Machik Corp

The work of Machik began with a primary school in the heart of Kham. In the late 1990s, retired factory worker Phuntsok "Pencho" Rabgey answered a call to build a school for the children of his homeland in Lithang. The decision to answer that call was an act of faith in the promise of human potential. With Pencho cashing in his retirement savings to seed the project, the effort began with little more than hope on a shoestring budget. Opened in 2002 with the support of social entrepreneur Chris Walter and the Litang County Bureau of Education in Sichuan, the Ruth Walter Chungba Primary School became a runaway success story in its first year of operation. It made news by placing first across 53 schools in the county and undermining stereotypes about the potential of rural Tibetan children. In the years since then, the Chungba Primary School has become a model for rural Tibetan education across Ganzi prefecture - a region of nearly a million Tibetans. With the Chungba Primary School at the heart of our efforts, the work of Machik has expanded year after year, growing organically and incrementally in new directions. Drawing on a commitment to fieldwork and a respect for local knowledge, culture and traditions, Machik has charted new pathways for revitalizing local communities and for strengthening Tibetan capacity. Over time, with the support of a growing circle of volunteers, partners and grassroots supporters, Machik's work itself has gathered a community of people--local, regional and global--who share a vision of hope for a strong, healthy and vibrant Tibetan future. Source: www.machik.org