EDUCATIONAL SITUATION
The illiteracy rate in Mustang is very high, especially among women - education is therefore urgently needed. However, the fact that the population in Mustang speaks Tibetan and is Buddhist, but the teachers at the state schools speak Nepali and are Hindus, makes things more difficult.. Many parents therefore do not send their children to school at all. The fear of losing their own language and cultural identity is not unfounded.
In Dolpo, the situation is even more difficult. This region is one of the most remote in the world and is only accessible via passes of over 5000 metres. There are hardly any government schools. There are a few public schools. For this reason, the school association supports locally initiated, state-recognised schools in both Mustang and Dolpo, which provide children with an education based on their own culture. These are currently the monastery school for boys Tsechhen Shedrub Ling Mon Gon Lobdra in Lo-Manthang, the monastery school for girls Tsunmai Lobdra in Tsarang (called Nunnery School) and the co-educational primary school in Namdo / Upper Dolpo.
DOLPO AND MUSTANG
Both Dolpo and Mustang lie north of the main Himalayan range and are very dry regions due to their location in the rain shadow of the mountains, as the summer monsoon barely reaches the areas. The settlements are located along the rivers wherever possible and the water is used to irrigate the fields; the agricultural yield is not sufficient to feed the population, especially in Dolpo. The inhabitants are dependent on livestock farming and additional trade. However, the closure of the border with Tibet by China has also severely restricted trade. A high percentage of the population, especially in Dolpo, lives below the poverty line. The harsh living conditions due to the high altitude mean that many inhabitants move to lower-lying regions in winter. Mustang is now connected to the road network by a natural road.
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