Global Roots helped a sightless Tibetan woman named Kyila establish Tibet's first kindergarten boarding school for sightless children seven years ago with a cash grant of 50K. Recently, the Chinese government changed policy to allow sightless Tibetan kindergarteners to attend special government schools. This was a big victory for Kyila. Now she can concentrate on rescuing more children from home confinement and raising funds for private tutoring so that "her children" can go to college one day!
Blind children have traditionally been considered demons in Tibet. Though loved by their families, they are culturally mandated to remain inside their homes their entire lives. One blind Tibetan woman changed all of this. Kyila was born virtually sightless (she can sense light and shadows) and snuck out of her home as a child to "be normal". Later, she learned braille, studied abroad, opened a business and climbed Everest. She continues to help Tibetan children live normal lives.
Blind Tibetan are a segment of the most underserved children in the world. Kyila's project will help bring support to over 22 blind children currently in our program and many others we hope to rescue from home confinement. Though blind kindergarteners now have the support of the Chinese state, they require extra attention and tutoring to pass high school and, hopefully, college entrance exams. More educated blind Tibetans will help free blind children who continue to suffer home confinement.
The entire blind community of Tibet will benefit from our program. We have 22 children currently in our program but we expect there are hundreds of other blind children who are locked in their homes. There is no data on blindness in Tibet -- so there could be more. Our program will also bring attention to millions of ethnic Chinese with all kinds of handicaps in Tibet and across Mainland China. We want disabled ethnic children in China to receive the same care that all children get.
