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			Introduction of Nihon Kham Kikin
	Place of Activities in Chattring Prefecture「Eastern Tibet Kham」incorporated into Gansu,Sichuan Province/ China
Our society started to work in Eastern Tibet ( China ) in July 2000 under the Japanese name Nihon Kham Kikin. We are now working in Chattring and Derong Prefecture . It is a 4 hour flight to Kumming and from there another hour to Gyalthang, the door to Kham, Eastern Tibet . From there Derong and Chattring can be reached by bus or car.Kham was incorporated into the Chinese provinces in 1950. The men from Kham are called Khampa and are famous for their tall and sturdy stature and strong character. Kham is a beautiful wild place with many mountains and forests, medicinal herbs, and Matsutake mushrooms, etc. We first worked in Chattring Prefecture , which is 2800m above sea level. In summer the temperature doesn't going over 25 C, therefore it is cool inside homes or in shaded places. It is still warm in September and roses, cosmos, dalia, etc., are blooming in gardens. When going up the mountains edelweiss and blue poppies can be found. Autumn starts in October and all the trees turn red and yellow. In the early mornings and evenings it's cold therefore leather clothing and down jackets are recommended. In November it becomes winter and snow is falling. From November to April construction cannot continue because of the cold and frozen surfaces. Until recently, plenty of trees had been cut to be transported to China , but these days it is forbidden to cut any tree without special permission from the government. Even badly needed timber for building private houses falls under this law, therefore it’s very difficult to build even new homes; a special permit has to be obtained from the government to get the needed timber. But thanks to this law, the mountain slopes are becoming green again. There are three special mountains in Chattring. There are natural spas, and one hotel has a pool, using water from a spa, which is being frequented by local Tibetans. Until 2000 it was forbidden for foreigners to visit this part of Kham. These days a few westerners are visiting and staying in Chattring on their way to Lithang, but no one speaks English in this area, only Tibetans and Chinese, therefore foreigners who know neither Tibetan nor Chinese languages have to use their hands to be understood or have to take bring an outside guide with them. Most of the Tibetans here are farmers. Between April and September one or two family members take their yaks, cows, sheep, pigs, and hens up to the mountains to let them graze and get fat in a natural environment. In October all the animals, except the yaks, are brought back home. Because farmers don’t have much cash, healthy family members go up into the mountains to look for Matsutake mushrooms in July and August, which they sell. All the Matsutake are being exported to Japan . Thanks to this income, the farmers can buy foods they cannot grow themselves. Most of the farmers who are over 20 are illiterate, but from September 2004, every child must attend school for 9 years, which is quite a burden for many of the areas poor parents. The first 6 years are free, but the parents must still pay for schoolbooks, stationery, etc., and when the child enters junior high school, they will not only have to pay school fees but also dormitory, book, and stationery fees. Therefore it will become more and more important for our society to find sponsors for needy junior high school students in Chattring and Derong prefectures, so they can continue with their studies. Without these sponsors, the parents often have to borrow money, which they often cannot pay back. About our work Local volunteers and the local population In Lhasa there are plenty of foreign NGOs who are helping the local people but in Chattring there is not one foreign organization except ours, therefore the local people and the government are very grateful for our work and are very co-operative. Every year the local TV station broadcasts our work in their news program and our work has even been introduced in the Sichuan newspaper. While working in their own professions, our four local volunteer staff free of charge for our society. A farmer`s life Young farming women have to get up at around 3:00 A.M. to fetch firewood far away from home to return before 12 noon. Grandmothers (between 30 and 40 until recently most of the farmers children didn`t attend school at all,therefore they got married by their parents between 14-18) often look after their grandchildren and do the cooking. Other young family members have to fetch water, as no home has running water in the countryside. In the afternoon some family members take care of the crops. Young, healthy men have part-time jobs in road making, and house building etc., to get some badly needed cash.