Meeting Pentok

On Wednesday night we finally met the members of Pentok over a traditional Tibetan dinner. We met Mama S, head of the organization and a professor at Qinghai Normal University. We also met L, C, Elvis, T Fishy and T Bear (students and former students of Mama S's involved with Pentok). Most of us are in our early twenties, and we had a great time talking about our different cultures and upbringings. It was immensely satisfying to finally meet in person everyone who we have collaborated with throughout the year. Their kind attitudes and passion for education and sustainable development left us confident that we are in good hands.

On Thursday, June 17th we met with the members of Pentok at Mama S’s house. Over the course of two hours we alternately hammered out the logistics of our project and played with her beautiful two-month old son. On Monday, June 21st we will leave with T Fishy to spend a month in M village and the nearby township. It takes about 5 hours by public bus to reach X county town from the capital Xining. At X county town we must hire a car to drive us to M village. T Fishy warned us that the road is windy, narrow, and treacherous, and that we will be lucky to arrive in the village alive (or at least on time).

In the village we hope to spend time meeting people, getting to know the area, and acclimating to the altitude (~3700m!). We will meet with village leaders to discuss the management of the shop, the selection of potential mechanics, and the involvement of villagers in the implementation of our project. Working closely with villlage leaders in planning all of these aspects of the project will be vital for the sustainability of the shop. We also hope to talk with them about the possibility of using a percentage of the shop’s profits to fund educational scholarships for village girls. Pentok has already started a scholarship program for girls in M, where 2000 RMB/year can fund one child’s education and living expenses in the nearby town.

Outside of the village in X county town and neighboring townships we will visit other motorcycle repair shops, look for mechanics to train M villagers, and hire construction workers to renovate the building. According to Elvis and Mama S, the rainy season begins in mid-July. During this time transportation to and from the village will be difficult, so we hope to have construction and mechanic training underway before then.

Go USA! Boo Lakers!