eo Liu in Tibet (continued)

Interview with Leo Liu, ‘16

byRauldelaGuardia,‘16

So tell me what you did last summer.

Last summer, I went to Yushu, Tibet to help teach English and Math to the poor in the area and to experience Tibetan culture firsthand. Why Tibet?

About 4 years ago, Tibet was rattled by a massive earthquake. I remember doing fundraising work to help support people that lived in the poor area of Yushu. I remember raising basic goods and such to help support as many people as we could. So a couple of years ago, when I sought to make a change for the better and do something impactful, Yushu immediately came back to mind. I had met people that lived in Yushu, and I sought out a volunteer job that would let me help others, but also allow me to be independent. Education is one of the greatest gifts anyone can offer, and I was honored to bring that gift to the youth of Yushu. Tibet gave me this opportunity.

What sorts of hardships did you face while working there?

The first thing that comes to mind is

the elevation. Being in the Himalayan mountains, the altitude really gets to you. I remember the day after my arrival I was barely able to walk and teach because of how thin the air was. The other big issue was the lack of clean water. Most of the villagers relied on a river for their water supply, which was of course extremely dirty. But it was useable, and we were forced to carry water from it to and fro in order to wash.

Where there any sociopolitical issues that you encountered?

The relationship between Tibet and

China is still extremely tense, and that was made clear on my travels. As Han Chinese, there was certainly a negative aura that seemed to set some villagers off to me. Han Chinese have a reputation of trying to force the Tibetans to modernize, but once they knew why I was there it was no longer a

problem.

How would you describe the area you worked in?

The most striking thing about traveling to a place like Tibet is the poverty. You see it as soon as you get off the plane. Once I arrived in Yushu, the gravity of the situation became even more clear. In the first world, receiving such basic education at that age would be unheard of. But I would be lying to you if I said these people were not inspired by knowledge. They were immensely grateful for my help, and their powerful message of thanks is something I will always remember. Opportunities to learn are few and far between, and it was clear that these guys cherished what I was offering them. The tears shed as I left nearly broke my heart. Would you go back? Absolutely, I would certainly return, and I am planning on doing so! To see the website of the school where Leo taught, go here: www.dodoschool.net To see Leo’s students singing a song he taught them, click the photo below:

VideoofStudentssinging.m4v