Education Initiative
Although the eastern Tibetan plateau has a rich literary history,
political turmoil and poverty have seriously undermined the literacy
rate of the local population. In 1996, before the NYEMA Projects
education initiative began, an estimated 75% of the region's
inhabitants were illiterate.
The vast majority of children in Nangchen were not able to attend
school prior to 1996. The main reason was simply the region’s
isolation and poverty. It was too expensive for families to send
their children to the few schools that did exist, nor was
transportation available to travel the long distances.
In 1996, with the help of
Dr. Pema Dorje,
Lama Norlha Rinpoche purchased a plot of land in the Korche
valley with the intention to build a free school for the local
children of Nangchen. Yönten Gatsal Ling School, "Garden of Joyful
Learning," opened its doors to over seventy boys and girls from
twenty-five rural villages in the early spring of 1997. Today, the
school serves a community of over 120 boarding and 60 day students.
It is now run by the government, after establishing a strong record
of success in its first five years of operation.
Courses taught at NYEMA's first central primary school revolve in a
three-year cycle which includes Tibetan studies, Chinese and English
languages, and mathematics.
Beginning in 1997, NYEMA Projects established 51 one-room satellite
schools in surrounding villages to promote basic literacy and math
skills among children who were unable to attend the central primary
schools. As of winter 2005, these schools have fulfilled their
purpose and ceased operation. Many families have now moved to more
populated areas in search of employment. Meanwhile, thanks to the
satellite schools, a large population of children in the Nangchen
countryside now has basic reading, writing and math skills, and some
have gone on to higher education.
