1988: The Swedish and U.S. Tibetan Societies for School & Culture are founded.
1989: The Swedish Society signs its first formal agreement with the government of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) to begin its first project, the boarding school in Katsel. This was the first agreement of its kind in the history of
Tibet.
1992: The Society hires three Tibetan teachers to teach Tibetan to the children in Katsel.
1993: A three person delegation from the TAR government visited
Sweden
and signs the final project agreement granting construction permission. In the autumn an eight room, two storey building is completed and children fill its classrooms for the first time.
1994: Dormitories for boarding students and living quarters for teachers are completed and the
Katsel
School
is formally inaugurated.
1995-96: The Katsel School is expanded with the completion of a large dining room and kitchen, additional dormitories and teachers’ quarters, a greenhouse, shower rooms and a dispensary.
1996: Project 108 Schools in
Tibet
is formally announced and two small primary schools are completely renovated. The Society buys and distributes 6,000 animals for nomad families who were struck by extremely harsh winter storms. The tree-planting project is started and 8,000 trees are planted.
1997-99: The Katsel School adds a library building as well as football and basketball grounds. Project 108 Schools is buildt and 20 more schools renovated. The first class of 6th graders at the
Katsel
School
takes final exams. The majority of students passes and continues their studies at a nearby secondary school. Five children are sponsored to travel to
China
to study. The
Jamyangling
Academy
of Arts & Crafts, a new handicraft school for 15 students in Katsel village is opened.
2000: Four new students from Katsel are sponsored to travel to
China
to study. The Society’s total number of school projects reaches 33.
2001: Another student is sponsored to study
in China.
A new project – The Katsel Vocational Training School – is started. Project 108 reaches a total of 52 schools. These include two traditional medical schools, one art school, two arts and crafts schools and one vocational training school. The Project commits to build a small library at each of the 108 schools.
2002: The
Katsel
Vocational
Training School
is inaugurated. Three more students from the
Katsel
School
travel to
China
to study. Project 108 has now completed 64 schools. The library project has completed six libraries.
2003: The
Katsel
Vocational
Training School
becomes fully operational with students from various areas of
Tibet
participating (e.g. Amdo). Three more students from the
Katsel
School
travel to
China
for higher studies. Project 108 Schools in
Tibet
reaches 84 schools, offering free education to more than 10,000 children. Thirty-three (33) libraries are built.
2004: Ninety-eight (98) schools which offer free education to 12,000 children are opened and operating. The schools are in TAR, Kham, Amdo and
Yunnan
regions. Sixty-seven (67) of these schools now have their own library.
2005/2006: The remaining schools & libraries are completed. A concert is held in
Stockholm
to celebrate at which time a book in English documenting The Project 108 Schools in
Tibet
entitled
The Jewels of Tibet is released.
2007:
Sweden
continues child-sponsorship work. The U.S. Society focuses on raising funds to support the students at the
Mangra
Batsig
School
. The School Society starts an HIV/AIDS campaign in the
Lhasa
valley area reaching thousands with printed and verbal information. News of the project is shown on CCTV.
Please visit our
How To Help page to find out how you can become a part of this important work. For additional detail on all the schools in Project 108 (to build and support a chain of 108 schools in rural Tibet) as well as other projects, please visit the website of
The Swedish Tibetan Society for School & Culture and click on the link to
The Jewels of Tibet.
