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About the school
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Xieqing Charity Orphan School is a non-governmental organization. The school is located on a beautiful grassland at the foot of snow-capped mountains in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, southwest China. |
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The founder and principal of the school, Gongxia Rinpoche has been dedicated to establishing the school since 2004. After two years hard endeavors, with assistance of donors and volunteers from local Tibetan communities, other parts of China and abroad, Rinpoche fulfilled the construction of a modern school for Tibetan orphans on a highland with an altitute over 4,000 meters. |
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Rinpoche completed the first phase of the school construction in the summer of 2006. The first 50 orphans entered the school in September 2006.
The school is very important to the Tibetans. Living conditions in these Tibetan areas are difficult because of high altitude and isolation. Local people lead a traditional life of nomads and farmers, without access to education. Due to harsh conditions, many children lose one or both parents and become orphans. Although local people are kind-hearted and provide them with basic shelter and food, they are unable to provide the orphans with a nurturing and healthy living environment and an opportunity for comprehensive and modern education.
The school will be a warm home for orphans; and provide them education in Tibetan, Chinese, English languages, mathematics, natural sciences, ethics, arts, etc. Children will also receive vocational training such as greenhouse farming, medicine plant growing, animal herding, environment protection, handicraft arts, tourist services, etc.
Through providing the orphans with education, the school also hopes to introduce advanced concepts and technology of the outside world to these isolated villages; and gradually influence the education and life in rural Tibetan areas. Furthermore, as more and more volunteers and supporters are involved in volunteering their time and skills, etc for the school, more and more people will be benefited from helping others, experiencing a new life and building friendship across ethnic, national and cultural differences.
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Teaching at the school
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As a sponsor of the orphan school, Lotus hopes to provide the orphans an opportunity to know the outside world and learn knowledge and skills which will be helpful to them and gradually the local communities. We also hope to provide international volunteers a chance to offer help in a Tibetan school, and know a different life and culture.
Who may volunteer?
Volunteers need to be mature, independent and in good health.
What will you do as a volunteer?
Volunteers will teach English to the orphans. Those who have education/working experience in health care, teaching environmental protection and green house building are also welcomed.
Cost in USD: 1,980 with no length limits. We support volunteering from a few weeks to year long at the same price.
What is Included:
- Airport pick-up and drop-off in Beijing.
- 10 nights Homestay in Beijing (for periods before and after volunteering in Tibet), including private bedroom, breakfast & dinner, computer and free DSL Internet service.
- Round flight tickets from Beijing to Chengdu
- USD 100 donation to the school
- Accommodation and food provided by the orphan school
- Supervision and 24-hour phone assistance from Lotus Beijing Office
You need to take care by yourself:
International flights, insurance, visa application
Airport pick-up, drop-off and accommodation in Chengdu, transportation from Chengdu to the school
Program schedule
Before departure to Tibet:
Day 1: Arrival to Beijing, airport pick-up and transfer to the host family
Day 2-5: Orientation, crash course in Chinese, meeting with Lotus Beijing Office
Day 6: Take plane to Chengdu, then take bus from Chengdu to the School.
Volunteer in Tibet:there is no length limit to your volunteering.
Back from Tibet:
Day 1-2: Take bus to Chengdu, then take plane to Beijing
Day 3-5: Beijing Homestay
Day 6: Leave China, airport drop-off
Note: Schedule may be subject to change
Others
- As the altitude is over 4,000 meters, good health is required to overcome high altitude reaction.
- Food in the orphan school is typical Tibetan food, i.e., Zangba (Tibetan food made from highland barley), rice, yak meat, cabbage and potato. Accommodation is shared dormitories.
- For visa extension, you can apply for it in the immigration office in Chengdu.
- Speak with your college about financial aid opportunities.
For application, please contact us or send email to: info@lotuseducation.org
The volunteer program is free of charge to our students of Chinese Immersion programs, but airfare from Beijing to Chengdu, 10 nights free Homestay, and donation are not included. Students who are interested in the volunteer teaching, please contact our Beijing Office.
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Volunteer in the school, Jul. to Aug. 2007
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Lotus student Spencer Jemelka (from Occidental College, USA, joined Lotus 12 weeks
summer program in 2006) and his friend Tom Gray (from Marietta College, USA) volunteered
in Xieqing Charity Orphan School for three weeks from Jul. to Aug., 2007. The followings
are feedbacks from them on the school, the volunteering and their life and visits
as well as some tips, etc. The pictures are taken by Spencer and Tom.
Transportation: The school is located in a village about 26 hours’
drive from Chengdu, capital of China’s Sichuan province. To get to Chengdu, students
can take either plane or train from Beijing. It takes about 8 hours from Chengdu
to Kangding (capital of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture), 14 hours from Kangding
to the town of Ganzi, then 4 hours from the town of Ganzi to the school. The nearest
small town, where one can find restaurants and a few shops is 1 hour’s walk away
from the school.
Population and languages spoken: The area is mainly populated by Tibetans,
with few Chinese. However in the orphan school, most of the volunteer teachers and
staff speak Mandarin Chinese. One of the deputy principals also speaks English.
Temperature: During the summer, the weather is nice; the temperature
is from 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. During the day, wearing T-shirts and jeans
is OK. At night and when it rains, one needs to wear long sleeves or rain jackets.
About the school:
Students: There are currently 40 to 45 pupils in the school.
The younger ones are from 4 to 8 years old; and the elder ones 8 or 9 to 16 years
old. The kids are very happy with their life and studies in the school.
Classes: The students have classes every morning. They
take Chinese, Tibetan, English and Math. They also take classes in Tibetan traditional
dances everyday.
Facilities and Utilities: Electricity and cell phone reception
are available in the school. Students can therefore bring their cell phones and
laptops. There is also a telephone line in the school but no internet connection
available; the nearest place where are internet cafes is about 5 hours away. There
are faucets and running water but no shower; however as boiling water is always
available in the school, one can take bath with a basin. The nearest place one can
take shower is in the town of Ganzi.
Living conditions: Volunteers live in shared dormitory
with other teachers. The dormitory is facilitated with beds, bed sheets and blankets,
etc, desks and toilets.
Food: For breakfast, Zangba (Tibetan food made from highland
barley). For lunch, rice and meat, sometimes cabbage. For dinner, porridge. Volunteers
and teachers can also cook by themselves, but Spenser and Tom chose to eat with
the children.
What the volunteers do: Spencer and Tom taught for 2 to 3 classes of English
everyday. For the rest of the time, they explored the surrounding areas for the
natural beauties: hills, huge mountains, grassland, etc mainly by hiking. They also
learned about Tibetan culture by visiting Tibetan Buddhist Temples, attending temple
assemblies and learning the Tibetan language from the students. As the school is
in the second phase of construction, they also helped with some construction....
What is urgently needed? Education on environmental protection and
health care. The Tibetan area is of incredible natural beauty, but it is being polluted.
As the locals haven’t been educated about undisposable trashes and pollution (In traditional Tibetan life, things they used were naturally disposable; but now it is totally
different), they throw trash away on the roads, behind their houses or even throw
used batteries in rivers which are also the source of their drinking water. Volunteers
with health care knowledge as doctors and nurses are lacking in the school.
Spending and money exchange: Most daily necessities can be purchased
at a low cost in the small town one hour’s walk away. Students need to
bring some RMB if they wish to buy souvenirs and Tibetan stuff there. One can exchange
money only in Kangding. The town of Yajiang is recommended for buying souvenirs
by Spenser and Tom for the shops there are reasonable. In the town of Ganzi, there
are ATMs available for drawing from Chinese a/c.
Tips to avoid sun burnt: Wear long sleeves. Don’t stay outside
for too long. Bring suntan lotion if necessary.
Tips to avoid high altitude disease: the altitude of the school
is about 4,000 meters. To avoid high altitude disease, please drink a lot of water
and rest when first arriving.
Other tips: Bring toilet paper. One can also buy it in the small
town one hour’s walk away.
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