APECIH
The history of the Association for Indo-Himalayan Education and Culture and its founder Pierre Odier, with his passion for Zanskar, are intimately intertwined.
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Our next big project is to build a hall for the children of the Rainbow School but also to contribute to the further education of their parents .
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Pierre Odier, Founder & President of APECIH
The history of APECIH is closely tied to that of its founder Pierre Odier. An adventurer at heart, this Swiss born in Geneva in 1957, made his first stay in Zanskar in 1991 and decided to spend the winter there two years later in order to confront the harshness of the life of the Zanskarpas, the inhabitants of Zanskar. From 1993 and for the next 30 years he stayed in Zanskar for three months in summer and two months in winter, before settling there in 2024.
Pierre's first initiatives to help the local population date back to 1993. Since then, he has helped certain families to improve their living conditions so that their children can go to school and, if possible, pursue higher education. The idea of giving them a solid education while becoming aware of the richness of their thousand-year-old heritage.
Pierre Odier, Phuktal, Zanskar, July 2024
Here are some of Pierre's actions in Zanskar that led to the launch of APECIH and the construction of the Rainbow School:
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Foundation of an association and a dispensary in Pipiting in 2004 for the transmission of knowledge relating to traditional medicines
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Participation each year in financing the restoration of several monasteries.
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Involvement in various local associations to encourage younger generations to study and return to their region to share their knowledge.
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Organization of trips in small groups to discover the life of the inhabitants of this region and share its commitment to these people withdrawn from the world.
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Meetings with the Dalai Lama with whom he discusses the needs of the region and to find a balance between the preservation of age-old traditions and aspirations for modernity through education.
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Foundation of APECIH in 2015 with the main ambition of building and developing the Rainbow School to offer “Modern Education with Traditional Values” to the children of Zanskar.
The APECIH team is formed by volunteers providing the guarantee that every donation is entirely dedicated to the mission of APECIH
The APECIH Team
Pierre Odier
Founder & President
After going to Zanskar back and forth from Geneva for several months for +30 years, Pierre decided to move to Zanskar in 2024 to pursue the mission of APECIH on site.
Jacques Pahud
Donations & Sponsorship
After serving the State for 33 years, ending his career as a senior civilian servant, Jacques launched a company specializing in economic intelligence. Attracted by the mountains and traditions, and convinced that education must be part of the daily lives of all children around the world, he naturally joined APECIH in 2018.
Albert Giroud
Donations & Sponsorship
Albert is a former Swiss senior civilian servant who is now running the Vernier Tennis Club near Geneva with +350 members. In line with the values he is sharing with children in sports, he joined APECIH in 2018 to contribute to the education of the children of Zanskar.
Pascal Zahner
Marketing & Communication
Pascal is a former journalist and photographer who spent 30 years orchestrating the launch and development of internet related companies. He joined APECIH in early 2024 to contribute to the preservation of the rich heritage of Zanskar over the education of its children.
Patrice Deladoey
Secretary
Patrice traveled to search for smells, colors, sensations in Asia during the 40 years spent in research for a perfume and smell company. This led him to realize that education is the only option for children in these regions to escape miserable conditions. APECIH immediately piqued his interest and he became an active member in 2018.
Nicolas Brunner
Treasurer
More than 10 years ago, I had the chance to get to know Lundup during his first trip to Geneva. This meeting reminded me of two memories in Ladakh which were foundational in my life journey. When Lundup told me about the Rainbow School, and that it was happening here in Geneva, it was obvious that I had to support his brilliant project. This is what I have been doing as treasurer on the APECIH committee since 2018.