In July 2022, I traveled to Ladakh for three weeks and was delighted, after two years of border closures, to meet the project leaders as well as familiar friends and participants from the villages.
EAL has been active in adult education in the Senge La region for eight years. In 2022, the board set the goal of assessing the current status of the project. Through personal interviews with project participants, we aimed to evaluate their educational level, development potential, and interests regarding the continuation of the educational offerings.
Status Assessment
The meetings for this assessment took place in training rooms or at private homes in the villages of Lingshed, Skiumpata, Gongma, Yulchung, and Neyraks. Information from the participants in the remote village of Dipling was provided to me by Sonam Dorje, the project leader. In total, 89 women using EAL’s educational program took part in the survey.
Four central questions were the focus:
-
Testing reading skills by having each woman read a passage from a book aloud
-
Age of the women present
-
Knowledge level before joining the EAL project
-
Exploring plans for the upcoming winter: their motivation and the learning content they want to be taught
Evaluation Results:
90% of the women surveyed can read fluently. The average age of all participants is 47 years. 11% of the women knew the alphabet before joining the project or had attended school up to grade 10. 80% of respondents wish to continue attending winter classes. The majority desire to deepen their reading comprehension. Subjects such as writing, arithmetic, or English are currently of lesser importance to them.
Development of Personal Skills
EAL’s goal of providing education for adults has been far exceeded, thanks to outstanding results. The strong motivation, determination, and willingness to learn to read formed the foundation for this success. Furthermore, literacy has significantly boosted the women’s self-confidence.
The status assessment revealed that:
-
The project participants strongly wish for EAL’s program to continue.
-
There is a clear desire to deepen reading comprehension, particularly of Buddhist texts.
Yulchung
The women of the mountain village Yulchung have developed self-initiative and a sense of ownership. Last winter, they met several times a week in the craft room to read and knit together.
During my visit, they proudly shared that they now manage without a teacher. Knowledge is passed on among themselves. More experienced participants support those with less experience. “It’s a give and take,” explained the village leader. The guiding principle of EAL — help for self-help — is being fulfilled.
Congratulations on this encouraging step toward independence!
Boarding School in Lingshed
In March 2022, after two years of pandemic-related closure, the boarding school in Lingshed reopened. At the start of the school term, not all government teachers were able to begin their assignments, as training courses and exams were scheduled for April and May.
Project leader Sonam Dorje responded by organizing private teachers to cover the missing subjects such as mathematics, science, social studies, and Tibetan grammar. At his request, EAL provided financial support for six teaching salaries at the Lingshed boarding school and one salary each for the village schools in Yulchung and Dipling.
Reading Glasses Initiative
During my last visit in 2019, I noticed that many older students were experiencing presbyopia (age-related farsightedness). Salgina Optik in Schiers generously donated 150 reading glasses in five different strengths. The demand was high, and almost all the glasses found new owners.
Many thanks to Marcel Marchion.
Winter Classes 2022/2023
Winter classes will continue in the villages of Lingshed, Skiumpata, Gongma, Dipling, and Neyraks in the upcoming winter. As before, the participants themselves are responsible for organizing the teachers.
In Ladakh, it is traditional for newly married couples to move into the groom’s family home. Women who move into the villages appreciate the educational opportunities offered by EAL. They are interested, motivated, and enthusiastic about participating in the classes. The number of participants is expected to increase by 12 to 15 women.