Shenpen Fund Canada
Progress Report from Shenpen Fund Canada
Grant for Vehicle Purchase
From The Funding Network, 15 November 2007
TO: Janis Rukavina Thomas, Chair, The Funding Network-Toronto
FROM: Losang Rabgey, PhD, Board Member of Shenpen Fund Canada
DATE: 15 November 2007
RE: Progress Report on Truck for Chungba Primary School funded by The Funding Network
On behalf of Shenpen Fund Canada, the Chungba Primary School and the community of Chungba in Tibet, I would like to express sincere thanks and gratitude to The Funding Network for your wonderful generosity in funding the purchase of the school truck in Chungba for the Chungba Primary School.
The truck has made so much possible for the school as well as for the community in general. First and foremost, the truck is needed to transport supplies of food and other goods from the city of Chengdu to the village of Chungba. The drive is two days long over very tough roads and passes. The truck is sturdy and carries an ample amount of supplies. There are now 315 children boarding at the Chungba Primary School, and so, a great deal of supplies are needed to operate the school for ten months per year. The truck is invaluable in facilitating the movement of the most essential needs such as flour, rice, and so on.
As well, when the truck is not in use for transporting goods from afar, then it is critically important in the process of construction of the new Chungba Middle School. The Chungba Primary School is now the top rural primary school out of over 800 schools in the region. Yet, when these children graduate from grade six in July 2008, there is no space in the nearest middle school for them to attend. Thus, Shenpen Fund Canada is in the midst of building the first middle school in the history of the village of Chungba. A truck is absolutely essential for moving sand, rocks, timber, people and so on. The cost of renting a truck for the entire construction period is clearly prohibitive. Thus, the The Funding Network’s generous donation of funds for the truck has vastly sped up the building process and saved a great deal of resources in lieu of renting a truck.
Finally, the entire community of Chungba is benefiting from the truck because not only does nearly every family have a student in the primary school, but the truck is also instrumental in helping the community through the landslides of the rainy season. The region of Chungba has steady rains in the summer and the steep mountainsides are prone to landslides that obstruct the only road in the community. Prior to the truck, the community had to await the local authorities to clear the roads. That could take a few weeks of waiting. However, the truck has greatly eased the process of clearing the roads after a landslide and so the entire community celebrates its use in this way.
The generous support from The Funding Network-Toronto certainly helped us to raise additional funding as other donors were encouraged to donate to Shenpen Fund Canada when they learned of your support. We greatly appreciate your kind gift to the people of rural Tibet and hope to continue this relationship of support and successful work on the ground.
With deep gratitude,
Losang Rabgey, PhD
Member, Board of Directors
Shenpen Fund Canada
Tel: 202-544-3404
Email: lrabgey@gmail.com
