Golok Sengcham Drukmo Home for Girls

China

 

In addition to teaching English (as a second language), we also hope that volunteers can teach the girls lessons that will increase their self-esteem.  After growing up in a male-dominated sexist society, the girls are quite shy and unconvinced of their potential value to society.  For example, volunteers can share stories of successful orphans, successful children raised by single mothers, and successful women in world history.  We need to show these girls how to be strong women and continue to work within Tibetan society without turning them against men.  We also want volunteers to show, through their service and in lessons, that good works should be a part of everyone's life, and that their education is meant to help them help others, not just to get rich and lead a comfortable life.

We are particularly interested in recruiting female volunteers, because we hope such volunteers can act as positive role models for the girls.

Volunteers will be provided with a simply furnished room and may partake of the food the girls are served.  Volunteers must be of good health, able to withstand the high altitude (about 14,000 ft above sea level), the harsh weather -- with freezing temperatures overnight even in the summer, occasional hail storms, etc. --- and the undeveloped conditions of the Home, including a lack of indoor plumbing, heating stoves fueled by yak dung, a shared outhouse, and proper bathing facilities available only in town.

We will provide transportation from Xining, the capital of QInghai Province, to the Home, which is located a 13-hour drive into the mountains, in Golok Prefecture's Darlag County.  Transportation to Xining is the volunteer's responsibility.   Additionally, volunteers must have basic international health/emergency insurance.    Volunteers must also agree to abstain from any political activity while at the Home.