My small village name is Dupion. It has very high mountains and beautiful places. There are 46 households in my village. They all are semi-nomad. So, they have some sheep, some yaks and farming fields. They are very friendly with each other but their condition is very poor. The Chinese got different high tax from our village and sometimes, suddenly 'Chinese work output' come there to audit sheep and yaks.

If you have many domestic animals in a family, the Chinese officials are meeting with our people. The officials say, ''You aren't allowed many domestic animals so you must kill a few

If they do not want to do that then the Chinese's officials punish us or work output come there to take some of the domestic animal away from us.

My name is Pema Dechen, I was born in small village near Shigatse on 10th of August 1986. There are five members in my family, my mother, three brothers and me. My father from the time of my childhood had passed- away from bad illness. After my father's death I went to Lhasa for a job. There I found a job as a babysitter. The baby's parents were civil servants of the Chinese government. They had better lives than those people who lived in the countryside. But the baby's mother was an evil minded woman who

underfed, beat and controlled my rights. Sometimes she didn't give me any food all day so I was very sad about it. But, I couldn't get angry with her because I was her babysitter. I had to wake up at 4 o'clock every morning because I had a lot of work to do. I had to clean everything. After finished cleaning she let me go outside with her baby on my back. But, sadly she often didn't let me take any food with me. I knew I shouldn't say anything to her unless she might kick me out of her home. I tolerated for three months although my body became weak in that period. I missed my home very much. She didn't give me any chance to call my family. Fortunately one evening she let me buy some vegetables near the Market. I took the chance to escape to my home. When I lived at home in my small village, I had missed the opportunity to go to school because of the poor condition of my family.

One day I had met some people - my village mates. They told me, "you shouldn't go back to Lhasa as a babysitter" and that I should go to India for some education. They also added that there are some adult schools in which they teach English and Tibetan language. I thought that was a good idea. I decided to go in India. I told my family I wanted to go to India because I really wanted to study. So they let me to go to India.

I went one dark night with my girl relative. We took a bus for one day and walked three days on the way from the middle jungles. We reached the border between Tibet and Nepal. There we hide for a whole week. The officials of reception center came there to take us. After one month, I arrived at Dharamsala's reception. I had an education with H.H. the Dalai Lama. I was very happy and unhappy, I couldn't explain my feeling. After that, I went to Sherab Galtse Lobling School and began to study English and Tibetan. That was my first time in school and I didn't know any students in that school. So how was I learning subjects? I was so desperate for an education. After some days, I knew some students and became friends day by day. They had a very good education. Sometimes they were teaching to me, but I didn't understand subjects. Yet I made an effort everyday to learn some things.

My mind has changed now after I was in Tibet when I was such a stupid girl. I didn't have any understanding or knowledge. Right now I became more clever at understanding some subjects. I know how important an education is. So still I am going to continue my efforts to learn as much as I can

I want to become a doctor in the future. If I become a doctor then I

can help in the society. When very bad patients can't afford to come in the hospital then I volunteer. I don't take medical payment because for very poor family it is very difficult to pay for treatment.

Thanking you

E.S.Tibet Student
Pema