On August 28, 2012, staff of the Pendeba Society went on a survey to Zhaguo Town of Tingri County to identify project site where conventional sheep corrals will be transformed. After consulting with local township officials, not only had we received support from local government, we also got to know the villages that have large areas of conventional sheep corrals needed to be transformed. We surveyed some of the villages including Zhaguo, Jialong, Meimu, and Chaga Villages, and identified two project sites, namely Meimu and Chaga, where there are urgent needs to transform their conventional sheep corrals.
In the morning, accompanied by village chiefs of Meimu, we went to the riverside to examine the sheep corrals, during which we introduced our project and the importance of wetlands, we also got to know there are 18 sheep corrals in the village that require transformation. Though some of the corrals have been transformed into ones half-stone and half-earth brick, they still need reinforcement. Nonetheless, many sheep corrals are still constructed conventionally by digging out wetland earth blocks, and they are collapsing due to poor maintenance. After consulting with village chiefs and listening to their needs, we have designed a project plan that owners of the corrals provide labor for corral transformation while the Pendeba Society provides materials such as winter fabric covering the corrals so that they can provide better protection for livestock to get through cold winter. In the meantime, we also came out with an incentive plan that those who do a good job in the project will be rewarded after the final evaluation. This will also motivate villagers, and help achieve the results in a successful manner. The project will transform 18 sheep corrals, from which over 400 villagers and 4600 livestock will benefit.
In the afternoon, we went on to the other village, Chaga. In the course of talking with village chiefs, we also introduced our visit and project, and consulted about the village’s needs. The chiefs were all in favor of our projects, and stated their needs, i.e., building a watercourse that feeds water into hillside farmlands behind the village for irrigation during spring sowing season. Due to unfavorable climate and geological conditions, this area faces floods during the raining season, while the sandy soil cannot hold water from wellspring in mountains. Together with lacking of irrigation infrastructures, they impose negative impacts on the village’s agricultural production. During the spring sowing season in particular, there is less rain and the sandy soil will have absorbed the water from wellspring before it reaches the farmland, causing water shortage for irrigation.
Though there are irrigation infrastructures and a large reservoir under construction near the village, it still needs more funds for the village to build a watercourse that can feeds water into small reservoirs near the hillside farmlands. Also, summer floods can be better controlled and channeled off to the large reservoir for storage, providing water for the farmlands downstream. And the staff of the Pendeba Society did a survey to the hillside farmlands, and together with the village chiefs carefully planed the project. Finally, we agreed to transform 10 conventional sheep corrals while building a irrigation watercourse for the village’s hillside farmlands. This project will ensure irrigation water for around 100 mu (around 6.7 ha) farmlands to safeguard agricultural production, and transform conventional sheep corrals to protect wetlands, from which over 260 villagers and 3000 livestock will benefit.
We truly appreciate the generous support from LAO NIU Foundation, while in the meantime, we also thank Zhaguo Government and concerned communities for their continued support and cooperation on these projects.
The QNNP is known as the Third Pole of the Earth, and it is freezing cold during the winter. In order to warm up QNNP's school children in winter, the Pendeba Society has applied to the Snoopy Love Foundation and was donated 2000 winter coats, 2000 scarfs, 300 sweaters and 200 hats, which were distributed to 2000 more poor school children in QNNP's four counties. To ensure fair distribution, the Society has consulted with local governments and communities to identify the most needing villages and schools to receive the donation. During the course of the distribution, the Society was in charge of transportation, distribution and outreach activities of the donated clothes. We also invited local TV to report the event to make it more known across the region. In the meantime, we also updated our project via various channels including Weibo to ensure a trustful and faire distribution.
In early August, 2012, the Pendeba Society reached agreement on transforming traditional sheep corrals projects with 5 villages (Enba, Chaga, Chazi, Didong, Meimu and Nailong) in Tingri and Nyalam Counties with support from local governments and communities. Except Nailong and Chaga Villages, the other four villages have completed the projects based on the communities’ practical situation and schedule. In total 64 sites of sheep corrals have been successfully transformed into new ones and put into use before winter arrived. 
By the end of 2012, the Society will implement the compensation schemes. For Chazi and Didong villagers, they will transform the sheep corrals collectively and benefit collectively thereafter. Led by the village chefs, the villagers started transforming the corrals all together. Based on the needs and assessment of the two villages, the villagers will receive milk segregators and furniture, respectively in compensation of their labor input. For Meimu and Enba villages, the sheep corral owners will implement the rebuilding individually. The Society will compensate participating villagers with TV sets and materials such as winter fabric covering the corrals so that they can provide better protection for livestock to get through cold winter. 
In the afternoon of August 13, 2012, TAR’s Department of Civil Affairs held a meeting on progress report of State-funded social welfare projects and a ceremony to confer Social Organization Grade Evaluation certificates on outstanding social organizations of Tibet Autonomous Region. Mr. XIAO Bai, Vice Department chief chaired the meeting, and Mr. JIA Xiaojiu, Vice Director of State Bureau of NGO Administration, attended the meeting and gave a keynote speech. In his speech, Mr. JIA mentioned that social organizations are government’s right hand, and it signifies much to cultivate and oster social organizations. He also delivered six requirements to the organizations that received state grants to implement social welfare projects, namely, 1) projects need to solve the most urgent needs of local communities, and benefit local people; 2) implementing scale and scope of the projects should be well handled; 3) Subletting and inappropriate bonus rewards are prohibited; 4); all documents related to the projects should be well kept; 5) project closing should be well managed; and 6) let projects play a leading role in promoting social welfare. Mr. JIA also introduced the background of the State Social Welfare Project Grants Program, and emphasized the importance of this program, which is in accordance to central government’s direction on cultivating and fostering social organizations. If this program has succeeded and reached its goals, and local people have really benefited, it is very possible that this grants program will be incorporated into the central government’s annual budget, which will ensure grants, and more local people, especially local Tibetan communities will benefit. 
Mr. Sonam Louguo, Director of TAR’s Bureau of NGO Administration, introduced the establishment of TAR’s social organizations, current challenges and future improvement measures. Mr. YU Yonglong, Vice Director of State Bureau of NGO Administration attended this meeting as well. Five social organizations from TAR that are conferred 5 A Grade (top grade) of Social Organization Grade Evaluation of TAR were invited to attend the meeting. Representatives of these five organizations also presented their project progress to all the attendees. At last, Mr. JIA and Mr. XIAO conferred the 5 A Grade certificates upon the Pendeba Society, TAR Charity Federation, Tibet Ecology and Environment Foundation and other two organizations. They also encouraged these organizations to keep up with great work, and contribute more to better future of TAR. Mr. Tsering Norbu, on behalf of the Pendeba Society, received the certificate. 
In this regard, the Pendeba Society, with generous support from Lao Niu Foundation, plans to transform conventional corrals along Pengqu River into earth brick or stone corrals, which will better protect the wetland ecosystems in QNNP. Therefore, from August 1st to 8th, 2012, staff from the Pendeba Society went on a survey about conventional corrals in Chazi, Didong, Cangmuda, Dongba and Enba Villages in Tingri County and Daqu and Nailong Village in Nyalam County. Coordinated by village chiefs and leaders, with some of them being our Pendebas, our staff had a close investigation of conservation conditions of wetlands along the river, and examined usage changes of grassland resources as well as soil erosion and degradation. Through the survey, we have found that damages to the wetlands have been severe. Though it has been banned for years to dig wetlands, there are still large areas of destroyed wetlands in the region, which imposes enormous pressure on wetland conservation in QNNP.
To those who care about the Pendeba Society and Tibet’s environmental development: 
