presented by Sione Lui, president of the National Tongan Society. Sau Moa will now be able to continue her education.
- In March of 2007, Kristena Prater, Tessa's mother, finished the documentary "Peace by Piece". This film in many ways, was the outlet of the family's grief. It follows Tessa through her childhood, departure for Tonga and death. It honors her exemplary nature and dedication to the service of humanity.
- We have also supported a group on Pokhora, Nepal which sponsors training for Nepalese women to lift them out of poverty and enslavement. Through the Himalayan House in Pokhora we have bought back the freedom of many of these young women sold into servitude.
- In September of 2007, The Tessa Horan Foundation donated to the rebuilding of the Gangety Sang-ngag Choeling Monastery in Bhutan. This monastery is under the stewardship of Tessa's Buddhist teacher with whom she took refuge in 1999, on the day of her brother's accident. The monastery, built in the 1600's, cost 50 million dollars to restore, with funds coming from around the globe. Please see the "Current" page for more info and photos.
- On March 20 of 2008, Tessa's Community Garden was born, next to Kristena's (Tessa's mother) house and the Foundation office. The garden flourished through the spring and summer, while being tended by Tessa's extended family and devoted friends. This garden has provided a venue for Women and families seeking healthy food and work to come and work in garden. Produce in donated to Kitchen Angels and the Food Depot as well.
- Tessa's Community Garden flourished as a winter garden as well, with state of the art covered beds, which began producing in February of 2009. This type of growing represents a sustainable model in which abundant amounts of food can be grown year round in relatively small areas. This site has become a teaching module and gives members of the community to learn about nutrition and sustainability. We believe in the principle "Think globally, eat locally."
- In the fall of 2008 the foundation started a Safe House for women escaping abusive circumstances in Katmandu, Nepal. In partnership with The Mountain Fund and the Women's Foundation of Katmandu, have provided the extra space and materials to eliminate overcrowding in the existing facilities. In this, we have opened our doors to disabled women who may not otherwise have a chance for personal growth and learning possibilities.
- Tessa's mother and her brother Devin spent three weeks in Nepal in March of 2008. They were inspired to take this trip based on the humanitarian work that Tessa started in Kathmandu in 1999. Tessa had met and worked with Renu Sharma, the founder of the Women's Foundation in Kathmandu. Tessa was so moved by this Nepali woman's work there, that Tessa wanted to return there to give her time to help the women and children who are devalued, abused and uneducated, and little girls who are sold into servitude at young ages. So Kristena and Devin made the journey to connect with Tessa's contacts there, to check on the Tessa Niwas, a safe house for women, and to meet Renu and to see her work at the Women's Foundation and Clinic. Mother and Son worked with Orphans at Chhahari Hostel, teaching yoga, meditation and English to the children there. They also established some new volunteer placement housing; sustainable, safe, healthy homes of Nepali families who are eager to house volunteers from the US. For more information about volunteering in Nepal, contact Kristena at krisprater@gmail.com.
Another visit to Nepal to assist the Women's Foundation and the Chhahari House will take place in November 2009.
Please visit this page frequently to watch the list of our accomplishments grow!
Always consider making a contribution to The Tessa Horan Foundation as a tax deductible donation, so that Tessa’s spirit and others like her can continue to hold a presence throughout the world. You are always welcome to join us on treks to Nepal, Tonga and wherever else Tessa's spirit inspires us to make a difference.
DONATIONS
Anyone who would like to support The Tessa Horan Foundation and/or The Mountain Fund may make a secure online donation by clicking on the "DONATE NOW" button below, which will direct you to The Mountain Fund's donation page. All major credit cards and PayPal payments are accepted. All donors will receive immediate e-mail receipts for their donations and the Committee will be informed by e-mail of the donation. The funds will then go directly to The Tessa Horan Foundation
We thank all of you out there who have been a support to our family of friends and loved ones. All the good intentions, prayers, assistance and financial contributions are greatly appreciated. Remember that donations are tax deductible and services establish merit. Tessa and other like her continue to inspire us to liberate the suffering of all beings.
Donations can also be mailed to:
The Mountain Fund
c/o The Tessa Horan Foundation
139 Madison NE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
www.mountainfund.org
Goals of The Tessa Horan Foundation
In the last years of her life, Tessa Marie Horan was deeply committed to conserving natural habitats, increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable living, and the cultures of indigenous peoples of the world.
Due to her diverse interests, the foundation has successfully launched and completed projects round the world, and here in Sanat Fe, New Mexico. Our short and long-term goals are as follows:
In Tonga:
- The creation of a community garden behind the library in the Kingdom of Tonga where Tessa was assigned, which will model the garden in Santa Fe
- Constructing water tanks for the village of Tuanuku on the island of Vavau in Tonga where Tessa lived, there are 74 houses, 31 of which do not have water tanks.
- Providing school books for the village’s primary school.
- Providing children’s reading books, coloring books and creativity supplies for grade three and below.
- Funding an artist every year from the village of Tu'anuku and also from Katmandu to attend the Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, where their work will be exhibited and sold beginning in 2010.
In Nepal:
- Contributing to the efforts of empowering the women and children of Nepal with the solid establishment of our safe house in partnership with The Mountain Fund.
- The creation of an online store: The Women's Foundation of Katmandu, with whom we have partnered, has created a sustainable textiles mill, providing jobs for the women they support and beautiful women products. This online store will sell their goods, now stockpiled in Nepal, as well as the products of Tongan artists and Tessa's own art prints.
In New Mexico:
- The creation of a Community Garden network, that will spread knowledge of nutrition and sustainability, while helping to reduce the effects of global warming by helping us eat locally and organically.
- Continuing to supply food to Kitchen Angels and the Food Depot, which will in turn provide organic food to the elderly and the homeless in Santa Fe.
- Implementation of a loss curriculum in the schools. Due to the intimacy with the death this foundation has, we want to bring this knowledge and insight into the schools, so that the young people have the tools they need if they have been confronted with death or will in the future. This is truly about creating the new democracy, with our youth at the speahead, and giving them the tools and insight to lead humankind into a positive future.
The Foundation would eventually like to do service work in Mexico, Central America and Africa.
Please consider making a contribution to The Tessa Marie Horan Foundation as a tax deductible donation, so that Tessa’s spirit can continue to hold a presence throughout the world. Your donations will help to actualize our goals locally and around the world.
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