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Created: 24 September 2011

Arriving the day after a 6.9 earthquake shook the Kathmandu valley, Acupuncture Relief Project volunteers were uncertain as to what might await them. Fortunately the damage in the Kathmandu valley was fairly minor, unlike the 8.4 earthquake that killed an estimated 30,000 people in this region in 1934.

Volunteer practitioners Stacey Kett, Danielle Lombardi and Felicity Woebkenberg under the guidance of ARP team leader Andrew Schlabach safely arrived at the Vajra Varahi Clinic to the warm smiles of our Nepali family of friends and staff. The next couple days they worked through their haze of jet-lag to unpack the nearly 500lbs of supplies they brought and to prepare the clinic for operation. The volunteers also spent a half day learning to work with the Vajra Varahi Clinic interpreting staff and practiced the process of conducting medical interviews though an interpreter. After all of the preparation was complete they opened the doors Wednesday, September 21st to a flood of patients happy to see them.

Even after only a few days they have already seen many cases of Parkinson's Disease, typhoid sequela, stroke sequela and lots of musculoskeletal complaints. Everyone has been working hard to adapt to the new environment and rigorous work load while managing to stay healthy (even after a rather dramatic leech attack) and they are looking forward to the many weeks and challenges that lay ahead of them.

This year our practitioners will be seeing patients at our primary site in Chapagaon as well as traveling to two remote treatment sites in Godavari and Sipidol.

Felicity Woebkenberg works with interpreter Tsering to treat a Newari woman with knee pain.

Stacey Kett reviews an MRI scan of a Nepali woman suffering from severe headaches after having Typhiod fever.

Danielle Lombardi interviews a Nepali Woman a the Vajra Varahi Clinic.

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By Andrew Schlabach

Created: 23 August 2011

Assembling a Team | Acupuncture Relief Project | Nepal from Andrew Schlabach on Vimeo.

Documentarist Tristan Stoch offers some insight into Acupuncture Relief Project's volunteer practitioners as they prepare for the clinic in Nepal. In this short video, practitioners share their thoughts in what brought them to the program and what they hope to accomplish through the experience. Please enjoy this short film by clicking here.

Tristan will be joining us in October to help document our efforts in Nepal. We are look forward to having him with us and hopefully we be sharing our experience in Nepal with a documentary film next year!

As we prepare for our departure in September,

I am proud to announce that thirteen volunteer practitioners have been selected for the Acupuncture Relief Project's 2011/12 Third World Medicine Immersion Program in Nepal. Our volunteers from Australia, Canada and the United States will be working at the Vajra Varahi Healthcare Clinic in Chapagaon Nepal from September 19th 2011 to March 1st 2012, providing over 400 treatment days of medical support to the people of this region. Our team aspires to offer nearly 10,000 acupuncture and herbal treatments over this time period.

We have prepared lots of exciting training for our interpreting staff and our volunteers to create an experience that benefits our communities and patients both in Nepal and here at home.

In Nepal, wide-spread corruption and economic devastation continues to cripple this beautiful country. We feel that our efforts are not only beneficial, but also a fundamental part of establishing basic health care this region. In addition, our practitioners receive first hand experience providing primary care in a third world environment. This unique experience helps them build the skills and confidence it takes to provide exemplary and effective care in their own community practices.

Please consider making a cash donation in support of our gifted and generous volunteers.

$10.00  — Provides for 10 people to be treated in our clinic
$20.00  —  Pays a local interpreter for one week
$50.00  —  Supports one practitioner for one clinic day
$100.00  —  Pays for our team's clinic supplies for one day

Think for a moment about how much impact we can have when we can treat up to 120 people for as little as $100.

Donating is easy: Click here to make a tax deductible donation via our website or send a check to Acupuncture Relief Project, 3712 NE 40th Ave., Vancouver WA 98661.

I sincerely thank you for your continued interest and support.

Andrew Schlabach
President, Acupuncture Relief Project

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By Andrew Schlabach

Created: 22 February 2011

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

Dear 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. 

In 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.