Tibet 2010

Long Distance Adoptions

In the course of the 2010 Tibet mission, about 2000 children in the villages of Dakshu Shang, in Central Tibet, and their families, received help from the Association.

In the capital of Lhasa, cold weather jackets, sweaters, trousers, thermal underwear, t-shirts, leather and canvas shoes, socks, hats, towels, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and so on were bought for each child. Based on the population list provided by the local government, each family, including those formed solely of old people, also received money and supplies of rice and flour. The distribution of food was particularly important
this year due to the lack of rain in the area, which completely destroyed the crops of most families. The distribution took place at Gangchen Monastery, which is traditionally a focal point of aid for the local population.

The adopted children in each village were identified and photographed and many families have written simple but very grateful thank you letters to their benefactors. The children yet to be adopted were also photographed.

As in previous years, the aid was divided equally among the adopted and non-adopted children in order to avoid further suffering.

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Water and Climatic Difficulties

Unfortunately, for the last years, the summer monsoon coming from India has not been able to cross the Himalayan barrier. This has resulted in the rain, very abundant in the summer of 2010 in Pakistan and India, becoming more and more scarce in Central Tibet, at times appearing as brief but very intense storms. In fact, this year, two rivers located in the region that receives aid from the Association, and which were usually reliable sources of water, are practically dry.

The arid climate, which is now very dramatic, has subsequently caused an increasing loss of harvest for most
families, which in turn, lowers their modest economy that is derived mainly from agricultural activities. Thus, the technique adopted last year in Singma Village – drilling to a depth of about 60 meters to access a rich body of water, which now thanks to the digging and installation of a piping system feeds a tank with water for both irrigation and domestic uses – becomes more and more important. Until now, a major problem has been the high cost of running a pump to bring the water to the surface, although soon a new innovation should bring much needed change to the aided villages. The electricity pylons, that until now ran from the city of Shigatse to the next major town, without serving the villages they pass through, should very soon all be linked together. This will allow for the use of electricity to run the hydraulic pump with subsequent lower costs.

Thanks to funds received in 2009, a second irrigation tank is about to be built in Gangchen Village, and we hope to adopt as soon as possible the same technology in other villages where water is the primary necessity.

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Trees

This important reforestation project is now well underway. Thanks to the aid collected this spring, thousands of new trees have been planted in order to protect the villages of the region.

The precious presence of trees, a very rare thing in such high altitudes, actually acts as protection from landslides and soil erosion from the already arid terrain, as well as from the wind and dust storms common on the plateau and from storms which can at times be very violent.

More than 20,000 trees have already been planted in the area and are served by a working irrigation system. However, many more trees are necessary!

The actual work of planting trees has been carried out by the inhabitants of the villages, who, apart from having the opportunity to enjoy paid work, have also experienced the joy of doing something truly important for their own lives.

The dedications for those who have donated trees, an invaluable gift for the local population, were brought to Tibet and read during prayer ceremonies in the monasteries.

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Schools

In the last years, thanks to the aid received by the families, the percentage of children who attend school in the assisted villages (up until class 6 – the last year of elementary school) has almost doubled. There has also been a sizeable increase in the number of children attending middle and high schools that offer education from classes 7 to 12, and it is with great satisfaction and joy that we now see some of the children who have received aid attending university, something that was unthinkable a few years ago in these very poor villages.

Once again this year, in the grounds of Nye elementary school – which caters for approximately 450 children from classes 1 to 6 – the distribution of aid took place with the help of the teachers and representatives from the local authorities. Each child received a supply of exercise books, pens, ink, pencils and so on, as well as new school uniforms. Aid was also given to the children attending Nepu and Singma schools.

Finances were also allocated for the maintenance and upkeep of the school buildings, always necessary due to the extreme climate of Tibet.

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Medical Clinics

Activities in Nye Clinic, the most important in the region, have also been increasing. This particular clinic has the responsibility to provide health care to about 5,000 local inhabitants who have been registered in the census and provided with health cards. There are now four permanent doctors in this clinic who assure a 24-hour presence, they are also able to make home visits to families thanks to the tractor donated last year. Thanks to the aid they have received, the clinic now provides beds for the sick and their families, and medication is distributed free of charge. In extreme cases, the sick are accompanied to the hospital situated in Shigatse, the nearest city of the province.

The doctors of Nye Clinic also provide services to other smaller clinics built by the Association, which serve the most remote villages, such as Nepu and Shishung. These small structures are always full to capacity on the days when doctors are present to provide health care.

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Monasteries

The monasteries have always been the heart of the Tibetan spiritual tradition as well as centers of aid for the local population. This year, various small monasteries in Central Tibet, where monks live in extreme simplicity, have received sacks of rice and flour and economical help that is destined to fulfill primary needs such as food, clothes, shoes, gasoline, bed covers, medication, as well as assistance for building maintenance.

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