About the Region

Between 1996 and 2000, the people of the ethnic Tibetan nomadic region of Yushu prefecture, Qinghai suffered some of the worst snowstorms and drought in recent history. This has had a drastic impact on the environment and livestock, the very basis of survival for these nomadic people.

Many herders lost up to 90% of their Yak and sheep, leaving them and their families destitute. The annual income is only about AUS $50 per person.

With literacy as low as 10%, these people have little opportunity to access alternative livelihoods. Access to food is beyond the means of many. The opportunity for families to send their children to school, almost nil.