Background:

There a thousands of semi-orphans and orphans in many of the Tibetan regions of China. They are living on the very fringes of society without even a meal to eat. Their parents have died. With only rags to shelter them from the frigid temperatures of the high Tibetan Plateau, many will not live through their childhood. 

Since Tibetans do not all speak Chinese, some of them have no hope of finding jobs to support themselves, let alone pay for schooling. To complicate the problem, in many areas that are no schools, leave aside good or bad ones. Without food or education or training these children won't survive. They need food and shelter and warm clothing now. They need education and training in order to work to feed themselves once they are too old for orphanage care.

While some people can see and do nothing to help the suffering of innocent little people, others are compelled to do something, even for just one of them. As the story of the starfish tells, we cannot do everything, but we can do something.

So many little ones waiting for our help.

Starfish Story as I recall it:

One day a learned man was walking down the beach and noticed a little figure in the distance, moving like a dancer. As he grew closer, he saw a little girl in a pink bathing suit. She wasn’t dancing, but bending down over and over again, throwing something into the sea.  

When he got closer he realized she was picking up starfish that had washed up on the sand. The man chuckled and shook his head, “Why are you throwing those starfish into the ocean?”

The little girl pointed up, “The sun is hot and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they will die.”

At hearing this the man replied, “Don’t you see that there are thousands of starfish along many miles of beach? Your little effort can’t possibly make much of a difference.” 

The little girl looked up at him with big blue eyes and then bent down again. She picked up another starfish and threw it into the water. As the wave took it away, she smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one.”
 

MAKING A DIFFERENCE - Lama, FOUNDER

With deep compassion churning in his heart, this Buddhist Lama decided he HAD to do something to help these suffering orphans. Finding orphans from many Tibetan regions he opened his orphanage school August 1, 2005. Starting with only 20-25 orphans, he now (2008) houses 108 in the orphanage - housing and food only. We still need electricity and plumbing. Water is hauled from the river a few minutes away. There are another 500 or more that still are roaming the back country with only the thread-thin clothing on their backs, begging for food, sleeping in crevices and crannies trying to stay warm. We need your help.

For orphanages around the world in need of this sort of help, please visit www.orphanagesworldwide.com

Volunteers Needed:

Please help us if you can. We need volunteers in all the following areas. Even if you can only come for a couple of weeks, please come, please help these sad little children. During the month of August each year we open a clinic at the school to treat the children and the surrounding nomads. Other medical treatment is a day's walk away or 20 hours away by car, impossible for a sickly person. Many people have died unnecessarily. We need your help, work ethic and donations.

Optometrists - surgeons to remove cataracts
Dentists to extract teeth, fill teeth, clean teeth
Nurses to assist with surgeries, treat minor illnesses
Dental Assistants
Orthopedic Specialists/Chiropractors
Physiotherapists
ESL Teachers, teacher assistants
Teachers to teach Chinese
Teachers to teach trades
Electricians
Plumbers
Building Contractors/Construction/Carpenters/Electricians
People who just want to help

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Food donation
Medical supplies and equipment
Hygenine supplies
School supplies and ESL materials
First Aid Kits
School Kits
Bedding, blankets, pillows
Bunk beds, mattresses
Desks, books, computers (when we install electric)
Clothing
Educational games, puzzles, stuffed toys, flash cards, rulers, stickers, etc.

Our Goals - Your Help
Install electricity/power generator/solar energy
Install pipes and water
Install bathrooms
Install kitchen appliances
Open a medical clinic of 30 beds
Begin a hygenine clinic to teach locals and the children

2008 Timetable and Volunteer Committment

What is Provided to Volunteers

Meals, lodging, sheets, blankets, mattresses and laundry services will be provided during your stay.  Transportation costs and a donation to cover food costs are the responsibility of each individual. It is 20 hours by car from Xining to reach the orphanage. Unlike other volunteer organizations we do not charge any fees, we leave the donation commitment up to individual volunteers based on their ability and compassion. We suggest you bring extra clothes and leave them for the people of this poverty stricken area upon your return. Since the Chinese government does not allow used clothing to be shipped to China, the only used clothing you can donate must be brought with you. 

Recreation, Hiking, Sightseeing

We believe there will be an opportunity for volunteers to enjoy some hiking trips during your stay in this beautiful part of China/Tibet. The opportunity to live among Tibetan nomads, learn some Tibetan, and experience the lifestyle among the magnificent verdant landscapes and snow capped peaks of what was previously Tibet is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, this adventure will change the way you view life.

Interesting Facts on Yushu Tourism

The total population of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is about 258,000 people. Besides Tibetans, other groups include the Han, Hui, Tu and Mongolian.

Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southern portion of Qinghai Province. It  consists of six counties: Yushu, Chengduo, Nangqian, Zaduo, Zhiduo and Qumalai. The government seat is in Jiegu (Jyekundo), which is located in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham. Xining is the closest city to Jyekundo, but Xining is over 825km / 515 miles away Jyekundo sits in a valley at 3700m / 12,136 feet above sea level with 4000+ meter mountains all around. Jyekundo is a good place to go to see authentic Tibetan culture, with over 85% of the population being Tibetan  For more on Jyekundo visit Life On the Tibetan Plateau.

Yushu has its own unique character of natural and cultural landscapes. Yushu's folk songs and dances are extremely well known all over the Tibetan world, and the Old Road of the Tang and Tubo dynasties is known worldwide. The famous temple of Princess Wencheng and colorful Tibetan monasteries are often visited.

Our friend Losang from Tibetan Connections has this to say:

“There are many interesting things to see in Jyekundo. There are 3 large monasteries within 10km / 6 miles of town. The most famous is the hilltop monastery of Jyekundo Dondrubling. Jyekundo Dondrubling monastery is built on a mountain overlooking town. This Sakya sect monastery was built in 1398 and has over 500 monks. Trangu and Domkar monasteries are also close to town. The Gyanak (Jiana) Mani prayer stone temple is located just east of town. It is the largest collection of hand carved prayer stones in Tibet with more than 2 billion prayer stones piled up in a 1 square kilometer area. Pilgrims can be found walking around the site everyday. The famous Tibetan King Songsten Gampo and his wife Princess Wencheng of China passed through the Jyekundo area on their way to Lhasa in the 7th century. A temple was built in their honor. Tens of thousands of prayer flags can be seen flying in this area. The grasslands of Batang, 20km south of Jyekundo, are beautiful in the late spring and summer. A sky burial site is located near these grasslands.” Visit Tibetan Connections website for more information on Tibetan cities and culture.

Jyekundo is home to the annual Yushu Horse Festival which begins each year on July 25th. This horse festival is one of the largest in all of Tibet. The population of the town swells during this time. If you can only see one horse festival in Tibet, this is the one to see. Besides seeing horse races, the horse festival features a lot of dancing. The Tibetans from Yushu are considered to be some of the best dancers in all of Tibet. So come join us for adventure, fun and compassionate service in the 'Land of the Snows'! Hope to see you there soon!

Talented newcomer.

Tibetan Prayer
May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;
May all beings be parted from suffering and the causes of suffering;
May all beings never be parted from the happiness that has no suffering;
May all beings abide in equanimity without attachment or aversion for near or far.

Thank you for stopping by.
Please visit our SPONSOR or MANY WAYS TO HELP pages. Also visit our sister site at www.orphanagesworldwide.com
Tudiche