Kang Yun Baige Hope School The original White Dove (Baige) Primary School, located in Pingbian’s Peace township, four hours by bus from the county seat, was built eighty some years ago. It has remained the only school serving the over 6,200 inhabitants of ten villages and three hamlets under Peace’s jurisdiction. According to the latest census, only 450 of the district’s 723 school-age children were given the leisure of attending White Dove, 226 as commuters and 224 as boarders. The school has 11 classes and 20 full-time teachers whose dedication and hard-work made White Dove among the best in Pingbian. Yet years of unchecked deterioration had made many of the White Dove facilities - especially dormitories - unfit and unsafe to use. Seeking to effect drastic renovations, in January 2001, Pingbian's Youth League and Project Hope set up a Web site to appeal for outside help. Kang Yun Foundation responded quickly with an enabling donation for reconstruction and additional funds were provided by Pingbian's Education Department and Project Hope. |