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 Latest News From Our Volunteers in Nepal

VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY CARE CLINICS IN NEPAL

Nepal remains one of the poorest countries in the world and has been plagued with political unrest and military conflict for the past decade. In 2015, a pair of major earthquakes devastated this small and fragile country. 

Since 2008, the Acupuncture Relief Project has provided over 300,000 treatments to patients living in rural villages outside of Kathmandu Nepal. Our efforts include the treatment of patients living without access to modern medical care as well as people suffering from extreme poverty, substance abuse and social disfranchisement.

Common conditions include musculoskeletal pain, digestive pain, hypertension, diabetes, stroke rehabilitation, uterine prolapse, asthma, and recovery from tuberculosis treatment, typhoid fever, and surgery.

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COMPASSION CONNECT : DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Episode 1
Rural Primary Care

In the aftermath of the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, this episode explores the challenges of providing basic medical access for people living in rural areas.

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Episode 2
Integrated Medicine

Acupuncture Relief Project tackles complicated medical cases through accurate assessment and the cooperation of both governmental and non-governmental agencies.

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Episode 3
Working With The Government

Cooperation with the local government yields a unique opportunities to establish a new integrated medicine outpost in Bajra Barahi, Makawanpur, Nepal.

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Episode 4
Case Management

Complicated medical cases require extraordinary effort. This episode follows 4-year-old Sushmita in her battle with tuberculosis.

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Episode 5
Sober Recovery

Drug and alcohol abuse is a constant issue in both rural and urban areas of Nepal. Local customs and few treatment facilities prove difficult obstacles.

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Episode 6
The Interpreters

Interpreters help make a critical connection between patients and practitioners. This episode explores the people that make our medicine possible and what it takes to do the job.

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Episode 7
Future Doctors of Nepal

This episode looks at the people and the process of creating a new generation of Nepali rural health providers.

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Compassion Connects
2012 Pilot Episode

In this 2011, documentary, Film-maker Tristan Stoch successfully illustrates many of the complexities of providing primary medical care in a third world environment.

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From Our Blog

To download our 2010 Annual Report and Financial Statement, please click here.

Annual Report CoverDear Volunteers, Donors and Supporters,

On behalf of myself and our Board of Directors, I thank you for your interest in this project. We feel that we are providing extremely effective and cost efficient care in Nepal and facilitating an excellent training experience for our volunteer practitioners. In the interests of full transparency with our community of support I offer this accounting of our 2010 operations.

2010 was a pivotal year for Acupuncture Relief Project. We had thirteen volunteers serve at the Vajra Varahi clinic in Nepal who provided over 9,000 acupuncture treatments and medical consultations. These volunteers worked six days a week and accomplished a total of 395 treatment days of service. Their efforts produced notable successes in treating paralysis/stroke, chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, and breathing difficulties such as asthma and emphysema. 

nccaom pda logoIn 2010 we introduced the Third World Medicine Immersion Program, which is a continuing education program designed to improve practitioners’ diagnostic skills and to equip them to safely perform in rural third world environments. Upon completion of the course, practitioners present a case study for peer review. These case studies help us analyze the efficacy of our clinic efforts and contribute to a body of evidence that supports our overall project model. For their participation in this course, volunteer practitioners receive 40 Professional Development Activity (PDA) credits from the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

In partnership with the Vajra Varahi Clinic and the Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation, we have expanded our local interpreter staff and training programs. Vajra Varahi now has five trained interpreters who are rapidly expanding their understanding of acupuncture, medicinal herbs, and holistic medicine. This training improves their ability to convey complex ideas, which helps facilitate a critical therapeutic connection between our practitioners and the local people.

Acupuncture Relief Project has also undertaken several infrastructure projects at the Vajra Varahi clinic to improve the quality of our service there. Some of these include the installation of a solar water heater, wireless Internet services, and mattresses in the living quarters. We have purchased two electro-stimulator machines and have expanded both our herbal dispensary and medical library.

To further our sustainability goals in Nepal, our biggest accomplishment of 2010 was to begin funding an 18-month scholarship for a local Nepali to be trained in acupuncture. This scholarship covers tuition at the Oriental Training and Treatment Center in Kathmandu and the basic living expenses of our award recipient while attending school. Having a trained practitioner on our team in Nepal will help us gain year-round coverage at the Vajra Varahi clinic, and is a big step toward providing sustainable care in this region. This scholarship will be fully funded and awarded in early 2011.

If you have any questions about this financial report or would like to find out how you can help, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Best regards,


Andrew Schlabach
President, Acupuncture Relief Project

To download our 2010 Annual Report and Financial Statement, please click here.

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Our Mission

Acupuncture Relief Project, Inc. is a volunteer-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization (Tax ID: 26-3335265). Our mission is to provide free medical support to those affected by poverty, conflict or disaster while offering an educationally meaningful experience to influence the professional development and personal growth of compassionate medical practitioners.


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