DHARAMSHALA: The Department of Education of the Central Tibetan Administration has expressed deep sadness at the passing away of Mrs Irmtraut Wäger, saying her legacy will be remembered in the hearts of Tibetans all over the world.
Mrs Imtraut Wäger, fondly called by Tibetans as Ama (mother) Wager la, breathed her last at the age of 95 in Munich on 2 Oct.
“It is very sad to learn that Ama Wäger la passed away on 2nd October midnight. On behalf of all Tibetan children, we express our deepest sorrow at the demise of our beloved Ama Wäger la,” the Department of Education wrote in a letter to Deutsche Tibethilfe e.V.( German Aid to Tibetans). She had served as chairperson of German Aid to Tibetans since 1983, which has led an outstanding mission for the education and welfare of Tibetans in exile.
“Ama la has made an outstanding contribution for the education of Tibetan children and dedicated her entire life for our community. With her initiative and support we have been able to educate many Tibetans children in exile. Her work will be remembered in the hearts of many Tibetan children all over the world. We are proud to say that many of the beneficiaries are serving our community in various fields.”
“She has been an extraordinary woman lovingly called Ama la by Tibetans. We extend our sincere condolences to her family, relatives and friends,” the condolence message noted.
Born in East Prussia in 1919, Mr Irmtraut Wäger became a refugee during the Second World War.
“Always put the others first was her father’s motto, and it was to define her entire life. In every difficult situation she has faced, Irmtraut Wäger has always trusted her inner voice. When she travelled to India for the first time in 1975, the distress of the Tibetan refugees evoked memories of her own escape and she immediately resolved to help them. She threw herself into raising funds and ran Deutsche Tibethilfe (German Aid to Tibetans) from her small two-bedroom apartment in Munich. In 2003, the Dalai Lama visited her personally. Her whole life story is proof of what one single person can achieve,” Franz Binder, a German journalist and author, wrote in the biography of Mrs Irmtraut Wäger titled “Amala: My Life for Tibet”.
Franz said what he most admired about Mrs Wäger was her philosophy that it was better to help a single child than to complain endlessly about what is wrong with the world.
“The life of Ama Wäger, as I lovingly call her, illustrates how one engaged individual can make a great difference in terms of improving society… Her endeavour has always touched me deeply and my conversations with her have always been hugely illuminating,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said in the biography.
In 2006, His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred her with the International Campaign for Tibet’s Light of Truth award for her “outstanding contribution to public understanding of Tibet and its current plight”.
On 31 May 2003, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the home/office of Mrs Wäger to convey his appreciation for the wonderful humanitarian work of the organisation in helping Tibetans in exile.
