无省界

昨日到了同仁，考察了一个牧区小学，原定今天早上再去看另外一个学校。不过因为村子修路，车子难走，而且新项目未开始，要等瓜什则小学的工程完工后才能开始斗合言的工程。

既然去了也看不到什么，决定晚上漏夜赶回西宁，准备今天早上去刚察县看新项目点。该县的项目申请原本已经批准了，但是因为政府出台的新政策而改变了。他们想将牧区的学生尽量搬到中心小学去集中办学，希望我们将资助贡公麻小学的钱用在中心小学修建宿舍。可是这样一来，项目点改变了，内容也完全不一样，因为未签任何协议书，我们决定停止该校的资助，让他们重新申请。并计划将原本批准了的项目款转到新项目上。

早上刚察县教育局局长来到了宾馆，见了面后大家清楚了互相的计划和立场。或许等他们提交了详细的申请，有机会再去考察吧。我也不希望政府的改变让牧区学生继续得不到帮助。那里的藏族小孩可爱极了。

也好，今天就休息一下。昨天从1700米的循化一直跑到3700米的瓜什则，在车上不停的打哈欠，十分困乏，是高原反应吧。这几天马不停蹄的跑了几个县，早出晚休，还要喝酒应酬。确实有点累了。还有11天的行程，要保持健康才行。

无国界工程师的Carol，也是我的朋友，虽然现在搬到港岛住，方便上港大教书，但是她仍然是梅窝人。前日给她回了电邮：

Hi Carol,

I am currently in Xunhua Salar County, just finished 6 project schools visit in two counties of eastern Qinghai. Our partner organizations there are three local NGOs who are Tu ethnic minority and Tibetan. Two of the project schools rebuilt in 2005 were equiped with clean water services now with support from China Water Company which is our technical advisor and sponsor on water projects. But the large scale hydrolic power dam projects along the upper Yellow River here are worth concerning.

We've reinforce the safety check on construction after the erthquake but still need your professional advice. I will proceed for Tongren County tomorrow to visit another two project schools there. They were rebuilt in 2002. Being located in 3500m high, the two schools facing the most harsh natural environment amongst our 15 project schools in Qinghai.
I would arrive Lanzhou on July 24 and I decided to stay two more days in Longnan and be back until July 31 by flight to Shenzhen. Shaanxi is another place that was being ignored by the media and public. You may leave at Wen County to join your Shaanxi team if you wish, but better to plan ahead for the transportation connection.

I would like to remind that Longnan is now a hot pot in competing funding for reconstruction just like those quake-hit areas in Sichuan. We need to take extra caution in selecting project sites. Pingliang, located between Shaanxi and Ningxia, is a place that I am more familiar with and have several years established contacts there. The area was also hit by the earthquake though not as serious as those in the south. However, the emptied underground which caused by coal mining creates another challenge for construction safety.

I could not reach internet for another two days, please contact me by mobile. Kindly secure an better insurance when your tickets confirmed.

See you soon.
Walter
Xunhua, Qinghai