Update from Tammy Kelly in China

Hello everyone!

Again, another mass mailer, but time for email is quite limited.....I never know when the electricity is going to be shut-off...without warning, of course.It has been a while since some of you have heard from me so I will give you a brief update. In Feb. 2003, I returned to China to work for an organization called Trace Foundation. Trace works primarily with Tibetans, conducting education, environmental, health and cultural preservation projects. In late May, Trace volunteers and consultants were evacuated due to SARS, but at the beginning of July, I returned to Xining.

Currently, I am the coordinator of a Teacher training program. It is quite an ambitious project. 69 of our students have gone to four surrounding counties to teach at 25 countryside primary and middles schools. It is one of the first projects to have Tibetan teachers teaching both standard English and Tibetan as a second (or third) language to both Tibetan and Mongor students. Mongors are also a minority ethnic group living in China.

These schools are in very remote regions. For instance, to get to one site, I had to travel seven hours by crowded bus along a bumpy one lane road...(but the view was great!!) Despite the living conditions, the student teachers are very enthusiastic. In addition, their students are just wonderful and so filled with energy. The students' progress with standard pronunciation (true "th" sound!), listening comprehension and confidence has been amazing. Their work has surpassed any our project's goals or expectations...if I may so.

This afternoon I just returned from Minhe county. I had a meeting with a local site manager to distribute Trace's funding.

Before I can continue, I must slightly change the subject to add the following. Since I have started this project, I have met several Tibetans and Mongors who have dedicated their time and own money to give back to their community. One, for example, is a Mongor doctor. He now lives in Xining but is from Xunhua county. Despite his demanding job, he volunteers his time in the hopes of educating young Mongors about their culture and preserving their indigenous language. Many times, I have phoned him in regards to the project, only to discover that he just finished doing surgery. Another is a teacher who has been known to take his own salary to fund development projects...teachers in this region, at most, make about 1000 rmb (or about 125 USD) a month.

This volunteer spirit may not seem so unusual for Westerners, but in China the situation is viewed differently. For complicated reasons (and I am not to judge), most Chinese, that I have met, do not feel a true obligation to give back to their community. So, the local enthusiasm here is one of the reasons why I am so willing to give my time and energy to carry out such development projects, as well.

When I was in Minhe county, I saw some of the development projects in action. I was impressed with the positive results. Such projects include, solar cookers, and building schools in extremely poor villages.I have become very interested in the solar cookers, or solar powered stoves. From some of my emails or letters, you may know, that the area where I live in Northwestern China is very dry with intense sunshine. Due to desertification and poor land management, natural resources for fuel are limited. The solar cookers are powered by the sum and ideal for this region.

A top quality solar cooker for one household lasts about ten years and costs about 25 USD (200 Chinese dollars or rmb)to construct. Families can boil a big pot of water in about 12 minutes, cook noodles (a main staple here) or make round flat bread, using free energy from the sun. Families save about 300 Chinese dollars (rmb) a year. In addtion, they don't have to use coal or chop down already scarce trees.

Perhaps you are interested in helping to fund a solar cooker project? It is a great opportunity for you to really make a difference. I know and trust me, I really understand, that 25 USD is a good chunk of money, espcially for us who have student loans or who are caught in the economy's mood swings.

You all know me quite well....any contribution that you would be able to make would go directly to the materials needed to make a solar cooker and transportation to the family's home. This is an extra volunteer project for me. No money will go to line the pocket of some official. I am planning to work with Tibetan and Mongor community leaders to see who would first benefit the most. In the past, solar cookers, for example, have been donated to widows with a family to support.

This would be a great way for you, or your family or even your co-workers to work on a project that truly has positive results. I also know that some of you are teachers. This would be a great fund raising project for your students. I, in turn, will provide you with clear and timely updates about the solar cookers' construction and distribution. Your contribution of 25 USD (or Euros or others) will not be wasted or turned into a junkyard of unused development projects.

If you are interested in helping in this project, you can send a check to me at my home address: CR 411, Box 1089, Westerlo, NY 12193, USA or send to my China address at:

810008 China
Qinghai Sheng, Shining Shi
Qinghai Education College
Nationalities Department
Tammy E. Kelly

I can also understand that perhaps at this time, you are not interested in such a project...no problem...I realise it is difficult to relate to the importance of a solar cooker for villagers and nomads when most of us have unlimited heat and electricity.

In the future, I am interested in doing other projects such as, TB testing, eye examinations, women's general health and possible school contruction programs. There is so much that can be done in this region. It is exciting for me to work with such dedicated collegues and see true, self-sustaining projects take place.

Well, I am off, thanks for reading!...I will soon be leaving for Guide County to do more site observations to insure that the teacher training program is making progress.

I hope you are well...and as always if you ever make it to my part of China, please feel free to contact me. This area is a wonderful and special place!

take care,
Tammy