MG2010 South: Machik

Machik seeks to help chart new pathways forward as communities on the Tibetan plateau approach uncertain times. By respecting the standpoint of others and appreciating our responsibility toward one another and to our collective human future, we have learned that meaningful change is possible, even under challenging circumstances.

Machik's work began with a primary school in Chungba, a small rural community in the heart of Kham, when Phuntsok "Pencho" Rabgey cashed in his retirement savings as seed money for the project. 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 (CPS) became a runaway success story in its first year of operation. It made news by placing first across 53 schools in the county, which served to undermine stereotypes about the potential of rural Tibetan children. In the years since then, the CPS has become a model for rural Tibetan education across Ganzi prefecture - a region of nearly a million Tibetans.

With the CPS 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 and diverse 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.

Our approach begins with a commitment to grassroots rural community work. We have invested at the micro-level, strengthening Tibetan capacity in rural areas brick by brick. From the beginning, our work has also involved creating new opportunities for training, learning and skills development. In addition to education, our projects include: conservation, women's empowerment, digital media work, and the identification and support of local social entreprenuers .