Lea Wyler, born in Switzerland, was living a successful and affluent life as an actress. In 1980, however, her life changed dramatically when she made her first trip to India and Nepal. Deeply moved by the poverty she encountered there, she decided to abandon her acting career and dedicate her life to helping others. With Dr. Akong Tulku Rinpoche and her father Dr. Veit Wyler, she co-founded ROKPA International whose mission is: "Helping where help is needed." The organization currently has branches in 18 countries and active programs in Nepal, Tibet and Zimbabwe. Lea's time is spent traveling between ROKPA's head office in Zurich to Tibet to check on the projects, to Nepal every winter to oversee the ROKPA Children's Home and other projects including the Women's Workshop. Together with a large body of co-workers and volunteers, she develops and oversees projects, and raises funds that enable many people to both help and be helped. For more information, see: www.rokpa.org or www.5wcw.org/who.html#lea