Dave Webb, Jamie Murphy, Lobsang Tsering
www.tibetsupport.org

The people of the Tibetan nomadic region of Qinghai (Amdo) stand at the doorstep of disaster. In 1996 and 1997 this region suffered some of its worst snowstorms in recent history. To heighten the impact of these, the following three years saw drought destroy much of the immediate local ecosystem; the ecosystem within which the nomads have lived synergistically for centuries. The ecological effect of these natural calamities has played havoc on the livelihood of the nomads who as herders are heavily reliant on Yak and sheep related trade (wool, milk, meat) to eek out a meager living for themselves (annual income about AUD 80 per person). Essentially this has left much of the local population destitute. These conditions don’t bode well for the sustainability of the nomadic culture of these Tibetan people nor of course the development of the next generation of children.

No one solution can address the scale of the problem. Working toward the future, however, the provision of education is seen as essential. The level of literacy in this region stands at only 7% with children having virtually no possibility to attend any sort of schooling even at the basic elementary level.A project currently in development by Tibetan monk Lobsang Tsering from Yushu prefecture with fundraising assistance from Dr Dave Webb from the University of Western Australia involves the building of a school between Karnang and Zhiuw for approximately 225 nomadic children aged between 5-15 years. It is planned that the target of 225 children will be achieved over the next five years (2003-2008) with the help of various fundraising activities. One of these is the online donations Web site www.tibetsupport.org , designed by a group of postgraduate students from the University of Western Australia. A further group of students is currently developing a longer term fundraising strategy.