Namling County Schools Project

Namling County Schools Project was founded in 1991 by Tashi Tsering. BLSCP was an official sponsor for this project from 1994 until 5 December 2014, when Tashi passed away at the age of 85. Tashi's devotion to education was a true inspiration to all of us. Tashi always welcomed BLSCP members and friends into his home and asked what he could do to help us with language interpretation/translation or whatever. For the last several years of his life he worked to establish TT Fund, which will be a perpetual foundation to provide scholarships for Tibetan students. Now through TT Fund, Tashi's devotion to education lives on.

At least 53 elementary schools were built in Namling County, which is located about 150 miles from Lhasa in a poor rural area. Students there have a strong desire to attend school but face issues of poverty, geographical isolation, and problems associated with the nomadic nature of their traditional lifestyle.

These basic schools are simple earth-brick structures with dirt floors at elevations over 13,000 feet; many lack electricity and running water. Each school has a solar cooker for preparing hot butter tea, which is served at lunch. Many schools offer dormitory housing, vital for students who live too far from school for a daily commute. Traditionally, the teacher lives at the school in order to care for and assist the students.