Jules and Anja's 2nd visit

Jules and Anja visited Sherap and the grassland school back in June. Here are the photos provided by them. Jules and Anja live in Holland.

[Anja teaching English alphabet]



















[the younger class studying hard]



























[Jules working on the fencing wall construction]

[Sherap]

[group photo]

school construction update

After a phone call with Sherap [4 August 07], please find the following summary:

Construction
1. Fencing construction is almost complete;
2. A new building for teacher's accomodation shall commence soon. (in cost quotation stage).

Village level
1. The local government has just connected each house with running water. (自来水) Therefore only in winter (frozen temp), the villagers will need to fetch water from the spring.

Future plan
1. Visitor block and more classroom block shall be built next year;
2. A sustainable toilet block shall be built next year;
3. Sherap will collect the building parts of an old house of his friends which are planning to be demolished soon. This aims to reuse the building material for the future school construction, also act as a historical record of past materials and building elements;
4. The need for a pipe connect to the spring no long required, however the potential need of a water storage for the spring shall be reassessed in the next visit.
5. sherap agree the idea of using traditional building methods to build the next school block, the idead to conserve Tibetan traditional architectural knowledge.

Visitors
1. Three friends of Sherap, who are from Lanzhou Polytechnic University, are visiting the school now, they have been teaching the school children singing and dancing.

report by maggie

Fencing wall contsruction progress

Below are the photos taken by Sherap at the end of May and early June. They illustrate the progress of the fencing wall construction which defines the school premises.

Following a phone conversation with Sherap last week, it was told the contsruction is almost completed.

More recent photos will be uploaded upon receiving them through e-mail from Sherap.

So please stay tune!

The dutch team is visiting grassland school

The dutch team [Jules and Anja] is on their way to visit Sherap now. They will see the progress of the school and the fencing construction. Their trip finish on June 25.

Please stay tune for update later.

[photo from their visit May 2006]

site work photos from sherap

School update

[Old photo on the site work for the school building
construction in 2006]

School update May

1. Site work on leveling the ground for the low fencing area has all been completed;
(but some of the sub soil is still frozen.. wow!!! )
2. There is rain water drainage problem on the newly leveled ground;
3. Next week when sherap goes back, they will start the fencing wall construction;
(He said steel reinforcement and concrete will be used... !!!)
4. This summer's construction plan is just to accomplish this fencing wall.

Sherap said there is enough finance for this summer's construction work but he hasn't have time to sort out the cash balance. But for sure there is lack of financial support for any next stage construction. (for the next year)

Sherap said that the children are all doing well, enjoying their class and they are playing Football (soccer) alot these days. The class is going as normal (Mon- Fri, 8 to 5) with two teachers. I asked him whether the children needs anything for now, he said they seems alright but this time going back, he may shop for some bandage and other medicine for daily use...

There are two Dutch friend of mine gonna visit Sherap end of this month, and they will visit the school. They will stop by HK on the way in and out, so there is a window opportunity for the HK team to pass anything to sherap.

p.s: Labrang monastery has forbidden all official monks to visit internet cafe at xiahe.. that's the reason why Sherap hasn't got any chance to reply any e-mail. He said when he pass by another town (Hezuo), he will go online there.

some more photos

photos taken by RY

sherap's letter for the local government

Below is the letter written by sherap orginal in Tibetan but tanslated into Chinese with the help of his friend. the letter was for the local government.

student list

Here are the students who attended the school on the day we visited. The older students wrote their own name and the teacher wrote the name for the younger students.

Site visit report- April 2007

School visit report no.1

visit date - 5-6April 2007
visitors- maggie/kun/roland/rex
------------------------------------

School operation

- 42(nos) students are attending class everyday; (free education)
- the students are separted into two groups by age;
- the level of both class are equalivant to primary 1;
- the older class learn faster than the younger class, therefore the older class may proceed to primary 2 school level next year;
- subjects including: Tibetan/ Chinese/ Mathmatics/ P.E (sport);
- currently the are two teachers; (which enable the two classes to operate at the same time)
-----Mr. Cheung who is a Tu ethnic cultural group (paid by the local government)
-----Sherap's father (voluntary teacher)
- School time: 8.30am to 5pm;
- no students are bording at the school;
- Mr Cheung (teacher) are living at the school building.

(will report on the planning of the next construction phase in next post!)















the younger class

the older class

discussion on the next phase of construction














dicussion on the design scheme for the school

school snap shots

younger class












older class













friends at playground















learn to write their own "name"















inside classroom

class dismiss (time to go home)












sport : P.E. class with Hong Kong visitors

Easter excursion to see grassland school

I am heading to Labrang and grassland school this Thursday with three HK friends.

Sherap will accompany us and we will stay at his parents place.

Will bring update report about the school progress when I come back next week.

Hope everyone has a nice Easter.

Maggie