The school is located at a high altitude (around 4000 m.a.s.l.) in the coldest district of Sichuan province, where challenging conditions prevail. Warm weather prevails here only for less than three months, in winter the temperature drops to minus 30 degrees. The region is far from public schools and there is a high percentage of illiteracy, most of the inhabitants are nomads, the average annual income is around 4 thousand CZK. To this day, there is no electricity, except for a few small solar panels providing electricity for the most basic needs. The school lacks most of the basic equipment, the current tools and furniture were provided by local residents. Pupils are both nomadic children, orphans and young monks, boys and girls of unlimited age.
It was founded by the local community with the support of the monastery in 2008, when the state school was abolished after the school “reform”. The school is located at an altitude of 4,100 m above sea level. There are approximately 1,500 people living in the Maga area and almost 90% illiteracy.
The school does not receive basic teaching aids – textbooks, stationery, furniture, equipment for games (soccer, basketball), nor clothes, hats and shoes for the children for the colder months (Some of the children are orphans. Short-sleeved clothes do not fit, in nights and during most of the year it is cold during the day). Blankets – due to the lack of clothes, children use them during the day, there is no option to wash and sew them.
The school has three small rooms, three blue tents were added during the last year (replacement housing for disasters, Yushu is full of them), which also serve as classrooms.
Wengjia brought several orphans to school in the summer after the Jyekundu (Yushu) earthquake, some of them under the age of three.
Necessary things:
classrooms, total investment 77400RMB (over 200,000 CZK) including teaching materials, equipment, does not include salaries of workers – local workers
15 benches, each bench for 3 children, made by local carpenters, 17,000RMB (over 40,000 CZK)
- any warm clothes, gloves, hats
- basic school supplies, stationery, basketball/soccer ball
- medicines
- blackboard (3)
- tents serving teaching
- blankets, blankets
- books in Tibetan
