Back in Xining

It’s now July 7th and we returned to Xining from X county town a week ago. T Fishy stayed to introduce the trainees to the mechanic and to buy construction materials for the shop. While we had hoped to be involved in this process, practical issues got in the way. Our presence in X county town, a small town that rarely sees foreigners, attracted considerable police interest. We collectively decided that it would be in the best interest of our project and Pentok for us to return to Xining where we would be less conspicuous. T Fishy returned yesterday, and while training is underway, construction is delayed due to rain.

We plan to return to the village as soon as the training is completed, but for now we are helping Mama S and Pentok with other projects. We have been drafting and editing proposals, writing web content, and communicating with donors. We are hoping to learn more about fundraising, web design, and grant writing in the next few weeks.

We are also getting to know other foreigners who are here doing research and nonprofit work. On Monday we to our friend Catlin’s apartment for the unveiling of a new solar cooker prototype created by One Earth Designs, a small environmental and health NGO based in Boston and run by young people like us. Our group of American and T students gave constructive feedback on the new prototype, which is designed as a cheaper and more portable alternative to the concrete solar cookers currently used in many villages. We were surprised to meet three Reed students at such a small gathering. Reed is one of several American colleges that has a long-standing relationship with the English Training Program (ETP) at Qinghai Normal University. ETP is not technically affiliated with the university, but offers English and development classes to approximately 40 T students each year.

Burgers and pizza to celebrate Independence Day