solar panels august 2005 shiqu

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Good Works

Solar Electricity Generating PanelsFinal Report

Niga Town

Shiqu County

Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Sichuan Province

Tudenggongbu (Chad)

August 16, 2005

Contents

What? 143 Solar Electricity Generating Panels that directly benefit more than 790

impoverished Tibetans in Shiqu County, Sichuan Province.

Cost? Good Works= 60,000 RMB; Local Contribution=6,000 RMB


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PHOTOGRAPHS

Ms. Lomosu (b. ~1943) lives with her only child--a son who is a monk. She has lived on

the grassland her entire life. She wonders if she should move to the herdsmens refugee

camp in the county town because she currently has only a few head of yaks. She had a

tent before, but she had to sell it. Some years before, she worked as a hired herder. She

currently lives in a tent borrowed from a relative and tends her few yaks.

Ms. Gonla (b. ~ 1952) has been herding for more than thirty years. She currently lives on

the northern grassland area of Shiqu County. Her family must annually offer the local

monastery butter.


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Ms. Angla (b. ~ 1938) lives in a relatives dung storehouse near Niga Town and

unfortunately this year, her only child who never cared about his mothers living

condition died in a car accident. At present the only income she earns is through

collecting and selling empty beverage cans and wine bottles.

The beneficiaries are carrying home their solar electricity generating panels supported by

Good Works.


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Ms. Seba (b. ~1953) lives with her husband who is a mahjong addict and constantly

wastes day and night on gambling. Two years ago they owned an adobe house. However,

Ms. Seba needed a liver operation and the house was sold to pay for the treatment. Her

husband worked as a cook in the local monastery but quit his job in order to gamble that

has further contributed to the households poverty.

Mrs. Doplo (b. ~ 1938) was a housewife in a rich household that owned 200 yaks until a

severe snowstorm in 1998 killed nearly all the households yaks. Subsequently, she lived

in Niga Town for a few months but now has returned to the grassland where she lives

alone in a tent.


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Ms. Songla (b. ~1946) is a widow who lives alone in a one-room hovel without furniture.

Known locally as Ugly Song, no one offers her help. She rarely goes to town and is

more or less cut off from the rest of the world. She has two or three yaks and lives off

their dairy products.

Mr. and Mrs. Tebri (b. ~ 1939) each have lost an eye. A pile of sifted-through-garbage

they collected from Niga Town is their wealth. They are childless. Before the 1998

snowstorm they had 40-50 yaks but now have 5-7 yaks that provide their sole source

livelihood.


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Ms. Damco (b. ~1940) is a widow. She lives with five of her nieces and nephews, whose

parents are dead or whose parents have too many children and have asked Ms. Damco to

care for some. The house they live in has no doorframe--only a hole in the wall. A heavy

rain may send the roof tumbling down.

Ms. Songla now, thanks to the solar lighting, is able to do household chores after dark.


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Mr. and Mrs. Tebri are grateful for solar lighting supported by Good Works.


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Good Works Solar Electricity Generating Panel Project

Solar Electricity Generating Panels

for

Residents of Northern Grassland Areas in Niga Town,

Shiqu CountyGanzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

Sichuan Province

August 16, 2005

Tudenggongbu (Chad)

1. Project Information

(1). Name: Solar Electricity Generating Panels for the Tibetan Nomads on the Grassland

of Niga Town

(2). Location: Northern grassland areas of Niga Town, Shiqu County

(3). Donor: Good Works

(4). Applicant: Shiqu Tibetan Community

(5). Local Contribution: 6,000 RMB

(6). Reporter: Tudenggongbu (Chad)

(8). Goals:

To provide bright light conditions.To provide clean air in the room and reduce the rate of disease caused by smoke

from flame-based lighting.

To improve local people's income by saving money that was paid for oil for flame-

based lighting and offering light that allows the production of handicrafts.

To provide more convenience to women who may now more leisurely work during

the day because they can complete housework in the evening with solar lighting.

Improve women and girls living conditions.

(9) Contents: 143 Solar Electricity Generating panels for the impoverished Tibetans on

the grassland of Niga Town, Shiqu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,

Sichuan Province.


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2. Project Activities:

Activities Date 2005 Participants

Meeting with Dr. Stuart April 13 Students with Good

Works funded projects

Meeting with Dr. Stuart April 29 Students with Good

Works funded projects

Visiting some Solar power companies June 22 Company managers,Chad

Negotiation on the terms June 24 Company managers,

Chad

Signed the contract June 29

FAXed donor's name in Tibetan and English to

be put on the panels

June 30

Visited the Solar Power Company to monitor

panel quality and ensure that panels were 10w

and batteries were 17v

July 4

Paid 10% of the cost July 10

Loaded the truck July 16Solar panels purchased July 16

Solar panels were delivered to the project

location from Xining City

July 20

Informed beneficiaries to come receive solar

panels

August 1-

August 6

The four project

managers

Bought a pen, a notebook and a roll of film August 1

Bought batteries August 2

Bought a roll of film and batteries August 2

Panels were distributed August 10 All beneficiaries and the

four project managers

Meeting August 11 The four project

managers and tenbeneficiaries

Film development August 16

Writing final report August 16


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Letter of Appreciation


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Dear Good Works,

Words can hardly express the deepest appreciation we extend on behalf of more

than 790 beneficiaries for the help you have kindly offered. With the solar electricity

generating panels that you have provided, the local people no longer need to burn butter

lamps, candles, and kerosene lamps. They need not worry about the lateness of their

dinner. Locally, it is traditional for women and girls to bear the major responsibility of

completing housework, and with the panels they need not be overly concerned about

completing household tasks during the daylight because they can now complete them at

night. Your help not only significantly improves local nomads living conditions, but also

has great positive effects on their health condition.

With careful monitoring, supervision, and organization under the direction of the

four project managers, as well as local nomads help, we are glad to inform you that the

Solar Electricity Generating Panel Project was successfully completed on 10 August

2005.

Sincerely,

Tudenggongbu


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List of Recipients


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Recipients (translation)Name Gender

Auchos male

Blosthub male

Thubrtam male

Stoblo male

Dbyangdkar female

Dbyangskyabs male

Thubstandgelg male

Dgedar male

Cesmzo female

Mtshomo female

Bsodnmgragspa male

Thubdarla female

Rigzinrdorje male

Gangsgron female

Padma female

Zhlamtsho female

Thubris male

Dangsdis female

Blomomtsho female

Yiris female

Thubmstandbangbo male

Sangslha female

Yeshisrdorje male

Padmtso female

Rdorjebkarshis male

chimed female

Blomsam male

Phurbu male

Bsordo male

Tshagsdis male

Bkarchos female

Tshesgron female

Nyilha female

Klubho male

Skammchogdpalldan male

Shesrab male

Byampa male

Sputho male

Phroskyabs male

Sgronsdus female

churig male

Tsheringlhamo female

dbangphyugstshering male

Thubphyugs male

Dponpo male

Mugdmarkris male

Padrdo male

Thubdga male

Yaya male

Blotshe male

Dkabzang female

Mzoris male

Bstanzinsgronma female

Chossgron female

Bkarmo female

Phundus male

Dkskyid female

Nyimargyalo male

Choskrug male

Ngagbso male

Gangthar male


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Thublo male

Bsodlha female

Yodg male

Chunggns female

Pantshe male

Asngo male

Nagris male

Sgronchung female

jigmedskyabs male

Domtsho female

gumtsho female

Cesngan female

Tshundpa male

Lolo male

Khyiskyag male

Bstanpa male

Tsherisskyid female

Sherlha female

Dgedunbyamspa male

Bkarshis maleChosbha female

Tsheskyid female

Guntshe male

Tshelhadkar female

Phurbatshering male

Bsomo female

Desdes male

Paldansgronma female

Tsheyag female

Choskrug female

Aurganskyabs male

Thubdg male

Thubbstanbyunggnas male

Phurrnam male

Thubdgeleg male

Bsamgrub female

Smanskyid female

Phaglo male

Skyimmtsho female

Desdesmo female

Bkarshis male

Tsheskyabs male

Ngagdbanglhamo female

Bstanzindbangmo female

Donyod male

Lhamo female

Rdorje male

Alha female

Bsolha female

Kunmkhyen male

Blomo female

Yulha femaleBlaskyabs male

Gragspa male

Choszin male

Risris female

Rinchen male

Yilha female

phello male

Thubbsam male

Dkarsgrislhsmo female

Thubjig male

Bsonmbsangmo female

jamdbyanglhamo female


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Bdechendbangmo female

Chunglas male

Bsodnamrgyara male

Rlangtshe male

Phagsgron female

Lodg male

Asman male

Ganglha female

Thubchosrgyaris male

Dgebzang male

guskyabs male

Rirgyal male

Blamgon male

Lharis female

Alo male

Rdogragspa male

Rnamrgyal male

Blodongrub male


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Contract: Xining Solar Power Resource Company & Tudenggongbu (Chad)


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Financial Accounting

Date

2005

Receipt # Item Cost Per

RMB

Total Cost

RMB

June 22 1 Taxi fee 30.00 30.00

June 24 2 Taxi fee 30.00 30.00

June 29 3 Taxi fee 28.50 28.50

June 30 4 FAX fee 8.00 8.00

July 4 5 Taxi fee 25.00 25.00

July 10 6 Taxi fee 28.20 28.20

July 16 7 Taxi fee 30.00 30.00

July 16 8 (2 receipts) Solar electricity generating panels1

455.00 65,065.00

August 1 9 Pen 3.00 3.00

August 1 10 Film 22.00 22.00

August 1 11 Notebook 2.00 2.00

August 2 12 Batteries 5.00 5.00

August 2 13 Film 25.00 25.00

August 2 14 Batteries 5.00 5.00

August 2 15 Car rental fee 200.00 200.00

August 16 16 Film Development 18.00 36.00

August 17 17 Taxi fee 30.00 30.00

Total 65,572.70

Amount Received (Good Works = 60,000; Local Contribution = 6,000) 66,000.00

Amount Remaining RMB 427.30

1

The solar panel will be repaired or replaced within 10 years of purchase if it proves

defective. The battery will be repaired or replaced within one year if it proves defective.


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Receipts


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Original Proposal

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Dear Good Works,

I was born in a black yak hair tent on the boundless grassland of Shiqu County on the

first day of October in 1984. I am the third son of four sons in a family of seven people.

My Tibetan name is Tudenggongbu, and my English name is Chad.

I studied in Kangding Normal School where I had the privilege of meeting Dr

Kevin Stuart and other representatives of the English Teaching Program in the

Nationalities Department at Qinghai Normal University in Xining. Fortunately, I was one

of the six students chosen from my school.

At present, I have completed three years of study toward my double major of

English and Tibetan languages. I haven't done any project, yet I've attended a number of

meetings held with local displaced nomads, as well as sessions with such local NGOs as

Sanchuan Development Association and Snowland Service Group, and I wrote several

development projects proposals. And here this is one of them.

Thank you for considering my proposal.

Sincerely,

Tudenggongbu (Chad)


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Solar Electricity Generating Panels

for the

Tibetan Nomads on the Grasslands of Niga Town

A INTRODUCTORY DETAILS

Project location.

The northern grassland areas of Niga Town, Shiqu County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous

Prefecture, Sichuan Province, PR China. The beneficiaries are scattered throughout these

grasslands, and the only way to travel to them is by horseback. From Niga Town, the first

settlement is a 30-minute ride, while traveling to the farthest will take 3-4 days.

Niga Town is located in the northwest of Shiqu County on the boundary between Sichuan

and Qinghai provinces and near Tibet. Shiqu County is the most remote and is located at

the highest altitude in all of Sichuan Province. It is 900 kilometers west of Xining, five

hours of driving form Jiegu Town, Qinghai Province. In the northwest of the county are

the Bayankala Mountains and in the southeast of the county are the Mula Mountains. The

Jingsa River creates a border between Shiqu and Jingda counties.

Project duration: two months.

Name of applicant: Tudenggongbu (Chad)

Email address: [email protected]

Please provide background on the applicant:

Tudenggongbu is a native of Niga Town. He is a student studying English and Tibetan at

the Nationalities Department of Qinghai Normal University. The inspiration for this

project came from hearing about other projects Dr. Kevin and his classmates successfully

completed. Tudenggongbu also attended a number of meetings held with local displaced

nomads, as well as sessions with such local NGOs as Sanchuan Development Association

and Snowland Service Group. Additionally, Tudenggongbu would like to introduce the

following community members who have gathered information about the village

conditions and will continue to work with him throughout the project. They will help

with buying, transporting and distributing the solar panels, as well as post-project

evaluation of the benefits of the panels.

Gongbuduodeng is a student in the Sichuan Tibetan Language Institute.

Cequ is an old herdsman, who has lived on the grassland for most of his life.


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Climate: The average altitude of Niga is 4,200 meters, resulting in long, harsh winters

and very brief summers. As a consequence of the prolonged cold, six to seven months out

of the year, flame-based heating must be used. Additionally, for two to three months of

the year, the weather is so cold that the wells are blocked with ice. To get water, the

people use small cans that can fit through the small opening that remains, and then pours

these cans into their buckets until the buckets are full. Another aspect of the climate isthat the yearly rainfall is not sufficient to supply enough water for all the townspeople,

and as a result, the wells are usually dry in January, February and March.

Income: Local people earn cash by selling livestock, selling yak hair, butter and cheese,

mushrooms and caterpillar fungus. However, all of these income sources are seasonal.

For example, caterpillar fungus, a medicinal herb, can only be dug from late May to early

July. An additional source of income is seasonal work outside of the areas, such as work

as construction labor. The average income the area is approximately 100 rmb cash per

person annually.

Education: At least 90% of the beneficiaries are illiterate. These herdsmen are the direct

descendents of nomads, and their main focus continues to be their livestock. In most

cases, the seasonally migrant people do not yet value school education. Very few of them

send their children to school. Instead, they often keep their children at home as a labor

force. In those instances where a family would like to send a child to school, it faces

many challenges.

There are two schools in Shiqu County Town--a primary school and a junior middle

school. The primary school has six grades that include four hundred students and thirty-

eight teachers. The middle school has three grades with two hundred and thirty students

and twenty-three teachers. Most teachers in these schools have only received vocational

degrees (zhongzhuan), the equivalent to completing senior middle school. The studentsstudy Tibetan language, geography, mathematics, history, biology, chemistry, physics,

and Chinese language. The tuition for both schools for one year is 80 rmb for nomad

children and 240 rmb for children of those people who have government jobs.

There is no senior middle school in the county. To continue their education, students

must travel away from home to Kangding Normal School or Sichuan Tibetan Language

School located in Kangding, approximately 900 km away.

The solar panels can positively influence the educational opportunities for the people

of the grassland. If families are able to work during the evening hours, they may consider

sending children to school during the day because these children could contribute to the

family labor when they got home at night.

Electricity: As migrant people, the beneficiaries of this project do not have electricity,

even in their winter settlement. The light sources available come from the traditional

customs of burning butter lamps, candles and kerosene lanterns. Batteries can be bought,

but are often too expensive. Without electricity, radio and television, residents are

virtually cut off from the rest of the world.


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Do you have support from the national, provincial and/or local government for the

project? If so, provide details: At the local level, town leader Tuxia has agreed to

support this project. He has already aided Tudenggongbu in collecting research

information for this proposal, and has pledged to be the liaison to the villagers.

The organizers of this project also anticipate further government support because the

issue of electricity has created tension between the officials and the people in this area.Within the last five years, the grassland people have agreed to settle into fenced adobe

houses during the winter months. They believe the government should provide electricity

for the winter settlement grounds. However, these settlements are scattered throughout

the grassland, and far from one another. Therefore, running electric lines to all of them

would be problematic.

At the same time, even the electricity that exists in the county town is not reliable. In

Niga, local hydroelectric power is reliable and convenient during the two months the

weather is warm. When the temperatures drop below freezing, however, water used in the

hydroelectric generator freezes. During the two to three coldest months of the year, the

electricity is so low that light bulbs are very dim, and not useful. The townspeople

constantly ask for help from the local government, yet they've gotten little support. These

types of problems would only continue if the government did run electric lines to the

grassland peoples winter settlement; thus, their quality of life would not be much

improved by the government electricity.

Describe the project. What are the projects objectives and how will these be

achieved?

The project is to supply 132 solar electricity-generating panels to the people of the

Niga Town grasslands. Once the project committee has the funds, the members will

contact the factory and place the order. This factory has worked with similar projects inthe past, and they have agreed to transport the panels to Niga Town. The grassland people

will travel to the county town to receive the panel and introductory training on how to use

the panel from factory representative. When completed, this project would therefore

benefit 132 households.

The first objective is to eliminate the need for buying batteries and kerosene and for

burning butter. The solar panels would provide electricity, so these other fuel sources

would not be necessary.

The second objective is to improve the quality of life for the beneficiaries, especially

females. Electricity would provide health benefits by eliminating the need to burn

fuel and thereby create dangerous chemicals in the air.

The third objective is to allow community members, especially females, to have more

free time. The electricity would allow people to work indoors during the evening

hours.

Please give the rationale for the project. Why is the project needed?

This project is needed for the villagers because:


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Without power, the beneficiaries currently must spend a significant

amount of their income on buying fuel to burn for light. Furthermore, the candle is

constantly blown out by wind.

Right now, all major work for the household economy must be completed

during the daylight hours. This includes the significant task of cooking supper.

Lack of power creates a variety of health problems. Today, all evening

activities such as sewing, separating and boiling milk, making new yoghurt cultures,

and ( ) must be done by candlelight. As a result of the minimal light, many people

have experienced a visible deterioration in their eyesight, namely short-sightedness.

Also, the burning butter lamps produce poisonous fumes which family members,

specifically women, then inhale. Prolonged exposure to these chemicals has been

found to cause numerous diseases.

Without electricity, radio and television, residents are virtually cut off from the

rest of the world. They are not aware of such things as world events, weather

warnings, health information or political news. Batteries can be bought, but are often

too expensive.

Who are the project beneficiaries? How will they benefit from the project? (In

particular how will women and girls in this community benefit from the project)

The people who are living on the pasture of Niga Town, Shiqu County will be the

beneficiaries, and they will benefit from this project in following ways:

All households will experience a decrease in living expenses. They will no longer

need to burn butter, itself a commodity that could be sold, or to buy kerosene and

batteries. Therefore, the family can use the money saved for other needs.

With the energy generated by the panels, beneficiaries can light their homes at

night. Women and girls have the major responsibility to complete all housework. So,

the females can do housework, including cooking meals, more comfortably at night

under the smokeless and steady light provided by the panels. Therefore, they would

have more free time for other activities, possibly school for the girls.The local women have told the committee members they would like to be able to do

the following activities at night:

o women and girls could easily boil milk and make butter

o women and girls could sew clothes and knit wool socks and gloves

o women could gather to chat and to hold more evening activities

o women and girls could more easily milk yaks under electric light

o women could more easily cook and clean


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Implementation plan (Show key tasks)

Start

Date EndDate Task Inputs required 01/12/04 money arrives to provided bank

account

10/01/05 10/01/05 solar panels purchased The owner of Nimas SolarPower Factory, Dr. Kevin and

other committee members17/01/05 20/01/05 transport the panels the project

site via trucks supplied by the

factoryThe owner of Nimas Solar

Power Factory, two committee

members (Tudenggongbu and

Tuxia)21/01/05 22/01/05 beneficiaries arrive to receive

panels and attend training

session from the representative

of the factory

Beneficiaries, committee

members, representative from

the factory22/01/05 1/02/05 beneficiaries transport panels

back to their homes, and begin

installing panels and lightbulbs Beneficiaries and committee

members18/02/05 18/02/05 beneficiaries and committee

members meet to conduct post-

project evaluation Beneficiaries and committee

members05/03/05 01/04/05 final report written and sent. Tudenggongbu and Dr. Kevin

Stuart

Describe any problems that might arise during the implementation of this project andhow you will minimize them:

The beneficiaries may not know how to use these solar electricity generating panels, for

they have never used one. However, for this problem we will provide information

sessions with the factory representative. Besides that, we can ask for help from the few

county town households that already own a solar panel.

Once the project activity is complete who will take responsibility for future costs and

maintenance?

The company agreed to repair the panel for free within five years, if there are anyproblems.

C PROJECT RESOURCES AND FINANCING

Please provide a budget for the project including details of proposed expenditure of the

(???) contribution, the local (Chinese) contribution or input, and contributions from any

other source. Please attach the budget separately or detail in the below table.


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