Tibet 2013
Long Distance Adoptions
The Long Distance Adoption project of the Association in aid of children and their families living in the villages of Central Tibet started 15 years ago. Today, our help reaches about twenty villages with an overall total of approximately 2,000 children.
The villages, located in the area of Shigatse, are scattered on the Tibetan plateau at about 4,000 meters above sea level. The income of these families is based for the most part on subsistence farming, but the harvests from this mountainous and rocky land is often insufficient to meet even the basic needs of the family; only a few families are fortunate enough to have some goats or a yak. In recent years, some parents have found occasional employment in the maintenance of roads, some have even gone to seek work in the new factories in eastern Tibet, leaving their families behind in the villages. Without this work, these families have absolutely no money with which to buy essential goods such as clothes, shoes, school supplies, medicines, or to make repairs to their simple homes which are always necessary due to the extreme climate.
This year, the distribution of aid to the children and their families was held between November and December in Nye Elementary School. Nye is the largest village in the district. The children received shoes, caps, winter jackets, thick tracksuits, school uniforms, backpacks; they also received a supply of school notebooks, ink, pens, pencils and so on. As in previous years the families received money and sacks of rice and flour to guarantee them a means of support over the harsh winter months.
All the children of the villages, sponsored or still on our waiting list, were photographed. In the photo is Dolma, a girl from Nye Village, with a gift that her sponsors sent: it is a collection of her photographs since 2002, the year they started the sponsorship, to date. A wonderful gift for someone who has never had a picture of herself to put in her home!
Schools
In the region helped by the Association, there are only three elementary schools: Nye School (from classes 1 to 6) and Singma and Nepu schools (from classes 1 to 3). To attend secondary school, the children must move away from home to live and study in Sakya School where they can complete from classes 7 to 12.
Since the long distance adoption project started, the number of children attending school has increased every year until now almost all children – thanks to the help they receive – manage to attend school. Many children are now able to complete their school education, and some have even started university. After graduation from school, for some it is possible to find work in the nearby town of Shigatse, in hotels, offices, schools, handicraft workshops, shops and so on. Others choose to remain in their village to help the family with the work of farming, but even in this work they have a lot more knowledge and skills.
Once again this year, all the children who attend school received school supplies for the coming year – the price of which is far too much for most families – and school uniforms. This uniform distinguishes these children as students and stresses the importance of attending school. The economic support given to these families – most parents have never received any education – helps them to accept and understand the importance of educating their children. Most parents are now able and willing to give up the help of their children in the fields or taking care of younger siblings, for them to attend school.
click on the images to see the galleries
Clinics
Until a few years ago there were no healthcare facilities in this area: for medical treatment it was necessary to travel to Shigatse, the nearest city. This was often very difficult, especially in emergencies and due to the lack of transport and money to pay for treatment. Fortunately, there are now some small dispensaries active in the villages that provide medical care – free or at a minimal cost – to any person living in the district. Once again this year, the dispensaries have been equipped with medicines and materials for the coming year.
In Nye Clinic a new larger waiting room has been created, where family members of patients can also find temporary accommodation. It has also been provided with some new equipment for the childbirth and x-ray units. The clinic in Nye Village has resident physicians available 24 hours a day.
Environmental Projects: Water and Trees
in support of the the UNEP campaign “One billion trees for life”
The environmental and climatic conditions in this part of central Tibet are those of a high-altitude desert. Here, it rains infrequently and usually only during the summer period of the Indian monsoon, which sometimes brings torrential rains that erode the already hard and rocky ground. There are freezing temperatures in winter, blinding sand storms as well as an extreme shortage of water and trees. In this context it is easy to understand that the most precious commodity is water, for domestic use, for agriculture and for livestock.
This year between the villages of Singma, Sagoe and Gangchen a new large irrigation tank was built to collect the abundant flow of water coming from the underground spring (at about 60 metres of depth) that was accessed through drilling and is pumped to the surface. The water fountains previously built in the villages and school grounds to serve the residents and students are still working and regularly maintained.
Trees are invaluable in this environment, offering protection from the scorching sun, from the strong winds, and from soil erosion. Thousands of trees have already been planted around the villages and are patiently taken care of with a system of irrigation and fences to protect them from wild animals. The work of planting trees has continued in 2013, with hundreds of new trees planted.
It is possible to contribute to this vital environmental project with a donation of 10 euro to plant a new tree, a special dedication can be made for your own or other people’s health, for a specific project, for a family member, a friend, or in memory of a loved one. All the dedications are recited during prayer ceremonies held in local monasteries.
Monasteries
The monasteries of Tibet are the heart of Tibetan culture and wisdom. Through the sponsorship of a monk you can contribute to the survival of some small recently rebuilt monasteries, where the monks lead a life of great rigour and simplicity, divided between work and prayer. All donations are divided equally among them, to cover basic necessities such as: food, shoes, medicines, blankets, maintenance and reconstruction work. In the photo are some of the monks of Nimo, a small and ancient monastery in the mountains, outside the new rooms of the monastery completed in 2013.
