Location Tibet
Type Education
Amount £5,025
Background
In 2002, Tibet Relief Fund financed the building of a primary school in a remote village in Tibet. Since then we have provided numerous further grants to pay for roof repairs, a water supply, bedding, shoes and stationery.
The area is poor and literacy rates for adults are very low; the younger population often leave the village to seek work in big cities. Sadly, having had no education, many end up living hand to mouth in city slums. The school, which also serves as a community centre, provides local children a basic primary education in literacy, geography, religion, history and music.
With this basic education, students can go on to study at higher schools in neighbouring villages, or at the local monastery where they learn traditional Tibetan rites and rituals. Recently five 13-year-old boys were able to continue their education in the Tibetan language and medicine at a monastery in a nearby valley. The village elders are hoping the boys will go on to higher studies in Tibetan medicine and will one day work in the surrounding villages as doctors – a much needed occupation in a village where the nearest doctor is a three-day horse ride away!
Project
Damage and repairs
The summer of 2014 bought a particularly harsh rainy season to this part of Tibet. The school building was badly damaged and the locals were unable to afford anything other than temporary repairs. Unfortunately, these repairs did no last very long and the building was left open to the elements. It was just too cold for the children to go to spend all day in class so the school was only able to open one or two days a week.
Tibet Relief Fund has been able to send money to cover the cost of materials and labour to make sure the school is fixed and weather proof. This will give the village children a warm, safe place to study and the best chance they have to get an education.
Teachers and books
Like many other remote village schools, this one is poor and receives no funding from the government. This means that locals have to somehow raise the money to pay for teachers and equipment – but sometimes they can’t manage to do this.
In 2016-17 we have been able to help them a little by covering the cost of two teachers for the school as well as a new set of textbooks for the students. The grant we sent has just enough left over to provide a hot drink at lunchtimes for the school’s children too!