A
Field Volunteer's Contribution
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Kate
(and TVP field volunteers) distribute school supplies |
Kate
Stange is a Canadian and graduate student currently working toward a Ph.D. in
Mathematics at Brown University in the USA. She took sometime off from her studies
and went to Tibet for a month in November 2005 to help with field work of the
Tibetan Village Project. Prior to her departure to Tibet, Kate raised over $2700
and worked on several projects that made remarkable differences! Below is Kate's
project report that she sent to her donors. TVP would like to express its sincere
appreciation to Kate, her family (especially mom) and the donors.
Hello
again from Lhasa (November 23, 2005): It's been a busy few weeks here, as
I've been involved with a variety of Tibetan Village Project activities and have
been out to visit villages around Lhasa several times a week. I wanted to give
you a glimpse of some of these activities and also update you on the details of
where the money has gone.
First,
as I hinted at earlier, there were a few surprises during the fundraising process.
As you know, I set myself the goal of raising $1500 to supply needed clothing
and school materials etc. to Bamna School in rural Tibet. The first surprise was
that I exceeded my goal, reaching a total of $2713. The second surprise was a
Tibetan businessman who unexpectedly donated the needed funds for Bamna school
independently. Therefore, after discussing with Tamdin Wangdu, director of TVP,
we've chosen a few other deserving projects that can now be implemented thanks
to these extra funds. These include (1) a number of other rural schools in need
of supplies; (2) an expansion of the Artisan Shop project; (3) a greenhouse project
designed to provide a sustainable source of food and money for an unemployed rural
family. At the end of this email I am including a detailed breakdown of how these
funds were used. But first, I want to tell you a little about my experiences here
helping with the implementation of these projects.
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The
mobile clinic car got stuck its way to a village |
My
first trip with TVP was to a village called Yari Ghang, where TVP was holding
a monthly Mobile Clinic. Five volunteer doctors joined us on the two hour drive
(which became a four hour drive when we became mired in an icy flooded river crossing).
The village itself has recently had a clinic building built, using both TVP and
government funding, when it was clear it was much needed (we had the opportunity
to visit the dilapidated old building). The clinic went well, seeing some 270
patients and filling the resulting prescriptions with Tibetan medicines. While
we were there, we took a tour of the village and visited some of the homes of
poor residents receiving TVP help.
One
family had lost their home to flooding and had since built a new house further
outside the village. Their daughter is now staying in Lhasa at the TVP Artisan
Shop as part of a project to provide free education in traditional arts to children
of rural families. She accompanied us on the trip and spent the day with her family.
While she is at the TVP Artisan Shop, she is practicing sewing with the new machines
purchased this month as part of the project. With these machines, she and the
two other students currently there are sewing schoolbags for rural school children.
These are being distributed along with school supplies to children at a number
of rural villages -- the total production will be 1000 bags.
The
next village trip took place a few days later. This trip was a first to a new
village in Tulung, and the beginning of a new relationship for TVP. The first
order of business was a meeting with the village leader, in which the specific
needs of the village were discussed. Following that, we distributed school supplies
at the local school as our first gesture of aid. The children were very excited
and cheerfully called "Tu-jay!" or "Thank you!" as we left.
Then we visited the families identified by the village leader as the poorest in
the community, bringing gifts of Tibetan tea. We met the families, visited their
houses and spoke with them, to see what was most needed. One woman at the age
of 103 requested medical help, which TVP will be bringing out to the village soon
as an addition to their Mobile Clinic program.
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Happy
kids with new hats, scarves, and school bags filled supplies |
The
third trip I've had the opportunity to make while in Tibet was to deliver school
supplies and warm clothing in Gurung Primary School. The hats and scarves we distributed
were donated by donors in the USA and shipped to Tibet. Winter is just beginning
here, and although it has thus far been unseasonably warm around Lhasa, the temperature
will soon be dropping. The kids were obviously pleased, jumping around in their
new hats and scarves and swinging their new bags full of books, pencils and ink.
Since
I've been here I have been very impressed with the Tibetan Village Project's works.
The Tibetan-run organization takes the time to address the specific needs of the
villages with individual well-thought out projects, and operates with very little
overhead. Projects often provide a double or lasting benefit, such as the bags
whose production doubles as education for artisans, or building greenhouses that
will provide food for many years to come. Furthermore, Nyima Dukgyal, the Lhasa
director, and Tamdin, the USA director, have gone out of their way to make the
details of the accounting clear to me, even taking me along on shopping expeditions
and explaining prices. And as if this weren't enough, Nyima Dukgyal and everyone
at TVP Lhasa have been incredibly generous in welcoming me here in Tibet. I've
often spent the evening with them, laughing at our attempts to communicate with
my two-weeks-young Tibetan, and I've come to feel a part of the family. I can't
thank them all enough for the opportunity for such an incredible experience.
Tashi
Delek,
Kate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Funding
Breakdown: Total raised $2 713
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Dhonden,
a trainer and Pema, one of several girls learning new skills at TVP store. |
1)
$1000 for Artisan Shop Education/Bag Project: For
the first three months of 2005, the Tibetan Village Project trained three semi-skilled
Tibetans in knitting, weaving, and sewing in Lhasa. Upon completion of the training,
the artisans became the trainers and employees of our newly opened artisan store
in Lhasa, where they currently make traditional handicrafts and showcase their
products. The Tibetan Village Project further expanded this store in November
2005 and now has a small training room where young girls from rural villages will
be receiving skill trainings and basic education. As part of this education project,
the girls are currently sewing 1000 schoolbags for rural children. Funds purchased
eight sewing machines which will be used for creating products and training children
in the future, as well as the materials for the schoolbags.
- 7
sewing machines at $72.22 each = $505.60
- 1
hemming machine at $56 = $56
- material
for schoolbags 100m x 20 = $250
- straps
for schoolbags 190m x 8 = $190
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School
supplies and bag made by TVP artisans |
2)
$713 for School Supplies for Rural Schoolchildren: It is difficult for
schoolchildren in rural villages to find or afford proper school supplies for
their studies. Tibetan Village Project visits schools and distributes needed supplies,
so that education can continue without disruptions due to lack of supplies. School
supplies purchased with these funds were distributed at Yari Ghang Primary School
(230 students), Gurung Primary School (75 students), Mon Primary School (75 students)
Dumda School (50 students) (and possibly also at others in future). At these village
schools, Tibetan Village Project also distributed hats, scarves, tables, chairs,
and the bags produced by the Artisan Shop Education/Bag Project.
- $125
for 1000 Chinese books
- $125
for 1000 Tibetan books
- $125
for 1000 math books
- 1000
inkjars at 0.8 each = $100
- $240
for 77 boxes of pencils (120 pencils per box)
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Kate
and the family that received funding to build a greenhouse |
3)
$1000 for Greenhouse Project: Gyangang is a small village located about
120 miles northeast of Lhasa and Choeje family is one of the eight families who
live there. The family wants to build a greenhouse but does not have the financial
resource to purchase building materials. The family is poor, has several kids
with malnutrition problems, and none of family members can find jobs to generate
cash. When Tamdin, the director of the Tibetan Village Project, was in Tibet this
summer, he met with family and agreed to look into some funding support. The greenhouse
will provide fresh vegetables for the family and as a source of income. Nyima
Dukgyal, TVP field manger, and the family are working together to purchase materials,
deliver them to the village and then get some help to build it within next few
weeks. Upon completion of this project, TVP will send photos and a final report.
